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Richard Jury #25
The Old Success
When the body of a French woman washes up on a wild inlet off the Cornish coast, Brian Macalvie, divisional commander with the Devon-Cornwall police is called in. Who could have killed this beautiful tourist, the only visible footprints nearby belonging to the two little girls who found her?
While Macalvie stands in the Scilly Islands, inspector Richard Jury-twenty miles away on Land's End--is at The Old Success pub, sharing a drink with the legendary former CID detective Tom Brownell, a man renowned for solving every case he undertook. Except one.
In the days following the mysterious slaying of the Parisian tourist, two other murders take place: first, a man is shot on a Northhamptonshire estate, then a holy duster turns up murdered at Exeter Cathedral in Devon. Macalvie, Jury and Bronwell set out to discover whether these three killings, though very different in execution, are connected. Written with Grimes's signature wit, sly plotting, and gloriously offbeat characters, The Old Success is prime fare from "one of the most fascinating mystery writers today" (Houston Chronicle).
While Macalvie stands in the Scilly Islands, inspector Richard Jury-twenty miles away on Land's End--is at The Old Success pub, sharing a drink with the legendary former CID detective Tom Brownell, a man renowned for solving every case he undertook. Except one.
In the days following the mysterious slaying of the Parisian tourist, two other murders take place: first, a man is shot on a Northhamptonshire estate, then a holy duster turns up murdered at Exeter Cathedral in Devon. Macalvie, Jury and Bronwell set out to discover whether these three killings, though very different in execution, are connected. Written with Grimes's signature wit, sly plotting, and gloriously offbeat characters, The Old Success is prime fare from "one of the most fascinating mystery writers today" (Houston Chronicle).
243 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2019
691 people are currently reading
2202 people want to read
About the author
Martha Grimes
114 books1,455 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 530 reviews
November 11, 2019
Number 27. Richard Jury has certainly been a around a good, long while. Yet, things around him he never become boring. Not only is he a good inspector, managing to assemble puzzle pieces into a while picture, but he also serves as the stable force for a group of various characters he calls friends. Take Lord Ardry for instance, aka Melrose Plant, since it seems he has given back his titles, though not his estate. An estate that includes a resident hermit, living in the Hermitage on his property, but also a horse named Aggrieved, who has it own goat, named Aghast. He also has an aunt Agatha, that he tries to avoid at all costs, since he seems convinced she wants to kill him and inherit his property. In fact, the hermit and the goat were an attempt to keep her from visiting. That hasn't worked as well as expected, so he is forced to come up with a new plan.
His newest endeavour elicits this response from Agatha, "Whereupon Agatha stood aghast and agape. Melrose took note of "agape," for it might come in handy if he got another goat."
The storyline itself includes a suicide that may not be a suicide, the murder of a French chocolatier, and the killing of a soon to be ex-husband of a friend of Melroses. Though she denies it. There is another possibly connected death in there too, a veritable cornucopia of pieces. But don't sorry Jury will figure this all out,I certainly couldn't and all will come together in the end. Maybe, possibly.
These are mysteries for those who don't like vivid descriptions of blood and gore, nor explicit violence. There is good p, ironic British humor, quirky characters and enough going on to make your head spin. In essence, I find them endlessly entertaining and fun.
ARC from Edelweiss.
His newest endeavour elicits this response from Agatha, "Whereupon Agatha stood aghast and agape. Melrose took note of "agape," for it might come in handy if he got another goat."
The storyline itself includes a suicide that may not be a suicide, the murder of a French chocolatier, and the killing of a soon to be ex-husband of a friend of Melroses. Though she denies it. There is another possibly connected death in there too, a veritable cornucopia of pieces. But don't sorry Jury will figure this all out,I certainly couldn't and all will come together in the end. Maybe, possibly.
These are mysteries for those who don't like vivid descriptions of blood and gore, nor explicit violence. There is good p, ironic British humor, quirky characters and enough going on to make your head spin. In essence, I find them endlessly entertaining and fun.
ARC from Edelweiss.
October 20, 2019
I used to love reading this cosy crime series when it was first written in the 1980s and 90s, featuring Richard Jury of Scotland Yard and his quirky aristocratic friend Melrose Plant, so thought it would be fun to revisit it many years later with the publication of the 25th episode in the series. As before the title comes from the name of a British pub, in this case The Old Success in Land's End where Richard meets CID detective Tom Brownell, a man who is legendary for solving all his cases but one, that of the death of his daughter, Daisy.
I found it quite difficult initially to follow the plot of this murder mystery. It seemed to be very jumpy with too many diversions and unnecessary characters popping in. The connections between the murders made by the investigators seemed obscure and required a huge leap of faith by the reader. I almost gave up reading half way through in frustration. It did eventually make some sense but left me with the feeling that it was all a bit rushed would benefit from a really good edit. The best bit of the book was the delightful prank that Melrose played on his aunt and swayed me to rate the book a generous three stars.
With thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for a digital ARC to read.
I found it quite difficult initially to follow the plot of this murder mystery. It seemed to be very jumpy with too many diversions and unnecessary characters popping in. The connections between the murders made by the investigators seemed obscure and required a huge leap of faith by the reader. I almost gave up reading half way through in frustration. It did eventually make some sense but left me with the feeling that it was all a bit rushed would benefit from a really good edit. The best bit of the book was the delightful prank that Melrose played on his aunt and swayed me to rate the book a generous three stars.
With thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for a digital ARC to read.
August 8, 2019
Review to come.
November 15, 2019
I've been away from the Martha Grimes "pub" mysteries for quite some time now and I'm sorry to say The Old Success wasn't very successful for me. This is number 25 in the series and true fans will welcome having Richard Jury and Melrose Plant back but I've been away for a while and I spent a good amount of time being confused. There are so many characters sprinkled throughout the book and a large number of them are actually nothing but names mentioned because they've evidently been added to the character list along the way. I found myself confused about how many deaths were being investigated and by whom. Evidently practically anybody was welcome to jump in the car, plane or boat and go investigating with Jury. He was the only official policeman but that didn't ever seem to matter. There was even one scene where the regular group of friends was gathered in their regular pub to do a recreation of the shooting under investigation; cardboard cutouts included for props. This was of an ongoing criminal investigation. This was also the most relaxed police investigation I think I've ever read about.
Another source of confusion for me was trying to figure out which character was speaking. With three or more in on a conversation I sometimes had to just guess or even just give up. That's not good. I read and re-read many passages trying to get the dialog pointed at the right speaker until I finally didn't care. Sadly I will not be going back to pick up the stories I've missed. In the past this was one of my favorite mystery series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an e-galley of this novel.
Another source of confusion for me was trying to figure out which character was speaking. With three or more in on a conversation I sometimes had to just guess or even just give up. That's not good. I read and re-read many passages trying to get the dialog pointed at the right speaker until I finally didn't care. Sadly I will not be going back to pick up the stories I've missed. In the past this was one of my favorite mystery series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an e-galley of this novel.
November 6, 2019
This is one of those novels I think best read when you have time to sit and read for a while before putting it down. The story is a complex one and the characters are many, so trying to read it in spurts might be hard if the reader is trying to keep track of all the moving parts. Also, it is the twenty-fifth in this well developed series, with many of the same characters who have appeared regularly in earlier books within the series. These characters are like old friends to people who have read at least some of the earlier novels, but someone beginning the series might become a little confused as to who they all are and what their relationships are to each other and Jury if they try and begin with this novel.
The plotting is well done, with the case unfolding much as I imagine might be the process in an actual police investigation. There are many seemingly disparate facts that Jury accumulates along the way which slowly begin to swirl around each other to form a cohesive connection that leads to the solution. Because there are multiple deaths and numerous people involved with the various victims as well as Jury and his complement of friends and fellow investigators, it can get confusing if the reader tries to pick the book up and read for fifteen minutes here and there. Rather, save this one for when you have an hour or so, get comfortable, and immerse yourself in the novel.
The book begins with the discovery of a young woman found dead, floating in the bay. Things rapidly progress from there with help from New Scotland Yard being requested and Jury being drawn into the case. As in previous books, Jury’s friends spend much of their time in the local pub, where he gets a combination of information that may or may not be pertinent to the solving of the case as well as pulling in his friends to give him the occasional assist.
The plot is far too complex to try and summarize other than to say there are several young women who initially seem unconnected who are murdered. The side stories and numerous and varied, from a woman whose death has been ruled a suicide but no one believes that to be the case to a new business venture involving the opportunity to rent “family members” for various and sundry reasons. They all play a part in the ultimate solution of the murder, as well as offering some light hearted moments that allow the reader to enjoy the various personalities that Grimes has created.
I have read some of the earlier books in the series, but not all. This one makes me want to go back and read the rest, preferably in order, so that I can enjoy getting to know Jury’s friends on a more in-depth level. My thanks to Grove Atlantic Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader digital copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
The plotting is well done, with the case unfolding much as I imagine might be the process in an actual police investigation. There are many seemingly disparate facts that Jury accumulates along the way which slowly begin to swirl around each other to form a cohesive connection that leads to the solution. Because there are multiple deaths and numerous people involved with the various victims as well as Jury and his complement of friends and fellow investigators, it can get confusing if the reader tries to pick the book up and read for fifteen minutes here and there. Rather, save this one for when you have an hour or so, get comfortable, and immerse yourself in the novel.
