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Foul Matter #2
The Way of All Fish
In Grimes’s new sendup of a world she knows very well, Candy and Karl, hitmen with a difference— they have scruples—once again venture into the murky Manhattan publishing scene. This time they come to the aid of a writer who is being sued by her unscrupulous literary agent, L. Bass Hess, a man determined to get a 15 percent commission for a book he didn’t sell.
The contract killers join forces with publishing mogul Bobby Mackenzie and megabestselling writer Paul Giverney to rid the mean streets of Hess, not by shooting him, but by driving him crazy. They are helped by other characters from Foul Matter and a crew of new colorful personalities, including an out-of-work Vegas magician, an alligator wrangler, a glamorous Malaysian con lady, and Hess’s aunt in Everglades City, who has undergone a wildly successful sex change.
The contract killers join forces with publishing mogul Bobby Mackenzie and megabestselling writer Paul Giverney to rid the mean streets of Hess, not by shooting him, but by driving him crazy. They are helped by other characters from Foul Matter and a crew of new colorful personalities, including an out-of-work Vegas magician, an alligator wrangler, a glamorous Malaysian con lady, and Hess’s aunt in Everglades City, who has undergone a wildly successful sex change.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 7, 2014
76 people are currently reading
1093 people want to read
About the author
Martha Grimes
114 books1,456 followersMartha Grimes is an American author of detective fiction.
She was born May 2 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to D.W., a city solicitor, and to June, who owned the Mountain Lake Hotel in Western Maryland where Martha and her brother spent much of their childhood. Grimes earned her B.A. and M.A. at the University of Maryland. She has taught at the University of Iowa, Frostburg State University, and Montgomery College.
Grimes is best known for her series of novels featuring Richard Jury, an inspector with Scotland Yard, and his friend Melrose Plant, a British aristocrat who has given up his titles. Each of the Jury mysteries is named after a pub. Her page-turning, character-driven tales fall into the mystery subdivision of "cozies." In 1983, Grimes received the Nero Wolfe Award for best mystery of the year for The Anodyne Necklace.
The background to Hotel Paradise is drawn on the experiences she enjoyed spending summers at her mother's hotel in Mountain Lake Park, Maryland. One of the characters, Mr Britain, is drawn on Britten Leo Martin, Sr, who then ran Marti's Store which he owned with his father and brother. Martin's Store is accessible by a short walkway from Mountain Lake, the site of the former Hotel, which was torn down in 1967.
She splits her time between homes in Washington, D.C., and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She was born May 2 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to D.W., a city solicitor, and to June, who owned the Mountain Lake Hotel in Western Maryland where Martha and her brother spent much of their childhood. Grimes earned her B.A. and M.A. at the University of Maryland. She has taught at the University of Iowa, Frostburg State University, and Montgomery College.
Grimes is best known for her series of novels featuring Richard Jury, an inspector with Scotland Yard, and his friend Melrose Plant, a British aristocrat who has given up his titles. Each of the Jury mysteries is named after a pub. Her page-turning, character-driven tales fall into the mystery subdivision of "cozies." In 1983, Grimes received the Nero Wolfe Award for best mystery of the year for The Anodyne Necklace.
The background to Hotel Paradise is drawn on the experiences she enjoyed spending summers at her mother's hotel in Mountain Lake Park, Maryland. One of the characters, Mr Britain, is drawn on Britten Leo Martin, Sr, who then ran Marti's Store which he owned with his father and brother. Martin's Store is accessible by a short walkway from Mountain Lake, the site of the former Hotel, which was torn down in 1967.
She splits her time between homes in Washington, D.C., and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
January 14, 2014
“The Way of All Fish” is completely different in tone from Grimes’s Richard Jury mysteries, and fans who haven’t read “Foul Matter” might need a few pages to catch up. Publishing also seems a less ripe target for satire than it did back in 2003. In the decade since “Foul Matter” appeared, someone seems to have taken out a hit on the entire industry.
Grimes has packed in plenty to amuse readers, from her ever-spiraling plot to the motley characters to allusions to classic mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers, Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins.
Read our review here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/enterta...
Grimes has packed in plenty to amuse readers, from her ever-spiraling plot to the motley characters to allusions to classic mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers, Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins.
Read our review here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/enterta...
May 28, 2014
Imagine Carl Hiaasen, set in New York instead of Florida, with the bad guys as literary agents instead of ruthless developers, and you'll have an idea of The Way of All Fish. Martha Grimes has left behind her atmospheric British pubs sad detective hero for the Manhattan literary life and a couple of hit men with scruples and dese-dem-and-dose accents. Unfortunately, although the book is very funny in parts, it doesn't really hold together - too many people are doing too many things for too thinly explained reasons, and too many plot details are left hanging. If the plot were better conceived, I'd beg your pardon and say they were red herrings, but they're not - they're just bits and pieces that don't really go anywhere, while the story goes in too many directions at once. All in all, a funny idea that didn't quite pan out.
