The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey (1929)

Inspector Grant is assigned a case involving the fatal stabbing of an unknown man in a theater queue.

Book Review: The Man in the Queue is the first Inspector Grant novel by Scottish author Elizabeth MacKintosh, originally published under the pseudonym Gordon Daviot (which she used mostly for her plays), then later under her better-known pseudonym Josephine Tey, to bring it in line with the five later Inspector Grant mysteries. This is uniquely written mystery. It is slowly paced, as the reader feels no terrible urgency to read faster, but plods along with Inspector Grant, as he puzzles out every possible thread, happily ignoring certain clues. At points the reader is certain that Grant is following a red herring, at others the reader demands that the Inspector go down another path. But Grant just seemingly bobbles along, taking his time, thinking everything through in exquisite detail. Grant believes, and the reader may agree, that he has too much imagination for a policeman. Just a warning: this is not a whodunnit, you will not figure out the surprise ending. If anything it's a procedural, as we witness the good Inspector deliberately rolling along to the conclusion. The Man in the Queue is also enjoyable as a kind of time machine, taking us back to 1920s England. I was intrigued to see stereotypes and assumptions about gender and ethnicity so casually made, reflecting the tenor of the times. Our intrepid detectives easily assume, a woman couldn't've done this, an Englishman would've done that, a man must've done the other, a Scot does something else, and only a Levantine (!) could've done this. What a way to solve a case. At one point there's a discussion "whether a mixture of race in a person is a good thing," not "black and white, but different stocks of white." Later, Grant thinks that one individual "had all a red-haired person's shrewdness and capability." Really? Who knew! Only the boldest and most unconventional authors would dare have their characters make such statements today. But in Tey's hands it all seems harmless, almost quaint, even as it's clearly noticeable and notable. The Man in the Queue was followed by the second Inspector Grant mystery, A Shilling for Candles, in 1936. This one was an enjoyable mystery story, which proceeds at its own deliberate pace, and leaves the reader with a spoonful of marmite at the end. [3½★]