The book begins with the discovery of a young woman found dead, floating in the bay. Things rapidly progress from there with help from New Scotland Yard being requested and Jury being drawn into the case. As in previous books, Jury’s friends spend much of their time in the local pub, where he gets a combination of information that may or may not be pertinent to the solving of the case as well as pulling in his friends to give him the occasional assist.
The plot is far too complex to try and summarize other than to say there are several young women who initially seem unconnected who are murdered. The side stories and numerous and varied, from a woman whose death has been ruled a suicide but no one believes that to be the case to a new business venture involving the opportunity to rent “family members” for various and sundry reasons. They all play a part in the ultimate solution of the murder, as well as offering some light hearted moments that allow the reader to enjoy the various personalities that Grimes has created.
I have read some of the earlier books in the series, but not all. This one makes me want to go back and read the rest, preferably in order, so that I can enjoy getting to know Jury’s friends on a more in-depth level. My thanks to Grove Atlantic Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader digital copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
November 9, 2019
The last few Richard Jury books have been disappointing, to say the least. Especially since the talking dog and cat in The Old Wine Shades. But this book was particularly disjointed. The plot and characters were hard to follow, and hard to believe. For instance, when the detective Brownell hears about the murder on a tiny, sparsely populated island, he doesn't say, "What a coincidence. That's where my wife and daughter lived." (And did he live there too, once? It's never mentioned.) And then his granddaughter lives just down the way from Melrose Plant. People just pop up here and there willy nilly.
Nope. It was too scattered. It didn't hold together. Not even after the mystery is solved.
Nope. It was too scattered. It didn't hold together. Not even after the mystery is solved.
July 31, 2019
3 and 1 / 2 stars
How disappointing. I've been reading the adventures of Richard Jury for many, many years. Although the “gang” is back, this story just doesn't seem to hold together very well. I enjoy spending time with Jury, Trueblood, Diana and the others but this book was either trying too hard or not hard enough. It seemed like a bunch of disparate stories that were loosely tied together. (Are we sure Ms. Grimes wrote it?)
I thought that the murder investigation was done well, but there were many subplots that took off in different directions. I found them to be distracting and wished that the story would get back to the search for the killer.
When it finally did come, the identity of the murderer came as a surprise. I said to myself, “Huh.” I did enjoy the parts of the book that tied the threads together.
I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for forwarding to me a copy of this fairly good book for me to read, enjoy and review.
How disappointing. I've been reading the adventures of Richard Jury for many, many years. Although the “gang” is back, this story just doesn't seem to hold together very well. I enjoy spending time with Jury, Trueblood, Diana and the others but this book was either trying too hard or not hard enough. It seemed like a bunch of disparate stories that were loosely tied together. (Are we sure Ms. Grimes wrote it?)
I thought that the murder investigation was done well, but there were many subplots that took off in different directions. I found them to be distracting and wished that the story would get back to the search for the killer.
When it finally did come, the identity of the murderer came as a surprise. I said to myself, “Huh.” I did enjoy the parts of the book that tied the threads together.
I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for forwarding to me a copy of this fairly good book for me to read, enjoy and review.
October 2, 2019
A beautiful French tourist is murdered, her body washed up on the Cornish coast. Two little girls find her body. Divisional Commander Brian Macalvie doesn’t know what to make of it. While he and Inspector Richard Jury start their investigation, two more murders occur. Macalvie and Jury turn to Tom Brownell. Brownell is retired now but he’s known for solving every case, but one, that he worked on. Brownell is convinced that the murders are connected. Will this be the second case that Brownell doesn’t solve?
There’s nothing better than spending time with old friends. This is the 25th Richard Jury mystery that Ms. Grimes has written, with the first one having been published in 1981. I’ve read every one of them, including a couple of her standalones. The mystery always seems to be almost insignificant as its Grimes’ characters that draw me to her books. She has written some of the most loved, eccentric and humorous characters I’ve ever read. I was in stitches in this current book when Melrose Plant brings in a young boy who he tells Aunt Agatha is a blood relation and Aunt Agatha squirms from the thought that she might not inherit everything after all. I love this author’s wry sense of humor. I do think that it would be wise to read from the start of this series to get the full benefit of the development of these characters. A new reader starting with this one may feel a bit lost without the backstory.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
There’s nothing better than spending time with old friends. This is the 25th Richard Jury mystery that Ms. Grimes has written, with the first one having been published in 1981. I’ve read every one of them, including a couple of her standalones. The mystery always seems to be almost insignificant as its Grimes’ characters that draw me to her books. She has written some of the most loved, eccentric and humorous characters I’ve ever read. I was in stitches in this current book when Melrose Plant brings in a young boy who he tells Aunt Agatha is a blood relation and Aunt Agatha squirms from the thought that she might not inherit everything after all. I love this author’s wry sense of humor. I do think that it would be wise to read from the start of this series to get the full benefit of the development of these characters. A new reader starting with this one may feel a bit lost without the backstory.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
July 26, 2019
The Old Success is the most recent of author Martha Grimes' Inspector Richard Jury series. Jury is still on the job, this time investigating a woman's murder on a remote island. Before long, there are two other untimely deaths -- but are they related to each other, or even to the first murder? Nothing seems to tie them together, at least not at first.