December 15, 2013
“The Way of All Fish” by Martha Grimes, published by Scribner.
Category – Mystery/Comedy Publication Date – January 07, 2014
Cindy Sella is a well known and published author who is being sued by her former agent, L. Bass Hess. She is being sued for commissions he did not receive for a book she wrote long after she released him as her agent.
Cindy finds help from two hit men, Candy and Karl, who dream up schemes that will get Hess out of her life. Candy and Karl, although they are hit men, do have scruples, they study their intended victims and only take the hit if they find them deserving. They enlist several people to help them drive Hess from Cindy’s life permanently. One caper involves a questionable monk and his questionable monastery.
The plot is woven around the publishing industry and includes writers and editors. The author also adds in an ex-mobster turned author who has turned on the mob and is in the Witness Protection Program, although he hides in plain site.
Fish, well the fish in the story basically hold the story together as a common Clownfish is represented as a highly endangered species and is moved from aquarium to aquarium as the story dictates. This allows for the use of the fake Fish and Wildlife agents to gain information on Hess and his lawsuit.
I didn’t find the book very funny. It failed to keep me wanting to turn to the next page, and I found only a few of the characters that held my interest. If one is looking for a very low key book, outside of some strong language, this could be what you are looking for, but don’t expect much more than a run of the mill mystery/comedy.
Category – Mystery/Comedy Publication Date – January 07, 2014
Cindy Sella is a well known and published author who is being sued by her former agent, L. Bass Hess. She is being sued for commissions he did not receive for a book she wrote long after she released him as her agent.
Cindy finds help from two hit men, Candy and Karl, who dream up schemes that will get Hess out of her life. Candy and Karl, although they are hit men, do have scruples, they study their intended victims and only take the hit if they find them deserving. They enlist several people to help them drive Hess from Cindy’s life permanently. One caper involves a questionable monk and his questionable monastery.
The plot is woven around the publishing industry and includes writers and editors. The author also adds in an ex-mobster turned author who has turned on the mob and is in the Witness Protection Program, although he hides in plain site.
Fish, well the fish in the story basically hold the story together as a common Clownfish is represented as a highly endangered species and is moved from aquarium to aquarium as the story dictates. This allows for the use of the fake Fish and Wildlife agents to gain information on Hess and his lawsuit.
I didn’t find the book very funny. It failed to keep me wanting to turn to the next page, and I found only a few of the characters that held my interest. If one is looking for a very low key book, outside of some strong language, this could be what you are looking for, but don’t expect much more than a run of the mill mystery/comedy.
March 9, 2014
This is not for anyone with a low tolerance for whimsy. I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed it well enough as I was reading, but the plot was so Rube Goldbergian in its complexity all "to get" an unscrupulous literary agent, who as bad as he was, seemed to be treated somewhat cruelly. I am sure any author who has dealt with such an individual would relish it, but what percentage of the population is that? Also it reminded me of my least favorite parts of the author's Richard Jury novels when Melrose Plant and his friends gather around the pub and devise labyrinthine plots to prevent Vivian form marrying or some such--all a little too cloying.
January 11, 2014
Despite not having read the prequel, Foul Matter, I had no problem enjoying The Way of All Fish, a whirlwind caper novel. In fact, I laughed aloud.
Two sentence summary: Two hit men choose to confuse rather than kill a publishing agent who is destroying an author's productivity by saddling her with an expensive nuisance lawsuit. Craziness ensues.
Fish. Alligator. Pigs. Macaw. Transgender uncle / aunt. Junk yard. Stoners. Precocious child. Coffee shop. Lawyers. Literary allusions. What book doesn't need all of these?
Two sentence summary: Two hit men choose to confuse rather than kill a publishing agent who is destroying an author's productivity by saddling her with an expensive nuisance lawsuit. Craziness ensues.
Fish. Alligator. Pigs. Macaw. Transgender uncle / aunt. Junk yard. Stoners. Precocious child. Coffee shop. Lawyers. Literary allusions. What book doesn't need all of these?
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October 7, 2021loved it!
