Miss Pym Disposes

By: Josephine Tey

Narrated by: Karen Cass

"People are always more than they seem, even to themselves."

Former French teacher Miss Lucy Pym has become something of a celebrity following the publication of her book on psychology, and eagerly accepts an invitation to lecture at Leys College for young women college from an old friend who is now headmistress there.

She only expected to be there for one night, but when one of the students dies under mysterious circumstances, Lucy must use her psychological expertise to uncover the truth about what happened—and soon discovers hidden tensions and rivalries among the students and staff that reveal the web of intrigue and secrets that lie beneath the college’s façade of calm efficiency.

In Miss Pym Disposes, Josephine Tey weaves together themes of academic life, ethical dilemmas and human psychology to create a captivating blend of psychological insight and thrilling mystery that raises questions about how far a person might be willing to go to achieve their goals.

Josephine Tey (1896-1952) was a renowned author and one of the most celebrated figures in detective fiction. Tey initially pursued a career in theatre, writing plays before shifting her focus to novels, and her writing is characterised by psychological depth, strong character development, and a subversion of traditional crime fiction norms. Her most notable works include The Daughter of Time, Brat Farrar, and The Franchise Affair, and despite her relatively small output, her influence is significant, inspiring future generations of mystery writers.

In 2015, Val McDermid argued that Tey "cracked open the door" for later writers such as Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell to explore the darker side of humanity, creating a bridge between the Golden Age of Detective Fiction and contemporary crime novels.

Public Domain (P)2023 SNR Audio

Critic reviews

‘[The] most interesting of the great female writers of the Golden Age' Val McDermid

A stellar story with a fantastic narrator

I like Josephine Tey and read this book the old-fashioned way years ago, but hearing it performed by a gifted reader made it SO MUCH better than I'd remembered. Seriously, this narrator rocks, so much so that I've searched for other books she's read (very glad Audible has the option to do this) and downloaded a few because I want to hear her take on more stories.

If you're new to Josephine Tey ... you're in for a treat! I don't think she's officially considered part of the Golden Age mystery author pantheon, but her novels have a similar flair. They're witty, they're British, the characters are compelling, and the stories are transporting. Previously my favorites were Brat Farrar and Daughter of Time, but Miss Pym has now firmly claimed the number one spot in my heart.

To me, the thing that makes Josephine Tey really special and makes her work stand out from Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie (both of whom I also enjoy very much!) is the humor and the freshness. Sayers is witty, but in an urbane, I-am-a-very-well-educated-British-person-of-a-bygone-era kind of way, while Tey is funny in a way that feels much more modern. Like some enterprising plagiarist could lift big sections from her novels, plop them into a contemporary novel or screenplay, and start scooping up the accolades. And this doesn't just apply to Tey's humor. Her novels -- all the ones I've read to some degree, but Miss Pym Disposes especially -- feel of-the-moment in a way you just don't expect for books written over 50 years ago. (That said, I'm still not certain what the modern-day equivalent of a physical training college is. Or if there even is a modern-day equivalent.)

I'm sure plenty of folks have summarized Miss Pym's plot better than I could, but I do think it's worth noting that the murder occurs far later in the story than you'd expect. On my first read, I remember being 200 pages in and thinking, "When the heck is this murder going to happen?! How can our Miss Pym get to work solving a murder when there's no murder in sight?" It's unusual pacing for a murder mystery, but it works: it slowly rachets up the tension of what is primarily a story about the personalities and politics of a mid-century women's college because you spend most of the book trying to figure out who's going to be offed. And why. And how. When the expected genre conventions eventually make their appearance, you're rewarded first with what seems to be a very satisfying ending and then with a big twist at the very end. So good. Tey is a master. She deserves a much, much bigger place in the mystery canon.

Listened in one long session! SO fun!

I am a Tey fanatic, but I’d forgotten about this delightful , insightful, witty and gorgeously written gem!
And such a brilliant narrator. Can’t tell you how happy this listen made me. Do get this. Enjoy!

A Beautifully Written Book

This is a wonderful, beautifully written book. I thought that the lead-up to the climax was a bit too long, but the climax was sufficiently satisfying to excuse this minor fault.

Last couple hours took a vile turn

Sad that people felt joking about rape was impressive wit back then!

Not to mention promoting the belief that it’s the moral choice to let a murder (that caused a long & agonizing death, & which brought reproach to the famililess victim) be gotten away with

A true favorite for anyone who enjoys a character-focused murder mystery.

This story is deeply psychological and introspective. Some might classify it as a cozy — I would not. This British mystery deserves a place all its own among the classics of its form.