✨ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ✨

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Shot With Crimson
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Nicola Upson
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4/5

“𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥-𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘴.”

🤍 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
🌸 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝘂 𝗠𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿
🤍 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽 (𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗮)
🌸 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
🤍 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿

One of the main points I would like to make about this book early on in this review is that it is a love letter to Daphne du Maurier and therefore explores and reflects on her novel, Rebecca, extensively, meaning that there are plenty of spoilers in Shot With Crimson for those who want to read Rebecca for the first time at some point.

This was an intriguing and perceptive historical crime fiction that grew deep roots in fact and yet had the privilege of creative licensing to dramatize the very real past occurrences. I enjoyed the author’s writing immensely, I thought that this book came across as heavily researched with no stone left untouched.

A couple of things I loved about this novel is the queer rep, although there was homophobic slurs and homophobia implied, it was a reflection of the period, and as already established, Upston seems to be the kind of author that likes to be faithful to the truth, and there are some truths that should not be forgotten. Another element was the settings: set mainly half in Hollywood and half in the manor that inspired du Maurier’s Manderley: Milton Hall. Similarly, Shot With Crimson also echoes the same themes we know and love in Rebecca: obsession, jealousy, and murder.

As it is a part of a series, there were lots of characters that took time to orientate myself to, and some missing context with references to pasts, but this is easily read as a standalone.

—Kayleigh🤍

When Josephine prevents a man from jumping in front of a train, she doesn’t realise that she will be meeting him again.

Josephine heads to America before World War 2 breaks out and is on the same boat as Alfred Hitchcock’s wife, mother in law and his daughter.

An interesting concept, where famous people are involved in the story. Josephine is on the set of Rebecca, where she watches Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier acting & Hitchcock directing.

I hadn’t realised that this was the 11th book in the series. However, it didn’t matter as thankfully, this could be read as a standalone.

My thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber Ltd for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve not read one of Upson’s Josephine Tey books before, and was intrigued having recently read a couple of Tey’s. Safe to say on the strength of this charming mystery I’ll be going back to read the first ten.
Upson crafts a mystery that brings together an English country house that inspired de Maurier to write Rebecca, de Maurier herself, the outbreak of the war and Hitchcock filming Rebecca in Hollywood. Frankly this shouldn’t work, but it all comes together to make a throughly satisfying mystery with a rather tragic ending.

First I must say I loved the cover for its simple and colourful way of drawing me in. Then when I read the blurb I wanted to read it even more. What's not to like about a story of Hollywood and murder?

Set in World War II and part of a series (which I have not read but will be checking out as soon as I can find them) this is the story of The main character Josephine and her travels to America. But of course things don't always go as planned.

Of love the authors style of writing and she writes in a way that the story flows effortlessly and makes reading easy and a joy. I love the characters and references to Hitchcock and Daphne Du Maurier as well as the setting. This is such an entertaining read and I would highly recommend it for sure.

Thank you NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Nicola Upson's latest novel is set at the outbreak of world war 2. Josephine heads to America and the latest Hitccock film Rebecca. The inspiration for Manderley and Mrs Danvers had its roots in Du Mauriers childhood visit to Milton Hall during world war 1 when it was a hospital.
Years later a death starts a chain of events that stretches from Cambidgeshire to Hollywood..
An engaging well plotted story that depicts both fictional and real-life characters.

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Not normally the type of read I would choose. Out of my comfort zone however I found it an intriguing and great read. I read it through very quickly.

I have loved all of Nicola Upson’s previous novels in this series and was excited to see that there was a new investigation featuring the novelist Josephine Tey.
This time, Josephine Tey is travelling to America on the Queen Mary to spend some time on the set of Rebecca which is being filmed by Alfred Hitchcock. At the same time, a murder is discovered in the grounds of the house which Daphne du Maurier used as the inspiration for Manderley in her novel and one of the suspects for the murder is also working on the film set.
Nicola Upson is brilliant at transporting her readers to another time and place and this new Josephine Tey novel is no exception. This book is set in 1939 very early in WWII and each of the settings, from London as it prepares for war, a country house in Suffolk, the Queen Mary and Hollywood are exceptionally well portrayed. Her attention to detail makes it possible for the reader to visualise every scene without ever being overwhelmed with description.
There are some really memorable episodes in this book including one on the Queen Mary when the passengers think that they are going to be attacked as well as the scenes on the film set where Hitchcock is directing. The inclusion of Hitchcock and his family as well as the work being done on the film set is really well done and has definitely made me want to watch the film which for some reason, I have never seen.
I did enjoy this novel but it didn’t feel as satisfying as her previous books in this series. For me, the emphasis on Hollywood and the film set detracted from the murder investigation which seemed to take second place. The plot was interesting always but the driving force of the book seemed to be more about the making of the film rather than the investigation.
Thank you to Net Galley and Faber and Faber for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy this series (although I have not read all of them) which has the author Josephine Tey involved in investigations with her great friend police inspector, Archie Penrose.
The main characters are beautifully written and their emotions and feelings add depth to the stories.
In this story, set in September 1939, Tey travels to Hollywood to see the filming of Hitchcock's Rebecca.
There are so many layers and characters which merge into a compelling read - because the terrible murder back in England which Penrose is investigating links to the people with whom she is working, and we are in a web containing Hitchcock himself as well as Daphne DuMaurier that leads to a really sad outcome.

