Brat Farrar

I have heard a lot about Josephine Tey (a pseudonym used by Elizabeth Mackintosh) over the years. She is one of that pantheon of distinguished English (Scottish actually) mystery writers who has gone down in legend, so I grabbed one of her books to take to England! Brat Farrar, also published under the title Come and Kill Me, first appeared in 1949.  Brat Farrar, a relatively poor young British expat who made his way working with horses in America, has returned to England. He is accosted on the street by a man, Alex Loding, claiming Brat is the spitting image of the long-dead (supposedly) heir to a reputable stable, Patrick Ashby. He persuades Brat to "return" to the farm and dispossess his twin, Simon Ashby, who is set to take over the stables on his upcoming birthday. As Brat gets more and more enmeshed in the family, he comes to suspect that the missing Patrick's death was not a suicide as many believed, but a murder by his brother Simon. Of course if Brat shares what he finds out, he will be revealed as an imposter and lose the only family and home he has ever known. Simon of course cannot tell the family of Brat's identity without giving away his own guilt, but he might just try his luck a 2nd time. Intriguing and tightly crafted plot, believable characters, and an English setting all served to make this a satisfying read.