Meet the author Nicola Upson - Event Report

Nicola Upson was in conversation with Catherine Larner, talking about her latest novel imagining mysteries solved by real-life crime writer Josephine Tey.

This is the eleventh book Nicola has written with Josephine Tey as her main character. 

Josephine is one of the writers of the Golden Age of Crime, famous for writing books such as 'The Daughter of Time', 'Brat Farrar' and 'The Franchise Affair' as well as plays and novels under other names. Her real name was Elizabeth MacKintosh and her family were brewers with a business between Framlingham and Saxmundham. She adopted Josephine Tey, the name of her Suffolk great-great grandmother.

Nicola has melded fact and fiction in her books which are wonderfully atmospheric of the 1930s and boast evocative settings such as Portmeirion in Wales, Charleston farmhouse in Sussex, the West End theatre, the Cornish coast and the Red Barn Murders in Polstead, Suffolk.

This time the book is set in the glamorous world of Hollywood - and Cambridgeshire - with Alfred Hitchcock directing Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca'.

Josephine has crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary. She's joined her partner who is working as an assistant to the great film director, Alfred Hitchcock as he seeks to complete the final scenes of his film of Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca'.

As always, Josephine becomes involved in a mysterious death and, working with her old friend, detective Archie Penrose, she seeks to find the answers on both sides of the Atlantic. 

In addition to another gripping mystery with a gloriously nostalgic and glamorous setting, the novel gives a fascinating insight to the filming of ‘Rebecca’, behind the scenes.

After Nicola spoke to us, we bought popcorn and sweets and settled back into our seats to watch 'Rebecca' together on the big screen. 

Tickets to hear Nicola Upson talk about 'Shot with Crimson' were priced £17 and include a signed copy of 'Shot with Crimson' (RRP £16.99) presented on the day. One further ticket may be purchased for £12 (without the book).

Tickets for 'Rebecca' were £7. The film was screened after the author talk and book signing, at 3.30pm.