Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
384 global ratings
5 star
73%
4 star
17%
3 star
6%
2 star
1%
1 star
3%
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Review this product

Reviews with images

Customer image
See all customer images
Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Charles Michener
5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Deception
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
"Brat Farrar" is among the best of Josephine Tey's classic mysteries, which means that it's one of the best such stories of all time. I like it even more than "The Daughter of Time," often considered the finest British mystery novel of the 20th century. No two Tey novels are alike, even when her serial detective, Inspector Adam Grant, is looking into things. The mystery of "Brat Farrar" is purely psychological, anticipating the later psychological thrillers of Ruth Rendell. Ostensibly about an attractive imposter who acquires a country estate by posing as a long-lost older brother, "Brat Farrar" is a spin on the Cain and Abel story, examining the roles that inheritance, grief, sibling rivalry and innate character play in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Tey was also a fine playwright, a master of telling dialogue, incapable of writing a scene without sparkle. Her portrait of the English gentry and its dependents is as sharp as anything by George Eliot - a pointillistic "Middlemarch." Moreover, not even Dick Francis was better at depicting the world of horses. Fifteen years ago, a film of "Brat Farrar" with Ben Affleck was announced but never made. It remains a terrific vehicle for screen adaptation, so rich are its characters, its setting, its themes and its twisty, chilling action.
Read more
Hortensia
5.0 out of 5 stars One of Josephine Tey's best mysteries
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
An orphaned young man with an amazing resemblance to a prominent family of horse breeders is talked into impersonating their long-lost older brother. Brat Farrer is curious about what happened to the real missing brother and finds himself in danger.

It's a subtle story, with elements of Cain and Abel, plus the emotional journey of an orphaned young man who knows who he has become, but doesn't know where he came from or who his family are.
Read more
J. Ruggirello
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
Not your typical murder mystery, which confounds some. It's a mature, complex tale, with indelible characters. Tey's writing is hypnotically beautiful. There is a murder, and lots of suspense, but mainly it's a tale well told. Highly recommended.
Read more
EastTexasGal
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
There is something about the older mysteries that draws the reader in. The author here created something really unique, and through most of the book I was wondering, "How is this going to resolve itself, and is there any way this can be set right, and is there any possible way Brat can redeem himself?" For after all, the imposter became quite loveable. I would rate it PG-13--it was nice and clean with only a few non-explicit sexual references.
Read more
Space Cadet
1.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable, boring
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
The story is unbelievable. It is also boring; nothing happens until the end. This would have been better as a short story. Then at least it would only be unbelievable instead of unbelievable and way too long. Tey wrote other stories that are much better, like The Franchise Affair, The Man in the Queue, The Daughter of Time, and Miss Pym Disposes. Try one of those instead of this. Do not read The Singing Sands. It is very slow and boring.
Read more
HeidiB
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm sorry I hadn't heard of Josephine Tey before now!
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
I picked up "Brat Farrar" after reading the much-lauded "The Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey, and it is just as amazing. This is a tightly coiled mystery with fully formed characters, and it withstands the test of time. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates a solid British mystery, with some nifty horse racing, too.
Read more
gmkp
5.0 out of 5 stars An impostor solves the riddle
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
I liked this book so much I finished it in one sitting. I'd decided to read more of the female English authors, having read all of Ruth Rendells stories and novels and this book by Josephine Tey was my first. Brat Farrar arrives claiming to be a brother believed to have died 8 years before. He overcomes the doubts of most family members and works his way to a most satisfying conclusion, happily for all but one.
Read more
Leonard L. Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars A first-rate mystery of impersonation and deception.
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2001
Verified Purchase
When foundling drifter Brat Farrar is offered the proposition to pose as the aristocratic Ashby family's long-missing heir (whom he strongly resembles), he finds it impossible to resist. What he did not reckon on was the growing attraction to his own "sister" and the veiled enmity of the younger twin "brother," whom he has displaced as the master of the Ashby estate. The author expertly draws the characters so that we always favor the likable Brat, despite his fraudulent part in the scheme. When it becomes obvious that his life is in danger and that there is something decidedly suspicious about the death of the real Patrick Ashby, the suspense builds unrelentingly, keeping the reader's eyes riveted to the book.
In addition to the suspense and the excellent characterizations, there is the extremely interesting background of English horse breeding and racing, which the Ashby fortunes are currently built upon.P>Yes, you can see some of the incidents coming ahead of time, but that's the way it is in real life. The author is honest with the reader in letting us know what is developing as the hero himself discovers it. Overall, this is a great read, an excellent novel of suspense.
Read more
See all reviews

Top reviews from other countries

H. Lacroix
4.0 out of 5 stars A simple novel that is by no means simplistic.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It is quite old-fashioned but in a very good way with an interesting narrative, excellent character depiction, a good ear for dialogue and a no nonsense attitude to life and people that was refreshing after the rubbish I've been reading lately. The twists are not earth shattering as it's easy to see where it's all going but the reader is nevertheless drawn and goes on reading with interest simply because it's a well-crafted narrative peopled with endearing characters.
Read more
Blue Dolphin
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic still fresh and compelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2012
Verified Purchase
The first thing I noticed about this author is her incredible talent for rendering conversations. In fact her narrative is so dialogue-driven that her protagonist often has spirited and convincing exchanges with his inner self. Although written before 1949, the writing has a timeless quality, a very modern tightness, and I found the style very "easy on the ears" and thoroughly enjoyable. This book is unusual in that it draws the reader inside the story and invites you to unlock the mystery. The plot's plausibility is heavily dependent on a couple of unique coincidences but, once you accept the premise, everything else follows. In fact, for me the precariousness of the situation adds tension and, although the ending was not a huge surprise, the way all the loose ends are tied up is very satisfying.

