Author Josephine Tey and police officer Archie Penrose gather with friends to celebrate the holidays on 1938 Cornwall's stormy coast before the festivities are interrupted by two brutal deaths on St. Michael's Mount and the arrival of a world-famous film star.

This was a well-written story combining a Christmas gathering with an investigation into two murders. A good variety of characters to keep me guessing. As this takes place close to the start of WWII, there are a few ominious times that Nazis make themselves known. The ending was a bit far-fetched but I still enjoyed it. ( )

Josephine Tey and her lover are characters in the novel, but play a very small role in solving either of the mysterious deaths. Two unrelated murders seem unlikely in such a setting: an island off the coast of Cornwall at which a Christmas party is setup to raise funds for Jewish refugees. The prologue makes it obvious that one or both of the crimes will be related to an event early in Insp. Penrose's police career, but the actual association comes as a surprise.

A very good mystery in the Josephine Tey series but I have rated this down as I found it unnecessarily brutal for a 'cosy crime' novel. I enjoy Nicola Upson's writing style and her characters, the setting of St. Michael's Mount in this story is very well evoked. Unfortunately the opening chapter will stay with me for a long time (and not in a good way). ( )

A well done Golden Age Christmas murder mystery story, set in an atmospheric time and place. Marlene Dietrich is added spice and her presence adds tension to the story via her Nazi admirers and their servants. Her character does not overwhelm the storytelling: she fits in well.
The Tey/Penrose friendship is intriguing. It's a nice touch to deal with Tey's "special friend" relationship with Marta.
The supporting cast fills out the story and provides plenty of material for plot twists.
An excellent Christmas read. ( )

Note: I read the e-book but can't locate it in the catalog

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Dead of Winter is the ninth book in Nicola Upson’s intriguing Josephine Tey series. It can be read as a stand-alone. This series combines real people, places and events with fictional characters in a mystery that leaves you guessing as to how much of it is real and how much imagined. A house party charity fundraiser for refugees from Germany in December of 1938 has a diverse group of people gathering for Christmas on St. Michael’s Mount off the coast of Cornwall. When the weather cuts the castle off from the mainland, and it turns out that there are connections from the past between several of the guests, at least one of whom is not who they are pretending to be. Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose has more on his hands than escorting a famous movie star when the body of one of the guests is found on Christmas morning. The story follows the conventions of mysteries written by the likes of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers but with a twist similar to those of Josephine Tey, who, of course, appears as a character in this book. I enjoyed it very much and do recommend it. Publishing Date: November 5, 2020 #TheDeadOfWinter #NicolaUpson #FaberAndFaberLtd #HistoricalMystery #MysteriesAndThrillers #MysterySeries #bookstagram #bookstagramer ( )