50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of The Daughter of Time by Josephine TeyThe Daughter of Time
Classic · Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult

The Daughter of Time

by Josephine Tey
1951 · 226 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 6 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Laid up with a broken leg, Scotland Yard's Inspector Alan Grant becomes fascinated by a portrait of Richard III that looks nothing like history's villain. From his bed, he sets out to discover whether Richard really killed his brother's children to secure the crown.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's a detective story that investigates a 500-year-old mystery.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

There's no action: it's all research and reasoning, and it's gripping anyway.

By the numbers

62.3Must-Read Score
  • Readers41 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller15 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

On the lists
Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read

Reads as

Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

If you like this, read next

Cover of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee BrownBury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American WestDee Brown
Cover of The Killer Angels by Michael ShaaraThe Killer Angels
The Killer AngelsMichael Shaara
Cover of Native Son by Richard WrightNative Son
Native SonRichard Wright
Cover of The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane JacobsThe Death and Life of Great American Cities
The Death and Life of Great American CitiesJane Jacobs
Cover of The Book Thief by Markus ZusakThe Book Thief
The Book ThiefMarkus Zusak
Cover of The Confessions of Nat Turner by William StyronThe Confessions of Nat Turner
The Confessions of Nat TurnerWilliam Styron

Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →

Quick answers

Is The Daughter of Time worth reading?

Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,293 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.3 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Daughter of Time about?

Laid up with a broken leg, Scotland Yard's Inspector Alan Grant becomes fascinated by a portrait of Richard III that looks nothing like history's villain. From his bed, he sets out to discover whether Richard really killed his brother's children to secure the crown.

How long does it take to read The Daughter of Time?

About 6 hours (226 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Daughter of Time?

If you liked it, try Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.