This was a wonderfully entertaining mystery by author Nicola Upson in her eleventh mystery in the Josephine Tey series. Upson brings a number of elements together, including Daphne du Maurier's childhood visit to Milton Hall (inspiration for Manderley), the filming of “Rebecca” by Alfred Hitchcock, and a thwarted romance.

Milton Hall was commandeered as a military hospital during WWI, and the du Maurier family visit there. Daphne does a favour for a conscientious objector orderly, James Bartholomew, but the girl is stopped from accomplishing it by a forbidding housekeeper who becomes the inspiration for the dark Mrs. Danvers.

Years later, Josephine stops a man from killing himself; this is James, who has just come from a terrible encounter at Milton Hall. She learns he is one of the modelmakers for the new Hitchcock film, which is rife with conflict between the director and producer David Selznick. Coincidentally, Josephine's longtime partner Marta is working closely with Hitchcock on the film, and Josephine is joining Marta for a short while during this period. Hitchcock's wife, daughter and mother-in-law are on the same ship as Josephine; the women are heading to America to reunite with Hitchcock, but also to find safety from the impending war.

Josephine finds the set contentious, though Hitchcock is doing all he can to get his vision for the gothic story on screen. Meanwhile, DCI Archie Penrose is summoned to Milton Hall; a woman is dead; she happens to be the sister of the man James was in love with at the hospital years earlier. There is a suspect, though Penrose feels something else is going on. Josephine, spending more time with James, learns more about his past at the military hospital, as well as what happened during his recent visit to Milton Hall. This puts Josphine in a difficult position, but she does aid Penrose in solving the surprisingly sad case.

This was thoroughly enjoyable. I loved the way Upson wove real people and events into this story, such as Bob Hope, Clark Gable, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville. Interestingly, Upson not only opens the novel with Daphne du Maurier narrating her visit to Milton Hall, but also has Archie Penrose talk to her while she was busy with the staging of a play of her now classic novel. These details ground the novel, and show off the author's research and facility for characterization. As a fan of du Maurier's book, I also enjoyed the insight the author had into the Hollywood filming of the novel, as well as the personality of the famed director and his wife (and longtime film collaborator).

I think it's safe to say that I hope there is more to come from this series.

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

Shot With Crimson is the 11th Josephine Tey mystery by Nicola Upson. Released 7th Nov 2023 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.

The series is written around real life history, with verifiable political and news stories of the time seamlessly interwoven into the narrative. The author's ability to place her characters peripheral to real history and really allow the reader to feel like they're there is effective, unforced, and profoundly engaging. This volume sees Josephine in Hollywood in 1939 along with her compatriot DCI Archie Penrose. As always, there are literary references, this time to du Maurier's Rebecca.

Although it's the 11th 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 19 minutes and is beautifully read by series narrator 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.

WOW! This book is PHENOMENAL! It is gripping, haunting, full of twists and turns, intriguing, devastating, and so much more. Whenever I picked up "Show With Crimson", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this mystery.

Nicola Upson's writing is incredibly vivid and detailed. She seamlessly brings history to life right before the reader's eyes, and brilliantly weaves together both historical people and ones original to this novel as her characters. Her writing jumped right off of the page, and I could envision each and every moment. This book truly was so difficult to put down.

Throughout this novel, there are a couple of mysteries that intertwine, and not everything is as it seems. Josephine travels to America to be with Marta, who is working on the film version of Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca", directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Back in England, a murder has occurred at the house that inspired Daphne du Maurier to write "Rebecca". Soon, DCI Archie Penrose, who is in England, and Josephine, who is in California, work to find out what has happened, and if the numerous mysteries that continue to grow are connected somehow. I do not want to say too much else because of spoilers, but, I will say, this book truly has so much in it: moments that had me on the edge of my seat, moments that left me shocked, history surrounding the writing of "Rebecca", moments that pull at your heartstrings, moments that include all of the above, and so much more.

If you enjoy Historical Mystery novels, I highly recommend this book! I so look forward to reading what Ms. Upson writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this novel, is is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Shot with Crimson is part of a series by Ms. Upson with this book being the eleventh title. Intriguingly. the detective/investigator/protagonist is the real life mystery writer, Josephine Tey. Along with the stories, readers are offered some true insights into her life. (For those who do not know, Tey was one of the writers of the Golden Age of Detection Fiction, along with Sayers and Christie).

Tey’s official police inspector/foil is DCI Archie Penrose. Together they solve cases, many of which are quite sad.