February 3, 2014
Book sequels have my name written all over them, especially ones written by a favorite author, which explains my almost childlike delight with “The Way of All Fish.” Martha Grimes continues to explore the dark underbelly of the publishing industry she exposed ten years ago in her wicked satire, “Foul Matter.” Should we be concerned that the fictitious publishing conglomerate, Mackenzie-Haack, is now owned by ghost owners in Dubai? Could the industry be demonstrating less of a moral compass? What about the influence of technology on writing, publishing and reading? Has Main Street become Grub Street? Do these issues and others have anything to do with the relationship between readers and the books? If we espouse social justice, should we make signs and begin protesting?
Don’t worry. Grimes brings a much lighter touch to this murky business. Many of her characters are bright, reflective and quite ethical, which provides another perspective to the industry and restores one’s faith in writers and editors. All of her characters have a Dickens quality about them, which just adds to the fun.
Karl and Candy are the hit men with ethical standards whose bemusement with the industry drove “Foul Matter.” They uncover an unexpected connection to the conniving, litigious, highly unlikable literary agent, L. Bass Hess, whom they are studying before they decide to take on the “job.” They are so outraged about what he is doing to Cindy Sella, an earnest, soul-searching, young novelist suffering from writer’s block, they are more interested in the job but realize Cindy would be a prime suspect should Hess be killed. Their “due diligence” investigating the details reconnects them to many of the characters introduced in the first book. These creative minds and talents collaborate on an adventurous scheme to banish Hess from the New York industry scene or at least “neutralize” him. These interactions and meetings provide opportunities for Karl and Candy to continue their comparison between the publishing industry and their own line of work, with their work seen as the higher calling. Their continued reading of the publishing trade journals, TBR, best seller lists, their “action research,” supports their position and produces great dialogue among the characters.
While bringing back many of the memorable characters, Grimes also introduces us to a number of others, some of whom might be easily misjudged and/or dismissed living on the fringe as they do. The “neutralizing” of L. Bass Hess takes the cast on the road from the Clownfish Café to unlikely destinations such as the Everglades, an abbey in Pennsylvania, and a séance in Pittsburgh with many plot twists and a great deal of humor. In the end, revenge is sweet, all’s well that ends well, and the like. I do hope to meet Karl and Candy again some day.
Don’t worry. Grimes brings a much lighter touch to this murky business. Many of her characters are bright, reflective and quite ethical, which provides another perspective to the industry and restores one’s faith in writers and editors. All of her characters have a Dickens quality about them, which just adds to the fun.
Karl and Candy are the hit men with ethical standards whose bemusement with the industry drove “Foul Matter.” They uncover an unexpected connection to the conniving, litigious, highly unlikable literary agent, L. Bass Hess, whom they are studying before they decide to take on the “job.” They are so outraged about what he is doing to Cindy Sella, an earnest, soul-searching, young novelist suffering from writer’s block, they are more interested in the job but realize Cindy would be a prime suspect should Hess be killed. Their “due diligence” investigating the details reconnects them to many of the characters introduced in the first book. These creative minds and talents collaborate on an adventurous scheme to banish Hess from the New York industry scene or at least “neutralize” him. These interactions and meetings provide opportunities for Karl and Candy to continue their comparison between the publishing industry and their own line of work, with their work seen as the higher calling. Their continued reading of the publishing trade journals, TBR, best seller lists, their “action research,” supports their position and produces great dialogue among the characters.
While bringing back many of the memorable characters, Grimes also introduces us to a number of others, some of whom might be easily misjudged and/or dismissed living on the fringe as they do. The “neutralizing” of L. Bass Hess takes the cast on the road from the Clownfish Café to unlikely destinations such as the Everglades, an abbey in Pennsylvania, and a séance in Pittsburgh with many plot twists and a great deal of humor. In the end, revenge is sweet, all’s well that ends well, and the like. I do hope to meet Karl and Candy again some day.
August 13, 2016
The Way of All Fish by Martha Grimes is a story that basically revolves around the publishing industry with Cindy Sella, a published author, who is taken to court by her former agent, L. Bass Hess, on the ground of non-payment of fifteen per cent commissions for a book she wrote long after being released as her agent. He is destroying Cindy's productivity by saddling her with an expensive nuisance lawsuit.
Martha populated the book with interesting characters like the two hit men, Candy and Karl, who decide to help Cindy and work out a plan to rid the mean streets of Hess. They choose to confuse rather than kill Hess. Candy and Karl are a fascinating pair of hit men who study their targeted victims before the actual hit. Then there is an ex-mobster turned author who has turned on the mob and is in the Witness Protection Program.
It is well-written and truly enjoyable. It will give you enough laughs all the way to the end of the book.
