Josephine Tey presents an enthralling historical mystery that envelops the minds of policeman Grant who is bedridden and bored in a hospital, and the American student,  Brent Carradine who is in pursuit of a worthwhile occupation. Tey’s novel begins simply, where a portrait inspires Grant to ask questions about the history surrounding Richard III’s reign and his villainous legacy. The process which he uses begins with asking his friends who visit him and the nurses who attend to him in the hospital about what they know. He reads two school textbooks and then asks for other historical works, from apparently legitimate historians. Through his investigations and police-like thinking and methodologies, in collaboration with Carradine, they uncover historical inconsistencies and “breaks” within the story.

I was thoroughly confused reading this novel, and it was difficult to keep track of all of the different actors, their motives, who they were related to and how, what dynastic titles they had and who was next in line to become king. The details of history, as Tey shows, are extremely important and primary sources, staying within the “account books” vs accounts of people are important to finding the truth. Grant’s position throughout the novel is similar to Tuchman, where she believes that historians must stay within the discipline of the facts. This is problematic though, because what constitutes facts? Often, as we saw with the discussion of John Dickinson’s birthday in class the other day, or in Thomas More’s history, historians base their writings off other historians accounts, without questioning it. So, detailed investigative work, using primary sources and questioning others interpretations of history is essential to telling a more truthful or accurate story.

After much time has passed, truth is birthed.

-Eddie