Much happens in this story. The title is a quote from Rebecca and, indeed, DuMaurier and her novel are important to the plot. At the time that the events take place, Hitchcock is directing the famous movie based on the novel. He is just one of the real life figures who appears in the book.

Part of the story takes place in Hollywood where Tey travels after a lavish trip on the Queen Mary. Archie is in England where the estate that the movie is based upon is located. Someone has been murdered there. Readers will turn the pages as they wait for the plot strands to come together and to discover “whodunnit.”

This eleventh book to feature Josephine offers a good excuse to sit down with a b00o and be transported to other worlds. Those who have not already read Rebecca may be inspired to read that as well. I recommend both.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

The eleventh book in this series, and the pace and intrigue doesn’t let up for a moment.
Dual time lines are 1917 and 1939. The setting is Milton Hall, near Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire, that was used by the military as a hospital, during WW1. A young Daphne du Maurier used to visit friends there when she was a child, and she based Manderley, in her film Rebecca there as she had happy memories of that place.
James Bartholomew is working as a set constructor on this film, but he was a patient there in 1917, when a close male friend apparently committed suicide. James never believed this theory, and he wants to understand the reason why Matthew died and who was responsible.
Josephine Tey, a famous author of mystery novels, is on the Queen Mary, travelling to America to visit her lover Marta, who is working for Alfred Hitchcock as location finder for the film Rebecca. The boat is crowded, so many people are trying to escape the onset of war whilst they can.
The film Rebecca is the thread that brings this story together, with its themes of obsession and jealousy. Both James and Josephine are representing the LGBTQ position.
This is a dark, brooding and very atmospheric read. The amount of historical research is wonderful. The painful memories and deep regrets are expressed so well, the reader feels so involved in these intimate accounts. The device of clues and information being exchanged in a transatlantic way is unusual, but works so well. There isn’t the same sort of detective work as previous novels, Archie, her usual close ally in the Police is stuck in London preparing for war, but it all works really well.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Crooked Lane for my advance copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review.
A five star read. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

I loved this book because I had either read the books and/or seen the movies that made up a good portion of the story. So, I am not sure younger readers unfamiliar with Daphne DuMauier or Alfred Hitchcock would respond as I did. But the author is just so talented and such a wizard in bringing characters and settings to life that perhaps it does no matter what you previously knew.
This to #NetGalley and #ShotWithCrimson for advanced digital copy.

The next Josephine Try mystery finds her traveling to Hollywood to the set of Hitchcock’s Rebecca. She and DCI Penrose start investigating a mystery with ties to Daphne du Maurier’s inspiration for Rebecca.

I’d recommend reading the prior ones in this series before this one so you are familiar with the characters and writing style! If you like the previous ones, you will enjoy this one!

I have somehow missed all of the Josephine Tey books by Nicola Upson, starting my journey with Shot with Crimson, the eleventh in the series. And all I can say is that I have a lot of reading to do. This was an outstanding historical mystery set in the very early days of World War II, with flashbacks to the First World War. We move from England to Hollywood, and meet Alfred Hitchcock and his family, along with many different workers in the world of late 1930s filmmaking.

The story was dark and emotional, yet also interesting. I not only felt the pain and regret of the characters, but also felt like a fly on the wall during the production of the movie based on Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca.

I had no problem reading this as a standalone, although I’m sure the previous ten novels would have given me a much greater understanding of the characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A well done mystery featuring Josephine Tey and the Hitchcocks that, while the latest in a series, will be perfectly enjoyable as a standalone. WWII is looming large, bringing up old memories and problems but Tey is off to Los Angeles where her love Marta is working for Alfred Hitchcock, who had adapted one of Tey's books (not to her satisfaction). There's an angry woman who holds Hitchcock responsible for the death of her father but more importantly, there's a man with a huge amount of guilt over what he did back in the UK at the house that inspired Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca, which Hitchcock is currently filming. DI Archie Penrose is investigating a murder there (no spoilers). I like these novels because they're very much rooted in the period, with in this case is delightful behind the scenes insight into Hollywood, but also because of the LGBTQ representation. Those unfamiliar with Alma Hitchcock (or Tey for that matter) might find themselves looking for more information on both women. The mystery is twisty but the characters even better. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Excellent read.

This is only the second book I’ve read in this series, but I am already a fan. I loved this book! It was very atmospheric and I enjoyed all of the characters on both continents. Very well written. This can be read as a stand-alone crime novel and no need to read the other books in the series ahead of this one. Josephine Tey, Marta, Archie Penrose, Alfred Hitchcock filming Rebecca … what is not to enjoy?!

