4.25 stars. I really enjoyed this story - I’d held off reading it for ages as I wanted to read the series in order, but I’m trying to catch up on my overdue NG books so I finally just read it and hoped there wasn’t too much referring to previous books…

It features Josephine Tey, a real life writer as a fictional character, and this one also features another such real life/fiction, Margery Allingham. There is a good plot featuring a disappeared girl and past crimes overshadowing the “present” (it’s set at the outbreak of WW2), and when you feature good characters, plot and writing, it all combines into a really good read. I don’t remember much of the first Upson book I read, it was years ago now - but either I I’ve changed or her books have improved, as this one definitely left a solid good impression and has made me want to read the whole series!

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

**Book Review: *Dear Little Corpses* by Nicola Upson**
*Rating: 3.5/5 stars*

Nicola Upson’s *Dear Little Corpses* brings readers into a fascinating intersection of historical fiction and crime, set against the backdrop of World War II. As part of Upson’s Josephine Tey mystery series, this novel dives into the chaos of child evacuations during the Blitz, with a sinister twist when a child goes missing.

**The Plot:**
The story begins with the evacuation of children from London to the countryside for safety, but things take a dark turn when a child goes missing in a seemingly quiet village. Josephine Tey, the real-life crime writer and the novel’s amateur sleuth, is drawn into the investigation, uncovering secrets and darker undercurrents lurking beneath the surface of a community disrupted by war.

**What Worked:**
The strongest aspect of *Dear Little Corpses* is its atmosphere. Upson does an excellent job of capturing the tension and fear of wartime Britain, with a particular focus on how the war affected civilians. The descriptions of evacuated children and the fear that gripped families are poignant and well-executed. Upson blends real historical events with fiction in a seamless manner, giving the book a sense of authenticity.

Josephine Tey, as always, is a compelling character. While she might be based on a real-life person, Upson has made her an intriguing fictional detective, balancing her personal life and her sleuthing. The historical details are meticulously researched, which adds layers to both the mystery and the setting.

**What Didn’t Work:**
That said, the novel does have its pacing issues. At times, the story lags, with too much emphasis on setting the historical scene rather than moving the plot forward. The mystery itself, while interesting, takes a while to pick up speed, and by the time it does, some readers may find their interest waning.

Additionally, while the atmosphere and historical context are vivid, the character development outside of Tey feels somewhat flat. The secondary characters don’t leave much of a lasting impression, and this detracts from the emotional weight of the missing child storyline. More depth in their interactions could have strengthened the novel.

*Final Verdict:*
A slow-burning historical mystery that shines in its setting but stumbles with pacing. If you’re patient and enjoy rich historical detail, *Dear Little Corpses* offers a satisfying, if not completely thrilling, read.

While it wouldn't stop me asking to review books, it would be nice if Netgalley would tell us if books are part of a series. This is the ninth or tenth in a series, and I didn't know until I was talking about it to a friend, and she told me about the rest.
I found the world and stakes believable, and the story itself compelling, and deeply interesting. A recommended read.

This is the tenth book in Upson's "Josephine Tey" mysteries in which the writer (the real Tey's actual name was Elizabeth McIntosh; Upson writes of Tey as an original character who wrote McIntosh's novels) is enjoying a quiet stay in at the country cottage she inherited from an aunt in the village of Polstead with her lover, Marta. It is the day before World War II is declared and the village is preparing for the arrival of evacuee children from London. Unfortunately the buses arrive with more children than expected and in the chaos a little girl named Annie from the village vanishes. The longer the search goes on, the more dire the consequences appear to be. In the meantime, an eccentric family take on one little girl but refuse to take her 10-year-old brother, who is temporarily billeted with Josephine and Marta, who are in conflict when Marta's demanding director, Alfred Hitchcock, requires she come to Hollywood early.

I love Upson's writing; she has the talent to make these mysteries sound as if they were written in the 1930s without the unfortunate racism and classism that was rampant at the time. This also captures the spirit of the day leading up to and then the days after Great Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, and the attitude of a small town preparing to take in frightened and bewildered children. (There's even a meeting (fictitious) with writer Margery Allingham, the author of the Albert Campion mysteries, and Dorothy Sayers is referenced.) The menace of secrets held within the village limits is also well portrayed. I really enjoyed this one.