Along with Richard Jury we once again have his well-to-do friend and amateur sleuth, Melrose Plant, and of course Plant's aunt, Aunt Agatha.
Jury is also aided in his investigations this time by a retired detective, Tom Brownell, who solved all of his cases during his career. All his cases, except one, the death of his only daughter, Daisy.
There's plenty of plot twists and slow reveals along with Grimes' usual wit. Plant gives Aunt Agatha a fright when he introduces her to an unknown blood relative of his, someone who threatens the old woman's ambitions to be Plant's sole heir.
Prior to reading this book, I'd read the first four titles in the series. I can see that Grimes and her characters have grown with the times. There's a bit more of a casual air to Jury and the other characters than at the beginning of the series, something that gives the story a contemporary feel.
I received a complimentary ARC through Atlantic Monthly Press via Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review.
Along with Richard Jury we once again have his well-to-do friend and amateur sleuth, Melrose Plant, and of course Plant's aunt, Aunt Agatha.
Jury is also aided in his investigations this time by a retired detective, Tom Brownell, who solved all of his cases during his career. All his cases, except one, the death of his only daughter, Daisy.
There's plenty of plot twists and slow reveals along with Grimes' usual wit. Plant gives Aunt Agatha a fright when he introduces her to an unknown blood relative of his, someone who threatens the old woman's ambitions to be Plant's sole heir.
Prior to reading this book, I'd read the first four titles in the series. I can see that Grimes and her characters have grown with the times. There's a bit more of a casual air to Jury and the other characters than at the beginning of the series, something that gives the story a contemporary feel.
I received a complimentary ARC through Atlantic Monthly Press via Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2019
Richard Jury made his first appearance in 1981, and it seemed plausible that he was a 40-something police detective who had lost his parents in WW2. Jump ahead nearly 40 years, and he still seems to be a 40-something police detective, but somehow the series no longer seems as plausible to me. It is almost as Jury, Melrose Plant, and the rest of the assorted Long Piddleton crew are trapped in a time warp--they stay the same while the world around them has changed. I had a difficult time getting into The Old Success (and I have read at least 20 of the preceding 24 entries in the series), and couldn't muster enough interest to finish. If you are a die-hard Richard Jury fan (as apparently I am no longer) or new to the character, you will probably enjoy this (Martha Grimes can tell a good story). However, if you are like me and unable to reconcile the Jury of the 21st century with the character from the 20th, proceed with caution. I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.
October 29, 2019
I really enjoy Martha Grimes' Richard Jury series - there are a lot of them since this is number 25. I haven't read them all, but have read quite a few. This is a set of murders that may or may not be related. Richard Jury is called in to help the local police and, of course, everyone looks to him for the answers. His wealthy, aristocratic sidekick, Melrose Plant is drawn in to help because he has a horse that can work as a conversation starter. Also brought in is a detective, Tom Bromwell, who is known to solve all his cases (except for the one of his wife's death, which was declared a suicide). The detectives meet in a bar called The Old Success to discuss the case - thus the title of the book.
It took me awhile to get into this one, I think because of all the characters and the subplot. I was a little confused for a bit. Once I got all the characters in my mind it flowed well. British mysteries are one of my favorite genres.
Thanks to Martha Grimes and Grove Atlantic through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
It took me awhile to get into this one, I think because of all the characters and the subplot. I was a little confused for a bit. Once I got all the characters in my mind it flowed well. British mysteries are one of my favorite genres.
Thanks to Martha Grimes and Grove Atlantic through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2019
The Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes used to be one of my favourite cosy mystery series but it's been a while since I read one so when I saw The Old Success on Edelweiss+, I was excited to read it. I thought it would be like running into an old friend I hadn't seen in a long time. It wasn't. As I read, it seemed like I was missing chunks of the story. I kept flipping back through pages, trying to find where I had gone astray but nada. Characters came and went and without any explanation or, frankly, purpose within the story. The mystery seemed to get lost in the hijinx of the regular characters who apparently never aged in the decades since I first met them despite the world having moved on even in the book. The murders kept stacking up, the connection between them at best tenuous but somehow that leap was made without any real work-up to it. I will admit I didn't guess the killer but, to be honest, by the time I reached the denouement, I didn't care. If I can be allowed to use an old cliche, this book felt like Grimes phoned it in. Will I ever read another book in the series - maybe, to see if this one is an aberration. Would I recommend this one - not unless you're a fan who has been following the series religiously and then I'd recommend getting it from the library.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Atlantic Monthly Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Atlantic Monthly Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
November 29, 2019
I had thought that Martha Grimes was finished with her Richard Jury mysteries. Then I ran across a note in one of the book review sections that I read about this book that was published this year. It is the twenty-fifth in a series that has been running since 1981. Since I had read all the previous twenty-four, it seemed incumbent on me to read this one, too.