Loved this! Great installment in the series. Ups on always manages to make each of the many books in this series feel fresh and engaging. This one is no different. And while it started a bit slow for me, it wasn’t long before I was on the edge of my seat.

With war breaking out in Europe, author Josephine Tey travels to Hollywood to join her girlfriend on the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s latest film, Rebecca. While on the train ride across the American West, Josephine prevents one of the studio workers from committing suicide. Like Josephine, James Bartholomew is on his way back to Hollywood after shooting scenery at the country estate that inspired Daphne du Maurier’s Manderley. Meanwhile, back in England, Josephine’s friend, DCI Archie Penrose, is investigating the murder of a woman who worked at the estate that the film crew just left—and it’s not the woman who James Bartholomew confesses to have murdered. Through transatlantic phone calls, Josephine and Archie work together to find the killer and also solve a mysterious death that dates back to the first World War.
Mystery writer Josephine Tey is back in another novel that has her working with a detective chief inspector at Scotland Yard to solve mysteries set throughout England. While an interesting story, I will admit that I did not enjoy SHOT WITH CRIMSON as much as I did the previous novels. The focus on the novel seemed more about Hitchcock’s family and the filming of Rebecca than it was on the murder. Since they were on two different continents, Josephine and Archie weren’t really investigating together. Archie was the only one who was really investigating the murder while Josephine supplied him with info that she picked up while on set. In the end, it was still an enjoyable novel.
I do enjoy the way Nicola Upson includes other real-life people in the Josephine Tey novels. Alfred Hitchcock and his family, actors Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, producer David O. Selznick, and author Daphne du Maurier all make appearances in SHOT WITH CRIMSON.

Although this is the first book I’ve read in this prolific series I was able to read it much like a stand alone and not feel I was missing anything. Shot with Crimson has an unusual and interesting plot along with very wonderfully fleshed out characters, including Hitchcock, the story takes place in England and Hollywood. In 1939, on the brink of war, well known author Josephine travels on the Queen Mary to visit her girlfriend Marta in Hollywood as she’s working on the set of Hitchock’s Rebecca. On her journey she saves a young man from throwing himself on the tracks not realizing all the connections they have together. Along with a red herring of a murder, which I didn’t see coming, this was a great mystery interestingly tied together in both locations. I throughly enjoyed everything about this book and am looking forward to going back and reading the older books.

I had such a fun time with this autumnal read, Shot with Crimson, the newest book in Nicola Upson’s Josephine Tey mystery series.

It’s September 1939 and Josephine Tey is on her way to Hollywood to visit her partner, Marta, who is working on the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca. On the boat ride over she runs into Alma Hitchcock, the wife of the director. But it isn’t all smooth sailing, the waters are troubled with enemy ships, but the biggest threat is the one you least expect.

This is set on either side of the Atlantic with the story shifting between Hollywood and the house that inspired a young Daphne du Maurier.

From the outset this book ticked a lot of boxes for me. I love the concept of Josephine Tey, a writer of detective fiction doing some detecting of her own. The real life woman is a bit of an enigma, so what better breeding ground for fiction! And Rebecca is my favourite of Daphne du Maurier’s books. My introduction to the book was through my love of Hitchcock’s 1940 film adaptation. So tick, and tick!

Shot with Crimson is the eleventh book in Nicola Upson’s Josephine Tey mystery series. I was a little worried I would feel lost because this is the first of the series I’ve read. But I need not have worried. There is no obvious information dump, but enough kernels of backstory are littered throughout the book to see any new reader of this series through.

Have you read any of the books in this series? Also, have you read any Josephine Tey’s books? So far, I’ve only read Brat Farrar, but I hope to read more of her books, as well as Nicola Upson’s, in the future.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It was such a treat to get to read this book ahead of its publication!

historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-figures, historical-setting, 1939, family, friction, friends, friendship, detective, film-industry, film-history, famous-persons, famous-author, series, Hollywood, England, jealousy, murder-investigation, theft, greed, suspense*****

Josephine Tey was a well deservedly famous mystery author who lived in the first half of the twentieth century. This series has her as the main character working with a British DCI to solve an assortment of murders set within her own timeframe. I have loved and admired the sleuthing in the earlier books of the series, so this is hardly an unbiased review.
This time the backdrop is the impending circumstances leading up to WW2 in England as well as the insanity of Hollywood and filming adaptations of well known novels. I found it riveting and enjoyed it very much!
I requested and received an EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

One of the best historical mystery series out there! This latest has such a great gothic historical mystery overtone to it. I highly enjoyed it and will be placing it on my mystery book club list.