Josephine Tey has deftly created some very likeable but complex characters: Brat is at once tough and vulnerable, an opportunist with a conscience. Simon is charming and cast as the victim but full of contradictions. Aunt Bee is typical of a generation of war-time women who had to be strong and unselfish for the sake of others. Each of the main characters is believably human, annoying at times, but always engaging. This book is perfectly suited for all ages, there is no gore, bad language, gratuitous sex or unsettling content and the adult subjects are masterfully handled. And, finally, horse enthusiasts will be happy to find that the substantial equestrian content is accurate and realistic and Tey's undisguised love of horses comes entirely devoid of saccharine.
Read more
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic still fresh and compelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2012
The first thing I noticed about this author is her incredible talent for rendering conversations. In fact her narrative is so dialogue-driven that her protagonist often has spirited and convincing exchanges with his inner self. Although written before 1949, the writing has a timeless quality, a very modern tightness, and I found the style very "easy on the ears" and thoroughly enjoyable. This book is unusual in that it draws the reader inside the story and invites you to unlock the mystery. The plot's plausibility is heavily dependent on a couple of unique coincidences but, once you accept the premise, everything else follows. In fact, for me the precariousness of the situation adds tension and, although the ending was not a huge surprise, the way all the loose ends are tied up is very satisfying.

Josephine Tey has deftly created some very likeable but complex characters: Brat is at once tough and vulnerable, an opportunist with a conscience. Simon is charming and cast as the victim but full of contradictions. Aunt Bee is typical of a generation of war-time women who had to be strong and unselfish for the sake of others. Each of the main characters is believably human, annoying at times, but always engaging. This book is perfectly suited for all ages, there is no gore, bad language, gratuitous sex or unsettling content and the adult subjects are masterfully handled. And, finally, horse enthusiasts will be happy to find that the substantial equestrian content is accurate and realistic and Tey's undisguised love of horses comes entirely devoid of saccharine.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
JZ
5.0 out of 5 stars Stands the test of time
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2013
Verified Purchase
I first read Brat Farrar in my teens and have been rereading it ever since every couple of years. In fact, I've read it so often that my copy has fallen to pieces, which is why I bought the Kindle edition. It's the story of a young man who inveigles himself into a loving family by pretending to be a long-lost child. Brat has been put up to the imposture by a ne'er-do-well connection of the family because he looks so much like the now grown-up twin of the missing boy. But instead of portraying Brat as a conniving money-grubber, Josephine Tey presents him as a boy with an unhappy and chequered past who falls in love with "his" family, most of whom share his passion for horses. The family has also known tragedy - as well as losing the child, Patrick, the children's parents are dead; Simon, Patrick's twin, Eleanor, and another, much younger set of twins, Jane and Ruth, live in their parents' house with Aunt Bea and try to make enough money from horses to keep the family and the estate together. At first, Brat must convince everyone who ever knew the child that he is Patrick. But soon, he senses something sinister about the disappearance, and becomes Patrick's champion. The characters are drawn with depth and truth and the reader comes to care passionately about what's going to happen to them all. Although it was written in 1950, the book has worn well and does not read like a period piece.
Read more
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Will Brat complete the con, or save the family?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
This is not the Great Expectations twist that the first 100 pages suggest. This is a family that has to face its past to make its future viable. There are also interesting commentaries on choices that historic stately families need to make: how to save the family home, or not.
Read more
Officer Dibble
5.0 out of 5 stars Should be a school set text
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2009
Verified Purchase
Before picking up this novel I never expected that I would read it in one sitting. It is tremendous. Already worthy of a re-read, worthy of extensive study that made me realise it should be used as a school set text on a par with novels such as 'A Kestrel for a Knave'.

The main premise is similar to 'The Return of Martin Guerre' or 'Sommersby' except the returning soul is the teenager Brat coming home to a farm in the idyllic Sussex Downs. His twin knows from the start that Brat is fake but they agree an unholy 'spiritual twinship' of silence for mutual protection as everyone else accepts Brat to their bosom.

The writing is sublime evoking dreamy, idyllic post-War rural England compared to the 'forest of chimney pots' in London. Ms Tey writes succinctly and with wit. She displays topicality and constructs convincing relationships. There are some underlying adult themes which would have been risque in the late 1940's and do make it a novel for teenagers and adults.

This book was the classic case of expecting so little and being unexpectedly overwhelmed by its sheer quality.
Read more
See all reviews