A Shilling for Candles (Annotated)

A Shilling for Candles (1936) is a deft Golden Age detective novel in which Inspector Alan Grant investigates the apparent drowning of film star Christine Clay, whose death on a lonely beach soon reveals currents of celebrity, secrecy, and social performance. Tey's prose is lucid, ironic, and observant, less dependent on mechanical puzzle-making than on character, atmosphere, and the unstable meanings created by public reputation. Set within the interwar tradition of British crime fiction, it broadens the genre by treating detection as a study of manners and psychology. Josephine Tey was the pen name of Elizabeth MacKintosh, a Scottish writer who also achieved success as the dramatist Gordon Daviot. Her experience in theatre is evident here: scenes are sharply staged, dialogue carries implication, and the victim's cinematic world allows Tey to examine the fabrication of identity. Writing in the 1930s, she brought to crime fiction a distinctive skepticism about appearances and institutions. This novel is recommended to readers who admire classic detection but want more than a formal riddle. Elegant, intelligent, and quietly subversive, A Shilling for Candles offers both a compelling investigation and a sophisticated portrait of modern fame, making it an essential work for admirers of Tey and Golden Age crime.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand-picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Josephine Tey was a pseudonym used by Elizabeth MacKintosh (1896-1952), a Scottish author best remembered for her mystery novels. She also wrote about a dozen one-act plays and another dozen full-length plays, many with biblical or historical themes under the name Gordon Daviot. In several of Tey's mystery novels, the hero is Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant. The most famous of these is The Daughter of Time, which was selected by the British Crime Writers' Association as the greatest mystery novel of all time.