Josephine Tey and her partner Marta are living in the village of Polstead in a house Josephine inherited from her godmother. Marta is preparing to leave for California to work on a Hitchcock movie, so the two are hoping to spend as much time together before Marta must go.

It's the eve of Britain's entry in WWII, and the government is sending countless children into the countryside to protect them from the inevitable effects of war. London Parents and children are stressed, including young Angie, who can't understand why her parents no longer love her and seem to be getting rid of her.

In Polstead, the vicar's wife Hilary has worked out arrangements for the influx of children, but is surprised that a great many more have arrived than expected, including a boy Noah and his younger sister Betty who don't seem to be on any of Hilary's lists. The Herron family agrees to take Betty, but refuse to take in a boy. It falls to Josie and Marta to offer their home. Noah is upset and angry, and slow to trust, but is soothed somewhat when it seems Betty is relatively happy.

Scotland Yard DCI Archie Penrose arrives in the village soon after for the Polstead village fete with his new family. He's currently working on the murder of a rent collector, who by accounts is an unpleasant man. Archie is happy for the short respite from the investigation and to reunite with his friends Josie and Marta. All that changes suddenly when it's discovered that a local girl is missing. Penrose immediately offers to help with the search, which drags on ominously.

This was a much darker novel than I was expecting. Impending war, the incredibly hard choices made by parents to send their children far from home, are all dark enough subjects, but add to this missing children and the horrible fear the longer there are no answers. When it turns out there is actually more than just one child missing, the fear only intensifies. Nicola Upson introduces us to a wide number of characters in the village in this book, and the various secrets they're concealing, and aware of in others. The reveal of who did what when left me a little sick.

I've read the first book in this series, and have returned to the "Josephine Tey" series with this novel. While I liked book one moderately, this story was a huge improvement on it. The historical details are well integrated into the narrative, and characters all feel credible. It's a well crafted and compelling story.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Dear little corpses is a wonderfully written book that combines historical events and a fictional mystery. With this book you feel an impressive sense of familiarity, as you are transported into the situation of the thousands of children who went through it.Truly, it is a book that has left me speechless.

Firstly, I did not have any idea that this book was the 10th book in the Josephine Yet series. I have not read any of the previous books, so I was going into this blindly.

This book is about Josephine Tey, a mystery novelist living in a small English village when WWII is announced. This leads to the evacuation of a large number of children from London as there may be bombing. It centres around a local girl who goes missing on the night when a lot of the children arrive. This leads to the unraveling of a lot of secrets!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you're looking for a history myself fiction, definitely pick this up!

Rating: 3.5 ⭐

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the digital copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Dear Little Corpses is the 10th Josephine Tey mystery by Nicola Upson. Released 9th Aug 2022 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The series is written around real life history, with verifiable political and news stories of the time seamlessly interwoven into the narrative. I have been most impressed with Ms. Upson's ability to place her characters peripheral to real history and really allow the reader to feel like they're there. There are distressing themes of child disappearance and the mass evacuations which took place in England at the beginning of the second world war.

Although it's the 10th book in the series, the mystery is self-contained in this volume. There are a number of character arcs which are developed in previous books which will be spoiled by being read out of order; and the series as a whole is so well done that it will repay being read in order (but it's not strictly necessary)

Having read the series (and looking forward to new installments), one thing that has impressed me very much is the author's facility with a really well planned and executed story arc. They're all well written, enjoyable books. The dialogue is pitch perfect, the characters and setting are stellar, the writing is great, and the plot adheres to the 10 commandments of detective fiction (the reader gets all the info to 'solve' the crime, no hidden perpetrators, no heretofore hidden 'evil twins' etc etc).

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 10 hours and 3 minutes and is beautifully narrated by Helen Lloyd. Her voice is well modulated, precise, and very easy to listen to. She does a virtuoso job of the wide ranging dialects for the characters and the dialogue is crisp and well delivered. Sound and production values are high quality throughout.

Four and a half solid stars for the narrative, five for the audiobook.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I am so thankful that I was able to read this book and do continually thank Nicola Upson, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the advanced access. Everyone loves a cozy mystery, especially when there's some historical fiction thrown in the pot.