The thing about Richard Jury and all his posse of fellow characters that readers have come to know over the years is that they never age. When the series started way back in the prehistorical days of the '80s, Jury and his sidekick and best friend Lord Ardry, aka Melrose Plant, were dashing, devastatingly attractive, upper class, 40ish Englishmen. Now, almost forty years later, they still appear to be dashing, devastatingly attractive, upper class, 40ish Englishmen. If only I knew where to find their fountain of youth!
All of Grimes' well-loved characters appear in this tale. It starts when the murdered body of a Frenchwoman is washed up on the wild Cornish coast and Brian Macalvie, divisional commander of the Devon-Cornwall police is called to the scene. Macalvie, who is famous for his implacable pursuit of malevolent perpetrators and never giving up on a case, finds the scene perplexing and calls on his friend, Richard Jury, now apparently a superintendent with New Scotland Yard, for assistance. His call interrupts Jury having a drink with a retired legendary CID detective, Tom Brownell, who had a 100% clearance rate for his cases.
Jury goes to Cornwall to assist Macalvie, but in the days following the discovery of the first body, two more murders occur. The events are widely separated and appear to have no connection and yet superdetective Brownell intuits that there is. And that there may also be a further connection to an earlier supposed suicide - that of Brownell's own daughter.
There are, of course, Grimes' iconic characters of cute and precocious children and animals involved, and, as always, Jury calls on his friend, Melrose Plant, who he deems a children/animal whisperer, to help him out in extracting information from the kids.
Frankly, the plot here grows a bit confused and hard to follow. I suppose it wasn't helped by the fact that I was distracted by preparations for Thanksgiving while I was reading. The book would probably best be read by sitting down with it, concentrating fully, and finishing it in one sitting. That never happens to me.
In addition to the regular characters mentioned here, there are many, many others in this book that mostly play cameo roles, but they serve only to increase the confusion rather than illuminating the plot. So, on the whole, this was not one of the stronger entries in this long-running series, but for her truly avid fans, I'm sure it feels like the gift of a visit from an old friend.
The thing about Richard Jury and all his posse of fellow characters that readers have come to know over the years is that they never age. When the series started way back in the prehistorical days of the '80s, Jury and his sidekick and best friend Lord Ardry, aka Melrose Plant, were dashing, devastatingly attractive, upper class, 40ish Englishmen. Now, almost forty years later, they still appear to be dashing, devastatingly attractive, upper class, 40ish Englishmen. If only I knew where to find their fountain of youth!
All of Grimes' well-loved characters appear in this tale. It starts when the murdered body of a Frenchwoman is washed up on the wild Cornish coast and Brian Macalvie, divisional commander of the Devon-Cornwall police is called to the scene. Macalvie, who is famous for his implacable pursuit of malevolent perpetrators and never giving up on a case, finds the scene perplexing and calls on his friend, Richard Jury, now apparently a superintendent with New Scotland Yard, for assistance. His call interrupts Jury having a drink with a retired legendary CID detective, Tom Brownell, who had a 100% clearance rate for his cases.
Jury goes to Cornwall to assist Macalvie, but in the days following the discovery of the first body, two more murders occur. The events are widely separated and appear to have no connection and yet superdetective Brownell intuits that there is. And that there may also be a further connection to an earlier supposed suicide - that of Brownell's own daughter.
There are, of course, Grimes' iconic characters of cute and precocious children and animals involved, and, as always, Jury calls on his friend, Melrose Plant, who he deems a children/animal whisperer, to help him out in extracting information from the kids.
Frankly, the plot here grows a bit confused and hard to follow. I suppose it wasn't helped by the fact that I was distracted by preparations for Thanksgiving while I was reading. The book would probably best be read by sitting down with it, concentrating fully, and finishing it in one sitting. That never happens to me.
In addition to the regular characters mentioned here, there are many, many others in this book that mostly play cameo roles, but they serve only to increase the confusion rather than illuminating the plot. So, on the whole, this was not one of the stronger entries in this long-running series, but for her truly avid fans, I'm sure it feels like the gift of a visit from an old friend.
December 11, 2019
One body's an accident, two is a coincidence, three is trouble. Strike that, the bullet wounds just make trouble.
Entertaining diversion; feature the ocean, remote islands, put a boat on the cover and there's a good chance I'll give the book a try. Never heard of Martha Grimes before spying this on my library's shelves. But the aforementioned boat and intriguing title lured me in--alas, it was not the boat's name.
