Reviews for Miss Pym Disposes
Review - Miss Pym Disposes
What the book was about: Miss Lucy Pym is a French teacher who decides to study psychology — just for fun. Her notes are discovered by a publisher, and she becomes something of a celebrity author. Her old friend Henrietta Hodge invites her to lecture at Leys Physical Training College, where she is the principal. Lucy plans on spending a single night but ends up staying several weeks, become friends with many of the students and getting to know the staff.
Near the end of the year, Henrietta gives out choice job opportunities to deserving girls. With a decision disagreed with by almost everyone, she awards the plum place to a Miss Rouse (who is disliked by everyone and suspected of cheating on her finals by Miss Pym) instead of to Mary Innes, who is the top student at the school. But Mary is reserved and lacks humor, and Henrietta doesn’t like her much.
On graduation day, Lucy finds a shoe buckle in the gym. Later that day, Miss Rouse is found with her head crushed by a fallen balance beam. The death is ruled an accident, but the discovery of the buckle leads Lucy to suspect murder. She then sees Mary wearing shoes with a missing buckle. She debates whether to reveal what she knows, but decides that exposure (which she figures will result in Mary’s execution). She decides instead to confront Mary. Mary breaks down and promises to spend her life atoning for the crime. Lucy decides to keep the secret. The next day, as she’s leaving, an offhand remark by Mary’s best friend, the beautiful, spoiled, willful Beau Nash, reveals that the shoes were hers and she is the one who tampered with the equipment. Mary’s sacrificial atoning is for her friend Beau.
What I thought of it: This is a book written by a woman, for women and about women. But I've been reading through all of Josephine Tey's mysteries. She's an excellent writer and her stories avoid the formulaic pitfalls of most mysteries.
This one was no exception — excellently written, with great characters and an atypical plot for a mystery. It kept my interest even though the "action" didn't happen until page 150 (in a 200-page book).
But for all that I really couldn't get past the woman thing. It was not my favorite Tey.
Recommendation: If you like good writing, are working your way through Tey or enjoy unconventional mysteries, you’ll like this book.
Near the end of the year, Henrietta gives out choice job opportunities to deserving girls. With a decision disagreed with by almost everyone, she awards the plum place to a Miss Rouse (who is disliked by everyone and suspected of cheating on her finals by Miss Pym) instead of to Mary Innes, who is the top student at the school. But Mary is reserved and lacks humor, and Henrietta doesn’t like her much.
On graduation day, Lucy finds a shoe buckle in the gym. Later that day, Miss Rouse is found with her head crushed by a fallen balance beam. The death is ruled an accident, but the discovery of the buckle leads Lucy to suspect murder. She then sees Mary wearing shoes with a missing buckle. She debates whether to reveal what she knows, but decides that exposure (which she figures will result in Mary’s execution). She decides instead to confront Mary. Mary breaks down and promises to spend her life atoning for the crime. Lucy decides to keep the secret. The next day, as she’s leaving, an offhand remark by Mary’s best friend, the beautiful, spoiled, willful Beau Nash, reveals that the shoes were hers and she is the one who tampered with the equipment. Mary’s sacrificial atoning is for her friend Beau.
What I thought of it: This is a book written by a woman, for women and about women. But I've been reading through all of Josephine Tey's mysteries. She's an excellent writer and her stories avoid the formulaic pitfalls of most mysteries.
This one was no exception — excellently written, with great characters and an atypical plot for a mystery. It kept my interest even though the "action" didn't happen until page 150 (in a 200-page book).
But for all that I really couldn't get past the woman thing. It was not my favorite Tey.
Recommendation: If you like good writing, are working your way through Tey or enjoy unconventional mysteries, you’ll like this book.
Reviewed by Roger on 2006-07-29 15:11:18