Very famous "whodunnit" novel first published in 1951. Basically, Tey's fictional police inspector Alan Grant is in bed in hospital with a fracture, and rather bored. Always interested in the various types of "criminal faces", he is sent a set of printed portraits by a friend to cheer him up. One of these is Richard III, King of England 1483-1485, and supposedly the murderer of the Princes in the Tower (Edward V and his brother Richard of Shrewsbury). With the help of an American research student, Grant begins an investigation into whether Richard was the murderer using contemporary accounts, historical sources and the like, all from his hospital bed, using the police procedural processes of means, motive and opportunity. In conclusion he exonerates Richard and blames Henry VII, who defeated Richard at Bosworth, for the crime. Well written and very cleverly done, critic Anthony Boucher called the book "one of the permanent classics in the detective field.... one of the best, not of the year, but of all time". The novel is listed as number one on the CWA's Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time list and number four on the MWA's Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time list.

First published 1951. Read on Kindle.