Martha populated the book with interesting characters like the two hit men, Candy and Karl, who decide to help Cindy and work out a plan to rid the mean streets of Hess. They choose to confuse rather than kill Hess. Candy and Karl are a fascinating pair of hit men who study their targeted victims before the actual hit. Then there is an ex-mobster turned author who has turned on the mob and is in the Witness Protection Program.
It is well-written and truly enjoyable. It will give you enough laughs all the way to the end of the book.
January 25, 2014
I finally crashed on through Martha Grimes' latest attempt to leave the British "Richard Jury" series behind. She left it behind, along with all of her best gifts in character, setting, perspective. In trying to join the leagues of satirists somewhere between Janet Evanovich and Tim Dorsey, she's spun off into a world of supposed humor with no great satirical purpose. I understand a writer's need to shift and grow, but Grimes has simply shrunken to nearly unreadable. The novel doesn't even merit wading into as "light but bright" entertainment that I sometimes enjoy.
January 11, 2014
Silly but fun. Like her more conventional mysteries better. Nevertheless, I plan to read the prequel, Foul Matter. At least I think it is a prequel.
August 9, 2015
This book is...
goofy!
Fish called Wanda meets Mysteries of Pittsburgh.
goofy!
Fish called Wanda meets Mysteries of Pittsburgh.
March 2, 2022
If you want to learn to write narration with droll wit, read Martha Grimes. Her hit men Candy & Karl have hilarious banter that I read aloud to my husband. I can't give it 5 because the waif Cindy Sella isn't in enough scenes in the second half. Literary references sprinkle the pages in clever and irreverent ways. Take heart, English majors! You'll laugh more than I did.
January 10, 2017
Der unglaublich unsympathische Literaturagent Hess macht der jungen Autorin Cindy Stella das Leben schwer; ein Rechtsstreit droht. Aber die Autorin bekommt unerwartet Hilfe von zwei ganz besonderen Auftragskillern, einem Bestsellerautor, einem Verleger, einem Fisch und noch ein paar anderen Personen. Der Literaturagent muss weg, aber ein Mord wäre einfach zu langweilig. Mit einem amüsanten Plan versucht die bunt zusammengewürfelte Gruppe, den ungeliebten Hess ins Exil und in den Wahnsinn zu treiben.
Stil, Machart, Meinung
Ich muss sagen, die Story ist gut. Besonders, dass sie in der Literaturbranche spielt, finde ich natürlich sehr interessant. Nur sie ist mir einfach viel zu lang! Wenn ein so dicker Wälzer so lange braucht, um die Handlung zu entwickeln, dann geht mir auf der Strecke die Luft aus. Ich war zwar irgendwie interessiert, wie es denn weitergeht – aber ich hatte nie wirklich Lust, das Buch überhaupt in die Hand zu nehmen. Nach diesem Gefühl, braucht man zur persönlichen Meinung eigentlich nicht mehr viel zu sagen.
Trotzdem fühle ich mich, als müsste ich mich dafür rechtfertigen, dass Buch nicht grandios gefunden zu haben. Denn ich hatte große Erwartungen! Martha Grimes, ich hatte vor ewig langer Zeit gern mal den einen oder anderen Inspector Jury Roman gelesen, ist eine große Nummer im Literaturbusiness. Wenn die dann auch noch über das Literaturbusiness schreibt und einen Literaturagenten von zwei sehr netten Auftragskillern in den Wahnsinn treiben lässt, dann hat bei mir riesige Erwartungen ausgelöst.
Tja, die Story ist gut. Einige Charaktere, besonders die beiden Auftragskiller die eine Person nur töten, wenn sie sie wirklich nicht mögen, sind großartig. Aber dann sind da so viele Leute, sodass ich bei der Mitte des Buches einige Male noch nicht sicher war, wer da nun mit wem redet. Die Charaktere mit Potential kommen zu kurz, weniger Leute mit mehr Raum hätten der Sache gut getan. Es gibt ganz interessante Vorfälle, Szenen, Gespräche – aber das große Ganze dauert mir zu lange. Es ist ja auch ein großer Plan, bei dem viele Rädchen ineinandergreifen müssen, um am Ende den Literaturagenten in die Flucht zu schlagen.
So muss ich denn gestehen, dass ich ab zwei erwartungsvollen Dritteln dann meine Lust gegen Null strebte und ich den Rest eher im unentspannten Speedreading mit Mut zur Lücke gelesen habe, damit mir keiner nachsagen kann, dass ich ja ein Buch nicht schlecht bewerten kann, wenn ich es nicht bis zum erlösenden Ende gelesen habe..
