The Singing Sands

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I also think Tey uses Inspector Grant’s character as a vehicle for discussing the English class system and on the issue of Scotland’s union with England, with Inspector Grant being in favour of it. To begin with the English class system, Inspector Grant dismantles a number of stereotypes an American character has about the upper class. For example Inspector Grant refutes the idea that all upper class people have ‘beaky noses… specifically provided for looking down,’ suggesting that this is more likely to be found in ‘the suburbs.’ Inspector Grant also asserts that ‘there never has been separate and distinct classes – or an aristocratic class,’ with people mixing from all levels. I’m not sure this argument is entirely convincing but it did make me wonder what Tey’s views were on class. Scottish Referendum Proceeds from Tey's estate, including royalties from her books, were assigned to the National Trust. [9] Appearances and adaptations in other works [ edit ] The beach and surrounding area was used for commando training during the Second World War and may contain unexploded munitions, so please take care. A battle associated with the 1745 uprising is also believed to have been fought here. From this point onwards the mystery of the dead man continues to occupy Inspector Grant’s mind. What is the hidden meaning behind the verse? In many ways there is a parallel between the corpse and Inspector Grant. Both it seems were in need of escape (one into the highlands and the other into alcohol) and Inspector Grant sees almost an ‘alliance’ between them. He has ‘a curious feeling of identification’ with the dead man and he wonders whether he was ‘also wrestling with demons?’ This leads Inspector Grant to postulate that his ‘feeling of personal interest, [his] … championship’ of the dead man began from this. The Singing Sands (1952) (turns on the discovery of the lost city of Wabar, based on the legend of Iram of the Pillars)

A bridge over the outlet connects the smaller white sandy beach to the south with the larger main beach which runs for miles. It’s a popular spot for doing the “Bridge Run”, jumping into the waters from the bridge, but it can be dangerous as the water can be deceptively shallow at times. Glad you enjoyed the review. This is the only Tey novel I have re-read which I enjoyed. The other re-reads did not go so well. That and I never enjoyed Miss Pym Disposes the first and only time I read it. I am not sure if my reading tastes have changed since I first read the Tey novels and that’s why I was less keen on them the second time round. I have another Tey re-read this month, hoping it turns out like The Singing Sands and it is one that I enjoy. I agree with you about The Singing Sands – it is a book enjoyed more for its writing style and look at Grant than for its plot. Cornelia (First performed, Glasgow Citizens' Theatre, 1946) [as F. Craigie Howe]. [15] Revived, 1963, as by Gordon Daviot [16] I agree the central crime is probably not as strong as it should be, the focus in this story is not on the puzzle but Inspector Grant. But Tey’s writing style does make up for some of this. I have often wondered whether improved technology e.g. faster and easier ways of travelling have taken some of the romance or mystery out of travelling, which is present in GAD holiday novels. I have been on one sleeper train though in Ukraine, which was definitely an experience.well (as historically my re-reading of Tey’s work has not yielded positive results, except with The Singing Sands (1952)). I will also of course be trying to read the next issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine […] The Man in the Queue (also published as Killer in the Crowd) (1929) [as Gordon Daviot]. Serialised, Dundee Evening Telegraph, 12 August to 24 September 1930. [13] The Daughter of Time (1951) (voted greatest crime novel of all time by the British Crime Writers' Association in 1990)

However, Tey’s one-sided dogmatism on the topics of Scottish nationalism and classism is a little grating and mars the book in my opinion. Earlier this month I came up with my favourite mystery novels which involve holidays, trips or modes of transport. And one of my favourite UK holiday based mysteries was Josephine Tey’s The Singing Sands (1952), so this week I decided to give it a re-read.

Author Dana Stabenow's homage to Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time — How My Mother and Josephine Tey Led Me into a Life of Crime You’ve always been a damned Juggernaut… you are destructive… all in the very kindest and most lethal way imaginable.’ Tey's Brat Farrar is mentioned extensively as a work vividly remembered and imagined by the narrator in the first section of Gerald Murnane's 2009 novel Barley Patch.

This is due to the shape and size of the sand granules (round and between 0.1 and .5 in diameter), level of humidity and the fact that the sand contains silica. There are different types of sand; singing sand, roaring sand, and whistling sand, and while these beaches are rare, there are others around the world. Jeffrey, Evie (2019). "Capital Punishment and Women in the British Police Procedural: Josephine Tey's A Shilling for Candles and To Love and Be Wise". Clues: A Journal of Detection. 37 (2): 40–50. Mary Miley's The Impersonator (2013) has a plot very similar to that of Brat Farrar, with the story transferred to 1920s America.A rejuvenated Grant finds that recuperation is better served by having a mystery to solve than fishing. Despite musing on whether to retire, he is a policeman through and through, and from a casual puzzle to occupy his time he realises that he owes a debt to the dead man for helping him to overcome his own crisis. His recovery is incremental; from dreading travelling in a car or being shut in a room, he is eventually able to fly without a moment’s thought. The minor characters too are well drawn, with the exception of Tad the stereotyped American and Wee Archie the caricatured Scottish nationalist. Grant’s relatives in Scotland are nicely sketched in, his cousin Laura with whom he is still a little in love but who is married to his old school friend, and their young son Pat who idolises Grant, his affection taking the form of presents of hideous fishing lures. Ewan, Elizabeth; etal., eds. (2006). The biographical dictionary of Scottish women: from the earliest times to 2004. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p.233. ISBN 9780748626601. McDermid, Val (16 July 2015). "Val McDermid: the brillliant unconventional crime novels of Josephine Tey". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235 . Retrieved 18 February 2019.