The Man in the Queue (1929)

by Josephine Tey

The Man in the Queue is the first book by Josephine Tey featuring Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard. It opens with a queue to see a popular play at a London theatre, a world which Elizabeth Mackintosh (Tey’s real name) knew well. A part of the action also takes place in the Scottish Highlands, in a fictional village on a loch by the sea on the west coast. Born in Inverness, it’s another location the author was familiar with and the settings in the book are wonderful. The plot is satisfying (better than some recent bestsellers), though as Tey’s first foray into detective fiction, a little formulaic.