Hier habe ich gekürzt, ein bisschen mehr gibt’s noch auf meinem Wordpress- Blog: http://wp.me/p6tREn-1oJzc
Fazit
Dieses Buch war nicht meins, und mehr als 2 Sterne kann ich nicht geben. Ich mag trotzdem einige der Figuren sehr und sehe, wo die Autorin mit ihrem großen, unterhaltsamen Plan hinwollte. Den Einblick hinter die Kulissen der großen Verlage und Verleger fand ich interessant. Aber wenn ich ein Buch nicht lesen will, es lag auch schon lange halbgelesen bei mir rum, dann will ich es halt nicht lesen. Vielleicht waren meine Erwartungen auch zu hoch, aber nur weil ein großer Name schreibt zwinge ich mich ja nun nicht, ein Buch zu mögen..
Stil, Machart, Meinung
Ich muss sagen, die Story ist gut. Besonders, dass sie in der Literaturbranche spielt, finde ich natürlich sehr interessant. Nur sie ist mir einfach viel zu lang! Wenn ein so dicker Wälzer so lange braucht, um die Handlung zu entwickeln, dann geht mir auf der Strecke die Luft aus. Ich war zwar irgendwie interessiert, wie es denn weitergeht – aber ich hatte nie wirklich Lust, das Buch überhaupt in die Hand zu nehmen. Nach diesem Gefühl, braucht man zur persönlichen Meinung eigentlich nicht mehr viel zu sagen.
Trotzdem fühle ich mich, als müsste ich mich dafür rechtfertigen, dass Buch nicht grandios gefunden zu haben. Denn ich hatte große Erwartungen! Martha Grimes, ich hatte vor ewig langer Zeit gern mal den einen oder anderen Inspector Jury Roman gelesen, ist eine große Nummer im Literaturbusiness. Wenn die dann auch noch über das Literaturbusiness schreibt und einen Literaturagenten von zwei sehr netten Auftragskillern in den Wahnsinn treiben lässt, dann hat bei mir riesige Erwartungen ausgelöst.
Tja, die Story ist gut. Einige Charaktere, besonders die beiden Auftragskiller die eine Person nur töten, wenn sie sie wirklich nicht mögen, sind großartig. Aber dann sind da so viele Leute, sodass ich bei der Mitte des Buches einige Male noch nicht sicher war, wer da nun mit wem redet. Die Charaktere mit Potential kommen zu kurz, weniger Leute mit mehr Raum hätten der Sache gut getan. Es gibt ganz interessante Vorfälle, Szenen, Gespräche – aber das große Ganze dauert mir zu lange. Es ist ja auch ein großer Plan, bei dem viele Rädchen ineinandergreifen müssen, um am Ende den Literaturagenten in die Flucht zu schlagen.
So muss ich denn gestehen, dass ich ab zwei erwartungsvollen Dritteln dann meine Lust gegen Null strebte und ich den Rest eher im unentspannten Speedreading mit Mut zur Lücke gelesen habe, damit mir keiner nachsagen kann, dass ich ja ein Buch nicht schlecht bewerten kann, wenn ich es nicht bis zum erlösenden Ende gelesen habe..
Hier habe ich gekürzt, ein bisschen mehr gibt’s noch auf meinem Wordpress- Blog: http://wp.me/p6tREn-1oJzc
Fazit
Dieses Buch war nicht meins, und mehr als 2 Sterne kann ich nicht geben. Ich mag trotzdem einige der Figuren sehr und sehe, wo die Autorin mit ihrem großen, unterhaltsamen Plan hinwollte. Den Einblick hinter die Kulissen der großen Verlage und Verleger fand ich interessant. Aber wenn ich ein Buch nicht lesen will, es lag auch schon lange halbgelesen bei mir rum, dann will ich es halt nicht lesen. Vielleicht waren meine Erwartungen auch zu hoch, aber nur weil ein großer Name schreibt zwinge ich mich ja nun nicht, ein Buch zu mögen..
January 20, 2014
Wickedly funny and just the antidote for the winter blahs! I am only sorry Grimes has not written more books starring Karl and Candy, "two hit men with scruples." The cast of characters, and I do mean characters with a capital C, is well-developed and Grimes leaves no doubt which ones the reader should cheer on. They include a damsel in distress, dastardly literary agents and lawyers, druggies and tough broads along with contract killers and a questionable monk. The action begins when hit men botch a job at The Clownfish Cafe in New York. Further silliness takes place in the Everglades and Pittsburgh but in the end the bad guys get their just desserts thanks to Karl and Candy and their scruples. I enjoyed this book so much I am going to reread Foul Matter which introduces these wise guys. Let the chuckling continue....and, please Ms Grimes, keep Karl and Candy's adventures coming!