I was expecting a nice cosy read when I read 'golden age of crime'. This was not that at all! Set in the time period, but exposing dark secrets that felt very modern, this was gripping and tugged at so many of my heart strings. The descriptions of children being evacuated brought tears to my eyes, and the developing storyline was uncomfortable and shocking, within the cosiest of country settings.

I loved the queer representation and the casual references to Hitchcock, and the fact that some of the plotlines are left unexplored, which felt entirely right. I'd never heard of this author before but will definitely be checking out more of their work.

This new Josephine Tey Mystery is a real winner from start to finish.

Set in London and in a small village in Suffolk it centered around the manhunt for the killer or killers responsible for the disappearance and murders of little girls during the chaotic evacuation of London's children from the capital at the beginning of the war.

Tensly plotted and blessed with a cast of exquisitely drawn characters, this gripping whodunit should definitively keep many readers on the edge of their seats until its heartbreaking conclusion.

A captivating novel that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Crooked Lane and Netgalley for this terrific ARC

How is it that I'd never encountered Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey mystery series before now? However it happened, I'm glad I'm now on to it. Dear Little Corpses is the 10th volume in this series, but I had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone and am eager to get going on the nine previous titles I missed.

What makes Dear Little Corpses such a good read?

• It lies in that borderland territory between cozy (too frivolous) and psychological thriller (too menacing) that's my favorite mystery territory.

• This volume is set in the weeks before and after Britain's entry into WWII, and offers an interesting picture of the gradual emergence of the new normal UK citizens will be facing until the war's end.

• The characters are genuine and specific—no cardboard cut-outs, no incomplete background figures. Everyone's story is complicated, and those complications all contribute to the plot. The cast of characters is large, but each character was distinct enough that I could easily keep them all in mind without any "wait a minute—who was that?" moments.

• Josephine Tey is a lesbian, as was the case in real life. Upson does a solid job of depicting the balancing act that identity requires—though as a financially independent novelist, Tey doesn't face as many challenge as a more quotidian hero might.

• The mystery itself, about the disappearance of a child, one of 800,000+ children that were relocated from the city to the countryside to live with host families during the war, is plausible and unsettling enough to keep reads turning pages.

I admit I'm basing my enthusiasm for the series on a single volume, but I'm absolutely convinced that the other volumes will be as effective as this one and can't wait to read more. If you enjoy historical mysteries/fiction, WWII mysteries/fiction, or mysteries that have depth but don't turn into nightmarish gore fests, you're going to love this series.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Net Galley; the opinions are my own.

Search for Annie

This book is not only a historical fiction from WWII but a mystery as well. Engaging in its setting, disturbing in its content and tragic in its ending. The book was set in the time just before the war started when the children were sent on the Kinder transport from London to the countryside for safety.

It focuses around one little girl name Annie that disappears at the same time as the evacuee's arrive in the small village of Polstead. The ongoing search turns up Annie but finds two other girls missing.

A secret kept to hide another secret. Two families hiding secrets of the past collide with secrets of the present in a mystery involving these two evacuee's a girl named Angie and a girl named Lizzie. The girls were sent on the kinder transport but never checked in at the village of Polstead. Where could they have gone and who is responsible for their disappearance. Does someone in the village know more than they are telling?

The ending is tragic for all. It was an engaging book, but the content was quite disturbing and the ending was very sad.

I did like how the village pulled together to help find the missing girls, first Annie, then Angie and Lizzie. There was much compassion among the villagers and the truth was rooted out and justice was dealt.

it is a historical fiction with a mystery which was a novelty in itself. The book was well written and the characters were well placed.

Thanks to Nicola Upson for writing the story, to Crooked Lane Books for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing a copy for me to read and review.

I went into this book not knowing that it was the 10th in a series. At first I had some catching up to do as the characters are numerous and come at you fast. I did not let that throw me and I’m glad I didn’t! This book can be easily be read as a stand alone. With an intriguing plot set around the evacuation of children from London to rural countryside villages at the onset of WWll, Upson keeps the reader engrossed from start to finish.

