'An ingenious book' SARAH WATERS

'Permanent classics in the detective field . . . no superlatives are adequate' THE NEW YORK TIMES

Marion Shape and her mother are quiet and ordinary villagers, enjoying a peaceful life in their country home, the Franchise. Everything changes when a local schoolgirl accuses them of kidnap and abuse, describing the attic room of the house as her prison. Scotland Yard inspector Alan Grant is called to solve the mystery of the Franchise, but will he fall right in the middle of nightmarish affair that will change a town, and its locals' lives, forever?

'Josephine Tey enjoys a category to herself' NEW STATESMAN

About the Author
Josephine Tey is one of the best-known and best-loved of all crime writers. She began to write full-time after the successful publication of her first novel, The Man in the Queue (1929), which introduced Inspector Grant of Scotland Yard. In 1937 she returned to crime writing with A Shilling for Candles, but it wasn't until after the Second World War that the majority of her crime novels were published. Josephine Tey died in 1952, leaving her entire estate to the National Trust.

Reviews
The Franchise Affair is an ingenious book ... The essential mystery is wonderfully established; the claustrophobic building-up of the apparently seamless case against the Sharpes is impeccably done -- Sarah Waters
Permanent classics in the detective field . . . no superlatives are adequate * The New York Times *
A detective story with a very considerable difference. Ingenious, stimulating and very enjoyable * Sunday Times *
As interesting and enjoyable a book as they will meet in a month of Sundays * Observer *
Suspense is achieved by unexpected twists and extremely competent storytelling . . . credible and convincing * Spectator *
Really first class . . . a continual delight * Times Literary Supplement *
Tey's style and her knack for creating bizarre characters are among the best in the field * New Yorker *



Book Information
ISBN 9781529156423
Author Josephine Tey
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Penguin (Cornerstone)
Publisher Cornerstone
Weight(grams) 245g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 21mm