June 5, 2014
2.5 stars. I read this for a book club. It wasn't bad per say, I just kind of found it to be all over the place. The hit men were amusing, in the way that the hit men from Pulp Fiction were amusing. Other than that, I was at a loss in figuring out the point of this book. All these people want to get rid of this one guy because... he's an asshole? They're willing to spend millions of dollars to goof on a bunch of jerks? In defense of Cindy, who none of them really even knew? Also the fact that she was never really involved in the plot to take the guys down kind of irritated me. She was just.. there. Clueless. I felt like the ending dragged on too. And there were too many characters to keep track of. It's possible that I didn't like it because I didn't read the first one, Foul Matter, but I'm honestly not sure if that's the case.
June 11, 2015
What utter and unbelievable silliness. That said, I really wish I could've given this book 2.5 stars, because I was thoroughly entertained by it. Also, I enjoyed recognizing the thinly disguised characters from the Richard Jury series. Nice cotton candy for the brain, best ingested poolside. It's just that it would do an injustice to my other 3s if I rated it thusly.
May 7, 2016
The first book, Foul Matter, was one of the funniest books I've ever read.
This book . . . was not.
This book . . . was not.
February 9, 2014
Do not waste your time. (A contract hitman named Candy. Grimes’ sense of humor?) Read one from Grimes’ Richard Jury series.
March 20, 2016
Couldn't keep my attention.
June 26, 2017
A very clever and engaging book from the virtuoso Martha Grimes. This one's a bit of an outlier for the author who typically writes thrillers and mysteries, usually of a more serious bent. The novel is pure tongue-in-cheek fun, featuring a wacky plot and dozens of humorously named characters. Cindy Sella's (who has been a big "sella" of literary novels) troubles with her previous agent, L. Bass Hess (L for "Largemouth" I think) provides the flashpoint for the plot. Bass is known to be a litigious ass in the publishing world. His suit against Sella is unjust and yet has caused our damsel in distress much in terms of time and money and sapped her creative strength. Enter her heroes: two hit men, Candy and Karl, Paul Giverney, a big time author, Bobby Mackenzie, head of a well-known publishing company that owns Cindy's imprint, Clive Esterhaus, a managing editor, and a host of others who join Paul in giving L. Bass Hess a very elaborate and creative heave-ho.
There is so much wittiness to enjoy in this novel that sometimes a reader could almost miss it. Grimes slyly makes fun of book titles made up of puns, yet this novel's title is a pun of sorts. And there are lots of other examples I can't think of right now. I particularly liked the description of all the forsaken manuscripts off in a room somewhere which Bobby Mackenzie has collected and later uses to punish Bass, who misses out on a few gems which later become best sellers, all due to his arrogance. About the only aspect I didn't enjoy is poor old Cindy herself. She was much too passive a character for me. At one point she makes a comment that she has become her character Lulu, a character stuck forever behind the wheel with nowhere to go. How much will her reader tolerate of Lulu's inactivity, Cindy wonders. Indeed.
But the book isn't mainly about her, although she starts the plot off. It's mostly about the ridiculous world of publishing as Grimes sees it, and the men who try to control it. I had great fun reading this novel, a well-crafted, well-written satire that kept me laughing.
There is so much wittiness to enjoy in this novel that sometimes a reader could almost miss it. Grimes slyly makes fun of book titles made up of puns, yet this novel's title is a pun of sorts. And there are lots of other examples I can't think of right now. I particularly liked the description of all the forsaken manuscripts off in a room somewhere which Bobby Mackenzie has collected and later uses to punish Bass, who misses out on a few gems which later become best sellers, all due to his arrogance. About the only aspect I didn't enjoy is poor old Cindy herself. She was much too passive a character for me. At one point she makes a comment that she has become her character Lulu, a character stuck forever behind the wheel with nowhere to go. How much will her reader tolerate of Lulu's inactivity, Cindy wonders. Indeed.
But the book isn't mainly about her, although she starts the plot off. It's mostly about the ridiculous world of publishing as Grimes sees it, and the men who try to control it. I had great fun reading this novel, a well-crafted, well-written satire that kept me laughing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2019
It's been years since I've read anything by Martha Grimes so I was happy to be reminded of her. And I did enjoy the book a lot. Easy, fun, likeable characters, certainly free of gratuitous violence. One caveat though -- make notes of the characters. There are at least ten fairly important people in the story.
Briefly, Writer's agent L Bass Hess is up to his usual tricks, suing author Cindy Sella claiming she hasn't paid him for work he didn't do. One evening Cindy is eating in the Clownfish Cafe when gunmen burst in and shoot out the fishtank. She and the other diners rescue the fish.