Then again, perhaps more intriguing:
A body is found in a surf-pounded bay and the mystery begins. Leads going this way and that until you feel like a dog walker who's lost control, twisted up. The comparisons mentioned to Agatha Christie may seem pretentious, but the tone and raveling/unravelling of the mystery does strike a similar chord. I'll try another in the series, maybe even the first.
Entertaining diversion; feature the ocean, remote islands, put a boat on the cover and there's a good chance I'll give the book a try. Never heard of Martha Grimes before spying this on my library's shelves. But the aforementioned boat and intriguing title lured me in--alas, it was not the boat's name.
Then again, perhaps more intriguing:
"You asked what I missed about the job. And that's it." But his tone had changed. "The vanished fame, the lost acclaim, the old success."And the response is the ringer.
A body is found in a surf-pounded bay and the mystery begins. Leads going this way and that until you feel like a dog walker who's lost control, twisted up. The comparisons mentioned to Agatha Christie may seem pretentious, but the tone and raveling/unravelling of the mystery does strike a similar chord. I'll try another in the series, maybe even the first.
November 17, 2019
Did Martha even write this book? It was so far from her usual fare, I have to wonder. It was missing a lot of the magic that made her early novels such a joy to read, although her latest few books have all been duds, so maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised.
The atmosphere was AWOL, too many characters, very confusing, stilted dialogue, hardly a glimpse of Carol-Anne or Wiggins, and no mention of his usual cornucopia of remedies (he didn’t sniffle once!) And where were Racer, Fiona & the loveable Cyril?
I guess I’ll have to rely on her first few books to get my fix of Plant, Jury & all the gang.
The atmosphere was AWOL, too many characters, very confusing, stilted dialogue, hardly a glimpse of Carol-Anne or Wiggins, and no mention of his usual cornucopia of remedies (he didn’t sniffle once!) And where were Racer, Fiona & the loveable Cyril?
I guess I’ll have to rely on her first few books to get my fix of Plant, Jury & all the gang.
June 8, 2020
Worse book of the year. And since it's only January, let's say worst book I've read in the past year. If you thought the communicating cat and dog were bad in The Black Cat, just wait!
It pains me to write this, but it was terrible. Not only have I read every other Richard Jury book, but I used to own (before moving to a smaller house) all of them, and reread them. Did Ms. Grimes really write this one? Sorry for the long review.
This was confusing, like a few pages had been torn out here and there. Things were added unnecessarily, and too much was omitted that was necessary. A lot of prior knowledge needed to be remembered from previous books. Books published years ago. Characters pop in and out, and we were expected to remember them. It was like old home week. Mostly is was just very, very confusing. A few times I actually went back to re-read more than twice, and just shrugged my shoulders and moved on.
The entire novel was written in a much dumbed down way. The vocabulary was simpler than usual. The dialog trite. My adult son opened the book and noted, "Look at the size of the text, it's like a Goose Bumps book!" Meaning, this may have well been a short story. Especially cutting out the unnecessary filler. And filler it contained. Don't just throw in the regulars at the Jack and Hammer because the reader expects them. Don't have a couple of pat Carole-Anne sentences. Either do it right, or leave it out. Same with Wiggins. A mention of his name to satisfy the fans?
So, there is a murder of a French woman. Two children find the body. Brian Macalvie calls in Jury. Not many investigations take place that we are privy to. Jury flies and boats and drives all over the country, islands and Paris, over and over and over. Sometimes in his own car, other times he borrows Melrose Plant's.
Anyway, the woman was a former "nurse" or housekeeper or something to Melrose's neighbor's (Flora Flood) late uncle. Melrose finally decides to chat up Flora, and visits her home. Bub, apparently the nephew of her estranged husband (never mind she hasn't seen her husband in a couple of years) swings on the chandelier. Remember Bub and the swinging chandelier, they are instrumental to catching the murderer!
Ok, a retire police officer, oh, so very famous, meets Jury. They team up. This man has a grand-daughter who is into horses, but hates him. Because her mother (the man's daughter) is thought to have committed suicide and he didn't know there was a problem. But, she may know something about the dead French woman on this remote island. Her mother used to live on the island. I think. Maybe that's the French woman, although she owns a chocolate shop in Paris... Jury out of nowhere we are told of, asks Melrose to take his horse to this grand-daughter, Sydney. Somewhere along the line, which I must have missed, even though I read every word, Jury believes Sydney knows something. About what? Her mother? The French woman? Another dead woman found in another city? Oh, yes, another murder. Another "nurse" or housekeeper or something to the same Flora uncle. Then Flora Flood's estranged husband is murdered in her home (or her aunt's home, the one near Melrose's), and Flora is suspected of shooting him, although she says someone came in the door behind her and shot right after she shot his leg).
