The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
The phone rang as Robert Blair was ready to retire from a dull day at his legal company. The caller identified herself as Marion Sharpe, a calm neighbourhood resident who shared their rundown rural home, The Franchise, with her mother. She seemed to be in a lot of trouble: Betty Kane, a delicate young woman, was allegedly forcibly abducted by Miss Sharpe and her mother. Even Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard found Miss Kane’s assertions to be exceedingly improbable until she described her incarceration — the kitchen, the ancient trunks, and the attic room with the shattered window — which strangely resembled The Franchise.
However, Marion Sharpe insisted that the Kane girl had never been there, much less been imprisoned for a full month! Solicitor Blair, who doesn’t buy Betty Kane’s narrative, takes on the case and, in an impressive display of amateur sleuthing, unravels the astounding enigma that baffled even Inspector Grant.
The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
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Elizabeth Macintosh, a Scottish author, uses the pen name Josephine Tey (1896-1952). One of the many mysterious tales she offered us is The Franchise Affair, and it’s great. Josephine Tey was known as a master of character-driven narratives when she wrote in the 1930s and 1940s. The Franchise Affair is the best illustration of this talent. Readers should be ready for the story to begin slowly and grow to an intriguing tangle that is discovered by carefully examining character-related hints.
This classic crime book, which was written around 1950, stands out in a number of ways. There are no murders or bodies found. The main character is 40 years old and unmarried, but there is no indication that he is gay. In a peaceful midlands community following World War II, the primary character is a local solicitor. A nice backdrop of austerity in Britain with numerous references to food, which was a major obsession at the time, is provided. a more accurate portrayal of Agatha Christie than, say, St. Mary Mead. The characters in this book are well-developed, and it has a strong criminal undertone. There are a couple of problems. What actions did attorneys take throughout the War?
Just look at how nicely written this book is. Everything seems to be working against the two women; it appears as though they actually did kidnap the girl and kept her imprisoned in the attic. How are they ever going to escape? Just extremely beautifully done.
The alleged kidnapping and torture of a teenage girl is a crime, not murder. At first glance, the matter appears to be settled, but as time goes on, we realize that things are more complicated than they appear.