Various circumstances put her in contact with Kane and Candy, sophisticated gunmen who prefer not to shoot unless they have to. Learning of her problems with Hess, they decide to help her. We meet reputable and not so reputable lawyers, other writers, Lena Bint Musah, Bub, Monty, Molloy, Abbot Johnny des Santos, . . . . the list does rather go on and that's why you need to keep track. There is a plot of sorts that involves getting rid of L Bass Hess -- just getting him out of Manhattan, perhaps to the Everglades home of his trans aunt Simone Simon (you have to meet Simone - she's great!!!) or to become a monk in Johnny' Montagne Cassino. The lawsuit against Cindy is dropped, she acquires a miniature pig and takes it to Joe's farm (he specializes in peg pigs and knife throwing)
As you might guess from the title, there are a few literary puns and references, fun and games; not very much of the detective fiction that Grimes is most associate with although I intend to read some of those soon.
Briefly, Writer's agent L Bass Hess is up to his usual tricks, suing author Cindy Sella claiming she hasn't paid him for work he didn't do. One evening Cindy is eating in the Clownfish Cafe when gunmen burst in and shoot out the fishtank. She and the other diners rescue the fish.
Various circumstances put her in contact with Kane and Candy, sophisticated gunmen who prefer not to shoot unless they have to. Learning of her problems with Hess, they decide to help her. We meet reputable and not so reputable lawyers, other writers, Lena Bint Musah, Bub, Monty, Molloy, Abbot Johnny des Santos, . . . . the list does rather go on and that's why you need to keep track. There is a plot of sorts that involves getting rid of L Bass Hess -- just getting him out of Manhattan, perhaps to the Everglades home of his trans aunt Simone Simon (you have to meet Simone - she's great!!!) or to become a monk in Johnny' Montagne Cassino. The lawsuit against Cindy is dropped, she acquires a miniature pig and takes it to Joe's farm (he specializes in peg pigs and knife throwing)
As you might guess from the title, there are a few literary puns and references, fun and games; not very much of the detective fiction that Grimes is most associate with although I intend to read some of those soon.
December 20, 2024
Reed Patch
Book Rating and Review
“The Way Of All Fish” By Martha Grimes
Summary: Cindy Sella is a well known author who is getting sued by her former agent, L. Bass Hess for commissions on a book that she made after she released him. Cindy needs help, so she finds two hitmen, Candy and Karl. Instead of Candy and Karl doing what hitmen do, they drove him crazy by a series of schemes. Candy and Karl team up with Bobby Mackenzie, who is a publishing mogul, and Paul Giverny, who is a bestselling author.
Characters (Main):
Candy and Karl
– Hitmen who instead of using violence, choose to use manipulation and psycholigical tactics.
L. Bass Hess
– The agent that is suing Cindy Sella for not giving him 15 percent of the commissions on a book that she made after she released him. And is the target for Candy and Karl.
Cindy Sella
– The author that is getting sued by her ex-agent and hired the hitmen, Candy and Karl.
Themes and Messages: The message of this book is the exploration of the competition of the New York publishing industry. It illustrates how cutthroat the New York publishing industry really is.
Personal Reflection: To be honest the book was a little disappointing.. It was also confusing (maybe the way it was written). There isn’t too much to reflect on when it doesn’t make total sense. Good idea for a book though!
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to other authors because hopefully it makes more sense. I wouldn’t recommend this book to somebody who doesn’t like to read or isn’t super intelligent.
Real-World Connection: This book is realistic because being a writer in New York is really hard and you have to be the best of the best.
Book Rating and Review
“The Way Of All Fish” By Martha Grimes
Summary: Cindy Sella is a well known author who is getting sued by her former agent, L. Bass Hess for commissions on a book that she made after she released him. Cindy needs help, so she finds two hitmen, Candy and Karl. Instead of Candy and Karl doing what hitmen do, they drove him crazy by a series of schemes. Candy and Karl team up with Bobby Mackenzie, who is a publishing mogul, and Paul Giverny, who is a bestselling author.
Characters (Main):
Candy and Karl
– Hitmen who instead of using violence, choose to use manipulation and psycholigical tactics.
L. Bass Hess
– The agent that is suing Cindy Sella for not giving him 15 percent of the commissions on a book that she made after she released him. And is the target for Candy and Karl.
Cindy Sella
– The author that is getting sued by her ex-agent and hired the hitmen, Candy and Karl.
Themes and Messages: The message of this book is the exploration of the competition of the New York publishing industry. It illustrates how cutthroat the New York publishing industry really is.
