I find Tey's domestic thriller a bit too horsey and tame

Brat Farrar
by Josephine Tey

English novelist Josephine Tey plays with the ideas of what it means to belong to a family, to share its intimacies and secrets, and to examine the play of personalities in her mild domestic thriller, “Brat Farrar” (1942). These elements of family help heighten the suspense in the book, such as it is, though the novel in is marred by long descriptions of thoroughbred training, competitions, races, and shows (I didn't feel this equine info added anything to the plot), and sometimes borders on the "cosy" rather than the thriller. 

The set-up: Loner Brat Farrar is noticed by Alec Loding, a washed up actor, who enlists the young man to impersonate Patrick Ashby, who supposedly committed suicide as a young teen. Loding, who has a long-time association with the Ashbys, will coach Brat/Patrick, who will, of course, funnel a modest but comfortable allowance to Loding on Patrick's fast-approaching 21st birthday.

Brat is a perfect candidate for the caper, not only because of his resemblance to the dead Patrick, but because of similarities in temperament. Under Loding’s coaching, Brat is accepted by the family, though each member has some misgivings about his identity, particularly Patrick’s younger twin, Simon, who was set to inherit the Ashby estate until Brat /Patrick showed up.

The Ashby family is closely knit. Its matriarch, Aunt Bee, raised the five Ashby children and protected their legacy after their parents’ death in a travel accident. Bee is warm and accepting, as are the three Ashby sisters. But Simon is clearly antagonistic. Not only has Brat/Patrick stolen his inheritance on the eve of his twenty-first birthday, but he knows that Brat is an imposter. One of the mysteries is how he knows and why he is not more forthright in outing Brat, though the reader will probably be able to guess before the reveal. Despite Simon's animosity, Brat becomes increasingly torn by his ruse as he grows to love the family he is deceiving. It’s clear that the climax will involve a showdown between Brat and Simon, and the ending and resolution, with its deus ex machina in the form of Great-Uncle Charles, who helps uncover some of the family secrets, is far too pat.

The novel is engaging enough. Tey even hits some nice stylistic points as in her description of Loding, who “had a pink, collapsed face that reminded one of the underside of fresh mushrooms.” The description captures Loding’s pallid and unhealthy mind and body, and suggests something of the parasitic nature of his soul. Sadly, there aren't enough of these grace notes to make the novel more memorable.