The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey

The book revolves around a solicitor named Robert Blair who is called upon to defend two women, Marion Sharpe and her mother, accused of kidnapping a teenage girl named Betty Kane. Betty claims she was held captive and forced to work as a servant at the Sharpes' home, The Franchise. However, as Blair delves deeper into the case, he uncovers inconsistencies in Betty's story and begins to suspect that there is more to the accusation than meets the eye. Set in postwar England, the narrative weaves through twists and turns as Blair seeks to prove the innocence of the Sharpes in a society eager to find scandal and guilt.

The 1539th greatest book of all time


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Total Points: 244

Since this book was first published in 1948, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 244.0.

This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.