Personal Reflection: To be honest the book was a little disappointing.. It was also confusing (maybe the way it was written). There isn’t too much to reflect on when it doesn’t make total sense. Good idea for a book though!
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to other authors because hopefully it makes more sense. I wouldn’t recommend this book to somebody who doesn’t like to read or isn’t super intelligent.
Real-World Connection: This book is realistic because being a writer in New York is really hard and you have to be the best of the best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2021
The second volume in the (I hope) series begun with Foul Matter. NYC publishers and writers and hit men and really talented stoners. This time a shy female writer is being sued by the agent who didn't sell her novel to a publisher, which sold pretty well. Opening scene, small restaurant just off Lexington. Door bursts open, two guys and their Uzis let loose a barrage of gunfire, then flee. Results, no one was hit, but the huge aquarium was turned to glassy dust and all the cute little tropical reef dwellers were scattered across the floor. The diners, pause, unshot, dump out their wine glasses, scramble for water pitchers, rescue the little fishies and, with permission, take them home. Our favorite hitmen, Karl and Candy, were having supper and save one clownfish. Candy names him Oscar and falls in love. The two of them also decide that the intended target was one L. Bass Hess, who had been sitting behind the aquarium, who is also the agent with the lawsuit that's costing Cindy Sella serious money.
Read the book. It will take about two afternoons and the dead space between phone calls that you really didn't want to do anything (like writing) anyhow. The heavy duty (and brilliant) punning is done over book titles. (See above).
One serious lapse--when the copy editor went to lunch (probably at the Clownfish Cafe). Karl and Candy and L. Bass Hess leave New York through the Holland Tunnel: NYC to Hoboken, NJ, across the Hudson River. And they return across the Brooklyn Bridge: Brooklyn to NYC and vice versa, across the East River. WHAT???
Read the book. It will take about two afternoons and the dead space between phone calls that you really didn't want to do anything (like writing) anyhow. The heavy duty (and brilliant) punning is done over book titles. (See above).
One serious lapse--when the copy editor went to lunch (probably at the Clownfish Cafe). Karl and Candy and L. Bass Hess leave New York through the Holland Tunnel: NYC to Hoboken, NJ, across the Hudson River. And they return across the Brooklyn Bridge: Brooklyn to NYC and vice versa, across the East River. WHAT???
May 1, 2021
Martha Grimes is one of my favorite authors--I love her Richard Jury series, her poetry, & her stand alone/other series books--but I just couldn't get into her books Fowl Matter & now The Way of All Fish. This book had interesting & good characters & some very clever writing, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as her other books. It was all about writers & publishing, hit men, exotic fish, book agents, & an elaborate plot to fool a despicable agent who likes to sue for no reason. It got confusing at times trying to keep track of all the lawyers & who they represented, all the writers & their books, all the twists & turns of the plot to get rid of the agent & his lawsuit, & all the hitmen involved. I much prefer her Jury series where I can figure out what's going on & really care about the characters.
May 20, 2021
The only characters slimier than L. Bass Hess, a literary agent suing a former client for his usual 15 percent commission on a book with which he was not the least bit involved, are his lawyers, the author's lawyers, and the publisher's lawyers. Grimes resurrects Karl and Candy, her adorable hitmen from Foul Matter, to resolve this issue in the most convoluted fashion imaginable, proving yet again that she can write readable fiction across genres. She deserves a better proofreader.
November 28, 2017
The idea sounded interesting enough in principle - hit men with a conscience and a publishing world that will quite literally kill for a piece of the action. In reality, the writing style just didn't work for me. I tried to persevere but I just ended up horribly bored (and over the endless talk about fish!). I read about a third of it and then put it aside as 'Did Not Finish'.
July 5, 2020
This is not a typical Martha Grimes mystery and those looking for that will be disappointed. It is a satiral, fast moving and very funny book unearthing the ruthlessness of the publishing industry. The hit men with a conscious are laugh out loud funny. The perfect quick distraction for the stress of COVID-19 times.
April 6, 2024
Not horrible, but not great, either. Too many characters, most left too undeveloped to be of much consequence which made it hard to remember who everyone was. Pair of hit men stood out as an exception. Couldn't quite figure out just why everyone was bent on "saving" Cindy - most had never met her.
Ok for a beach read, but don't expect much.
Ok for a beach read, but don't expect much.
February 28, 2025
I am even a bit regretful to give this book two stars. I think perhaps much of this is due to the fact that I have loved Martha Grimes and her Richard Juru series so much in the past. This one is very contemporary and is somewhat of a parody of the world of publishing.The characters are very quirky and so much seems a bit ludicrous and impossible. It just wasn’t my type of book.
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