Enter a home for unwanted children, unwed mothers, orphans etc. founded by the Flood uncle. Turns out one of the island children who found the dead Frenchwoman is actually her child, left in this home in Paris, taken as a baby by the possible suicide victim/grand-daughter of the retired police officer to the island and left to be raised by some woman with another girl. The grand-daughter watches her grow, but this only took place six years earlier, so the girl is just six.
Aggrieved, Melrose's horse turns out to be quite a fast one! So, enter a trainer, who happens to be one of Diane's (one of the Jack and Hammer regulars) ex-husband. Wait! Before that, the racing investor or something from a long ago novel appears. I can't remember why, but he shows up at Melrose's. Jury sent him for some reason to talk to Sydney about what she knows. Sydney the shoer is now living at Melrose's it seems, to take care of ill Aggrieved. Umm... why push an ill horse to race? Turns out the grand-daughter horsewoman has been harboring a BIG secret, and blaming her grandfather unfairly. SHE gave her terminally ill mother too many pain pills when the nurse was away! Actually, only the prescribed two, and when her mother begged for more, two additional ones. I doubt that would be enough to make it look like a suicide by overdose. In the end grand-daughter and retired police officer grandfather are getting along again.
Unbeknownst to anyone, including the reader, Flora Flood and her husband had a baby boy. He died from drowning, being left alone in a tub at 10 months old. Now, get this, Tony (husband) "... heard Flora on the phone in the parlor as he made his way upstairs..." (He was eager to see his baby, the best thing in his life.) He finds the baby just breathing his last in the tub, rushes him in vain to the ER nearby. After some time just sitting, Tony goes home. We have no idea what happened, what he told Flora. We are told, "...these women - nurse, nanny, au pair, mother - none of them claiming one iota of responsibility." They say, "It was my night off..." "I wasn't told to watch the baby..." "Mrs. Servino knew I was going to..." WHAT THE HELL! WHO PUT THE BABY IN THE BATHTUB! THAT'S THE QUESTION! It doesn't matter who had the night off or who wasn't told to watch the baby, what matters is HOW DID THE BABY GET INTO THE BATHTUB AND WHO LEFT THE ROOM!
I guess that was the downfall of their marriage.
So, if the above doesn't include enough spoilers, here's the solution. Flora killed them all. I am so confused that I am not sure why anymore. I thought it had something to do with her uncle (I'm pretty sure it was her uncle) having affairs with both of the women she killed. To protect his memory? Was that it? He's dead. And, why are we supposed to think it's a big break to learn the second woman (not the one who had the baby) killed had had an abortion?
Sigh, I'm sure I'm forgetting many ridiculous events. I remembered another one! There is a rent-a-family-member company where Melrose rents a cousin, a young teenage boy just to get to Agatha, and make her think he has blood relations. This teen swings down the chandelier to save the day! Melrose sees Agatha's mouth is "agape" and sets that word aside in case he ever gets another goat.
One review here noted how time is passing, but Jury isn't aging. He is aging, but not fast enough! At first it was believable he was a little child in the mid 1940s. Not any more. If he is going to stay stuck at around 50, stop time in the novels.
Disappointing. Quite terrible. There is no way to summarize this novel. My head is spinning.
Oh, Aggrieved wins his race.
It pains me to write this, but it was terrible. Not only have I read every other Richard Jury book, but I used to own (before moving to a smaller house) all of them, and reread them. Did Ms. Grimes really write this one? Sorry for the long review.
This was confusing, like a few pages had been torn out here and there. Things were added unnecessarily, and too much was omitted that was necessary. A lot of prior knowledge needed to be remembered from previous books. Books published years ago. Characters pop in and out, and we were expected to remember them. It was like old home week. Mostly is was just very, very confusing. A few times I actually went back to re-read more than twice, and just shrugged my shoulders and moved on.
The entire novel was written in a much dumbed down way. The vocabulary was simpler than usual. The dialog trite. My adult son opened the book and noted, "Look at the size of the text, it's like a Goose Bumps book!" Meaning, this may have well been a short story. Especially cutting out the unnecessary filler. And filler it contained. Don't just throw in the regulars at the Jack and Hammer because the reader expects them. Don't have a couple of pat Carole-Anne sentences. Either do it right, or leave it out. Same with Wiggins. A mention of his name to satisfy the fans?
So, there is a murder of a French woman. Two children find the body. Brian Macalvie calls in Jury. Not many investigations take place that we are privy to. Jury flies and boats and drives all over the country, islands and Paris, over and over and over. Sometimes in his own car, other times he borrows Melrose Plant's.
Anyway, the woman was a former "nurse" or housekeeper or something to Melrose's neighbor's (Flora Flood) late uncle. Melrose finally decides to chat up Flora, and visits her home. Bub, apparently the nephew of her estranged husband (never mind she hasn't seen her husband in a couple of years) swings on the chandelier. Remember Bub and the swinging chandelier, they are instrumental to catching the murderer!