First up, this is the first book I have read by this author, so I am unfamiliar with this series of books. So for me that probably detracted a little, as it took me a while to work out the central characters and how they were connected. I also felt I wasn't fully understanding of the impact the back story may have had on how this played out.
On the upside I did enjoy this book and am intrigued to go back and read the series now.
Josephine Tey is a mystery novelist who is living in a small English village as WWII is announced. A large number of children are evacuated from London in anticipation of a bombing blitz by Germany. When a local girl goes missing on the night where a large influx of children arrive in the town, the locals and police are puzzled,. However, it soon becomes apparent that there are long held secrets that are about to surface.
For me 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 as I feel if I knew the series I would enjoy it so much more.
Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this digital ARC.

This is the second novel I read in Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey Mistery series. While it is a good read, I have to say I enjoyed it a bit less than the other novel I read, Nine Lessons (which is a bit unfair of me because that one was outstanding, in my opinion).
Yet, I did find that the story took a lot to take off, and I did find that it lingered more than was maybe necessary on Josephine and Marta's relationship.
On the other hand, I find the end to be a bit rush, especially considering the complexity of the situation. The cold case regarding the Herrons is indeed emotionally very complex, and I think it should have deserved more space, which was instead given to the long-winded beginning and to the friendly relationship between Josephine and Margery Allingham (two historical figures).

But the middle of the book was fantastic!
It is not just about a little girl gone missing and what that means for the small community she's part of, but it's also about the beginning of WWII and how families in London sent their children away to keep them safe.
The emotional portrayal that Upson gives of this historical fact, and the realistic way she describes the loss of a child, whether for one reason or another, is so moving that I often found a lump in my throat while reading.
This is what Nicola Upson is capable of, and I would have liked the entire story to be like this.

But it was a good read nonetheless. Fantastic setting, both in Suffolk and London. Great character characterisation. Outstanding psychological descriptions. A complex but believable plot.
Recommended.

With the proliferation of World War II books, it is nice to read one with the originality and uniqueness of Dear Little Corpses. The twists and turns moved the story right along and I like the way Upson includes real people in this historical fiction. Can be read as a stand-alone. Can’t wait for next in series. Thanks to #NetGalley and #DearLittleCorpses for advanced digital copy.

A rent collector is murdered, and children are missing in Dear Little Corpses, the latest Josephine Tey mystery.

The heroine of Dear Little Corpses is a fictionalized Josephine Tey. Tey was a writer of laudable British golden age mysteries that fictionalized historical figures. This book attempts to do the same with varying results. The pacing here is clearly at historical fiction speed. The first third is setting the atmosphere and time period of right before WWII as the real Operation Pied Piper begins shipping British town children to the countryside. Not much else happens. Eventually, the mysteries begin but it is a long time coming.

I think this book would be better for historical fiction, rather than mystery, fans due to its pacing. However, its character development is excellent. 3 stars.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

This is my first novel of Josephine Tey series; previously I read by Nicola Upson "Stanley and Elsie" and I loved it so I wanted to try these series.
I loved: the settings, the historical background and the different characters description and development. What I didn’t love was the pace of the book, very slow at the beginning and then everything resolved in few pages.
I have to say the story is quite sad because involve children kidnapping and killing.
Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Nicola Upson for the ARC.

It was 1939 as war was declared that the evacuation of hundreds of young children from London to the countryside began. Most parents didn't want their children to leave, sure they could protect them better themselves. But being reassured by teachers and staff saw them boarding the trains, most were crying, a lot looked frightened, but it was supposed to keep them safe. When two buses arrived in the small Suffolk village of Polstead, the vicar's wife could see there were many more children than she'd thought. The chaos went on for a number of hours before the children were taken to their new homes.

With the fete on the following day, Josephine and Marta arrived to help out. Josephine was to do some of the judging and she was nervous about that. As she and her fellow judge were about to tackle the fancy dress, it was realised that one of the children, Annie, daughter of a local family who'd taken other children, was missing. The fete was dismantled, and as Josephine's friend, Archie Penrose, a DCI from Scotland Yard, was there, he soon had searchers ready for the task of finding Annie. But worse was to come, much worse. There were secrets in the village and it seemed they'd all come out very soon...

Dear Little Corpses is the 10th in the Josephine Tey series by Nicola Upson and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The heartbreak of taking children from their families mingled with the concerns of war, the young men who'd enlisted, and the changes that were coming. I've only read #9 before this one, so I can say they standalone. I can also see I'd know the characters better if I'd started at the beginning. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.