Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Man in the Queue
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
Inspector Alan Grant searches for the identity of a man killed in the line at a theater and for the identity of the killerwhom no one saw. A long line had formed for the standing-room-only section of the Woffington Theatre. Londons favorite musical comedy of the past two years was finishing its run at the end of the week. Suddenly, the line began to move, forming a wedge before the open doors as hopeful theatergoers nudged their way forward. But one man, his head sunk down upon his chest, slowly sank to his knees and then, still more slowly, keeled over on his face. Thinking he had fainted, a spectator moved to help, but recoiled in horror from what lay before him: the man in the queue had a small silver dagger neatly plunged into his back. With the wit and guile that have made Inspector Grant a favorite of mystery fans, the inspector sets about discovering just how a murder occurred among so many witnesses, none of whom saw a thing.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
lauraisntwilder
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image
Pickpick

I think my favorite thing about this book was that Inspector Grant is a good detective, but not a savant. He's not a Holmes or a Poirot, he's just good at his job. This edition had a slur edited out, but it was still racist, since Grant attributes bad actions and motives to a particular cultural background. It wasn't overwhelming, but still worth mentioning. The mystery itself was entertaining and I liked the side characters.

review
rwmg
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image
Pickpick

Inspector Grant must find out who the victim of a stabbing in a theatre queue was to have any hope of finding the murderer.

I didn't really get engrossed in this early example of a police procedural but I would be interested to read more from the author.

Ruthiella It was the police procedural aspects of this book I actually liked the best. 😅 But all her mysteries are so very different from each other. 8mo
CarolynM Echoing @Ruthiella They are all very different. I think they‘re brilliant. 8mo
28 likes2 comments
quote
rwmg
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image

Television in 1929

blurb
rwmg
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image
blurb
KathyWheeler
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image

What strikes me about Tey‘s books, and Agatha Christie‘s too, is how often the characters originally come to the conclusion that it has to be a foreigner who was responsible for the murder because no Englishman would do such a thing. The xenophobia is actually pretty remarkable.

LiteraryinPA That‘s true. Though at least with Christie I feel like she‘s pointing out the ignorance of those comments by having Poirot, the foreigner, be the brilliant crime solver. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1y
KathyWheeler @LiteraryinLawrence True, but that‘s definitely not true with Tey. Her Inspector Grant is one of the people making those assumptions. 1y
17 likes2 comments
blurb
JazzFeathers
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image

Haven't decided how l feel about this book yet. I do have a hard time connecting with it, and still l don't really want to drop it.
I think l'll keep going, for the moment. May end up being my entry for Scotland in the #ReadingEurope2020

blurb
JazzFeathers
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image

#24b42020 @Andrew65 @TheReadingMermaid

Haven't read a lot today. Started this mystery by Tey. First time a read her and so far l'm a bit iffy. I'm not particularly fond of her style.
But let's see.

Let's see whether l can reach 10 hours.

Andrew65 Good luck with your 10 hour target. I read two Josephine Try‘s earlier this year, I enjoyed the standalone but not as impressed by the series book. 5y
17 likes1 comment
review
LiteraryinPA
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image
Pickpick

I‘m excited to have discovered a new-to-me mystery author! I can hardly say Josephine Tey is new, as this book was published in 1929. 😋 But I had somehow never heard of her. This mystery was well plotted and Inspector Grant is a thoughtful, astute guy with a good heart. I loved the elegant writing style and high brow vocabulary the author used to paint the scene. I‘m looking forward to at some point continuing the series.

LiteraryinPA Zoe was the best reading/dozing companion and has fully nested herself in the green blanket. 💗 5y
Lcsmcat Awww! 5y
CarolynM Welcome to the wonderful world of Josephine Tey! There aren't many books, but they are all sensationally good. Enjoy. 5y
Freespirit This looks really good 5y
Butterfinger I recently read The Daughter of Time and was very pleased. 5y
81 likes4 stack adds5 comments
blurb
JazzFeathers
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image

#11thHourReadathon
Didn't manage a lot yesterday night. I was so tired, l eventually had to surrender to my bed.

Tried to read a bit of Hazel&Holly, which has been a challenge. The pace is so glacial, l have to take the book a bit at a time.

I've been meaning to read Tey since l read Nicola Upson's novels, where Tey appears as a character. But not even the entriguing beginning kept me awake.

I'm in my avarege with readathons.

EclecticReaders Any reading time you get in is great! Awesome job! 5y
32 likes1 comment
review
mreads
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image
Pickpick

Josephine Tey is wonderful, I've liked quite a few of her novels/mysteries but this was just barely a pick. To be far it's her debut and she definitely gets better. I suggest starting with Brat Farrar.

Thought the date stamps from the back of the library book made a fun pic.

#centuryreadchallenge

Lel2403 I‘ve read a couple of hers and loved them. Added this to my TBR list 📖 6y
43 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
JazzFeathers
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image

Say, l forgot to post about my #bookmail of last this week.

I've become curious about Josephine Tey's novel after reading Nicola Upson's mysteries where Tey is a character. Can't wait to read this one.

The other belongs to my growing TBR pile of authors from the Weimar Republic that l really need to start reading.

Nute I love the specific direction and goals of your reading. My reading aspirations are kinda all over the place. 6y
JazzFeathers @Nute LOL! Since it is kind of research for my own writing project, l need my reads to be focused 😆 6y
55 likes2 comments
blurb
kwmg40
The Man in the Queue | Josephine Tey
post image

How appropriate! I'm reading a mystery about a man who gets stabbed in a theatre queue while I'm waiting in a queue at the Toronto International Film Festival. #TIFF

rabbitprincess Have fun! What are you seeing? 7y
kwmg40 @rabbitprincess We just finished seeing a documentary about Wall Street and Chinese companies, The China Hustle, which was very good. Among the other films we have lined up is The Current War with Benedict Cumberbatch. Definitely looking forward to that one! 7y
rabbitprincess @kwmg40 Ooooo I will be interested to hear what you think of that one! Glad to hear the documentary was good! 7y
3 likes3 comments