The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
is one of the books that I found here in the flat back in November. I went through a phase hen I was a teenager of buying up as many of the Penguin Crime Classics that I could get my hands on. I read a few of them at the time, but then managed to shockingly forget that they existed until last year.
by Josephine Tey is one of the books that I found here in the flat back in November. I went through a phase hen I was a teenager of buying up as many of the Penguin Crime Classics that I could get my hands on. I read a few of them at the time, but then managed to shockingly forget that they existed until last year.The Franchise Affair is one that I did read before, but even still I remembered it being good enough to easily read again – and I'm glad I did.
Written in 1948 the book is about two women who are accused of kidnapping a young girl and holding her hostage in their house (The Franchise) for a month. A local solicitor, Robert Blair, is called in to represent the two ladies and finds himself caught up in the case and trying to prove that the fifteen year old school girl is lying.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the slightly old fashioned way in which Blair and others go about trying to solve the mystery; very different to modern day crime fiction. I understand from reading about on the internet that the story may have been based on the real life eighteenth century story of Elizabeth Canning. This real life story fascinates me somewhat and if only I had time I'd love to research it further.
A lovely, warm feeling, old fashioned mystery!
Thanks for that. I, too, read The Franchise Affair in my teens (and saw the film)and now I want to read it again.