This book is brought to life with such incredible detail. The era is on your front door, I felt like I knew the Hitchcock’s personally. The talent to make that feel likely is really Upson’s draw for me. She never misses a beat.

I missed some of the older characters from previous novels (The Motley sisters) and although I loved the setting, I cannot wait for Josephine to return to the UK.

All in all another sublime book from Nicola Upson.

Rebecca is one of my favourite Hitchcock movies so I had high expectations for this book! I quite liked the premise, how the author uses details to create an immersive atmosphere, especially the portrayal of Hollywood and the chaos on the set of Rebecca. While I do think the character of Josephine and Archie continued to evolve throughout the story, the other characters' development fell a little flat, perhaps because of the abundance of characters involved. My expectations for plot twists and surprising turns weren't entirely met. Nonetheless, if you lean towards enjoying a more direct and uncomplicated mystery, this is right up your alley!

3.5☆

Another triumph for Nicola Upson.

Josephine Tey takes us across this pond in this new crime book.
One of my favourite things about this author is the detail she brings to the pages and the way she can build tension and truly keep you gripped.
One of my favourite moments in this book wasn’t actually focused around the main aspect of the story but the moment of fear she conjures whilst Josephine is crossing the Atlantic and war ships are spotted. I could see things so clearly and feel the suspense of the other passengers.
Upson’s depiction of the Hitchcock family is incredible, I feel like I know the man.
I have only positives to say!

I cannot wait to see where Archie and Josephine find themselves next.

Another enjoyable instalment in this series. The plot is solid and the characters are familiar and well developed, but in my opinion the novel's greatest strength is the writer's attention to detail. She brings in details about the time period and the protagonist's surroundings that make the reader live the experience. The film studios, the actors, the Hitchcock family, the voyage on the Queen Mary, all of these make for a great reading experience. Very enjoyable!

Oh my, what a delight to read this was. An author absolutely in command of her craft, driving you along, changing the paces, misdirection galore and the very nice touch of the introduction of Daphne du Maurier into the plot.

And, I say all that without having read any of the others in the series. Such an achievmeht to be able to write a book where a first time reader can pick up enough of the back story.

This really was an excellent read, partly because it was written, partly because of the added interest of added real people and some twentieth century history. I particularly liked Alfred Hitchcock and family, the start of the second world war and assorted Hollywood actors.

There is a very nice scene when, at sea, the passengers, who set sail in the times of peace, realise there are two battleships with guns trained on them.

The ending and the tying up of all of the bits of the story were really well done.

Thank you to Penguin and Netflix for the chance to read this.

The setting of the latest in Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey novels goes between the First World War and Second World War, moving between Milton House (the inspiration for Manderley) and the filming of Rebecca in Hollywood. I wouldn't say it was one of Upson's best books, at some points it became a little implausible but it was still an entertaining read and a lot of fun if you have any interest in the works of Daphne du Maurier.

A new instalment of Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey series - which features a fictionalised version of the writer - is always a must-read for me. This is the eleventh - I've read them all, but can barely remember the earlier ones now. Time for a full reread at some point.

Here, while war is breaking out in Europe, Josephine sails to the USA to join her lover Marta in Hollywood, where she's working for Alfred Hitchcock on the filming of Rebecca. But although plenty happens on the movie set, the real drama - and murder - of this story is back in England, in the house which served as Daphne du Maurier's inspiration for Manderley. Josephine's friend, police detective Archie Penrose, is on the scene to investigate.

Nicola Upson likes to weave real people into her stories and here we have Hitchcock and his family - wife Alma Reville, daughter Pat - again, having previously appeared in Fear in the Sunlight. Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, producer David O. Selznick and du Maurier herself also make brief appearances.

It's always good to catch up again with Josephine, Marta and Archie. (Though did anyone in 1939 use the word "partner", as Archie does here, in a romantic sense? I don't know, maybe they did, but it feels like a more modern thing.)

An excellent read, as always. Many thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not the biggest fan of what I consider to be cosy crime, but I make an exception for Josephine, and Archie.
This one has so much Hollywood glamour, and name dropping, it added an extra element of enjoyment.
The setting of the house felt particularly atmospheric. The pieces of the past tying up with current events was well done.
I really enjoyed this one.i do however, now feel the need to hunt down a copy of the film Rebecca and watch it.