Ok, a retire police officer, oh, so very famous, meets Jury. They team up. This man has a grand-daughter who is into horses, but hates him. Because her mother (the man's daughter) is thought to have committed suicide and he didn't know there was a problem. But, she may know something about the dead French woman on this remote island. Her mother used to live on the island. I think. Maybe that's the French woman, although she owns a chocolate shop in Paris... Jury out of nowhere we are told of, asks Melrose to take his horse to this grand-daughter, Sydney. Somewhere along the line, which I must have missed, even though I read every word, Jury believes Sydney knows something. About what? Her mother? The French woman? Another dead woman found in another city? Oh, yes, another murder. Another "nurse" or housekeeper or something to the same Flora uncle. Then Flora Flood's estranged husband is murdered in her home (or her aunt's home, the one near Melrose's), and Flora is suspected of shooting him, although she says someone came in the door behind her and shot right after she shot his leg).
Enter a home for unwanted children, unwed mothers, orphans etc. founded by the Flood uncle. Turns out one of the island children who found the dead Frenchwoman is actually her child, left in this home in Paris, taken as a baby by the possible suicide victim/grand-daughter of the retired police officer to the island and left to be raised by some woman with another girl. The grand-daughter watches her grow, but this only took place six years earlier, so the girl is just six.
Aggrieved, Melrose's horse turns out to be quite a fast one! So, enter a trainer, who happens to be one of Diane's (one of the Jack and Hammer regulars) ex-husband. Wait! Before that, the racing investor or something from a long ago novel appears. I can't remember why, but he shows up at Melrose's. Jury sent him for some reason to talk to Sydney about what she knows. Sydney the shoer is now living at Melrose's it seems, to take care of ill Aggrieved. Umm... why push an ill horse to race? Turns out the grand-daughter horsewoman has been harboring a BIG secret, and blaming her grandfather unfairly. SHE gave her terminally ill mother too many pain pills when the nurse was away! Actually, only the prescribed two, and when her mother begged for more, two additional ones. I doubt that would be enough to make it look like a suicide by overdose. In the end grand-daughter and retired police officer grandfather are getting along again.
Unbeknownst to anyone, including the reader, Flora Flood and her husband had a baby boy. He died from drowning, being left alone in a tub at 10 months old. Now, get this, Tony (husband) "... heard Flora on the phone in the parlor as he made his way upstairs..." (He was eager to see his baby, the best thing in his life.) He finds the baby just breathing his last in the tub, rushes him in vain to the ER nearby. After some time just sitting, Tony goes home. We have no idea what happened, what he told Flora. We are told, "...these women - nurse, nanny, au pair, mother - none of them claiming one iota of responsibility." They say, "It was my night off..." "I wasn't told to watch the baby..." "Mrs. Servino knew I was going to..." WHAT THE HELL! WHO PUT THE BABY IN THE BATHTUB! THAT'S THE QUESTION! It doesn't matter who had the night off or who wasn't told to watch the baby, what matters is HOW DID THE BABY GET INTO THE BATHTUB AND WHO LEFT THE ROOM!
I guess that was the downfall of their marriage.
So, if the above doesn't include enough spoilers, here's the solution. Flora killed them all. I am so confused that I am not sure why anymore. I thought it had something to do with her uncle (I'm pretty sure it was her uncle) having affairs with both of the women she killed. To protect his memory? Was that it? He's dead. And, why are we supposed to think it's a big break to learn the second woman (not the one who had the baby) killed had had an abortion?
Sigh, I'm sure I'm forgetting many ridiculous events. I remembered another one! There is a rent-a-family-member company where Melrose rents a cousin, a young teenage boy just to get to Agatha, and make her think he has blood relations. This teen swings down the chandelier to save the day! Melrose sees Agatha's mouth is "agape" and sets that word aside in case he ever gets another goat.
One review here noted how time is passing, but Jury isn't aging. He is aging, but not fast enough! At first it was believable he was a little child in the mid 1940s. Not any more. If he is going to stay stuck at around 50, stop time in the novels.
Disappointing. Quite terrible. There is no way to summarize this novel. My head is spinning.
Oh, Aggrieved wins his race.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2019
It pains me to write this but I have to say I struggled with MUCH of this latest instalment in Martha Grimes' Richard Jury / Melrose Plant series.
I've written before about my love of this series. Indeed, if someone was to give me a week to binge-read an entire series (and not have to write reviews) I'd choose Martha Grimes or Sue Grafton. Familiar, comfort reads. Generally reliable reads.
I commented in my review of The Knowledge (https://www.debbish.com/books-literat... - not embedding link as unsure that works on NG), that I have often been frustrated by the love interests introduced for Jury as he has spectacularly bad taste in women. (As does Melrose I guess.) But I usually enjoy the plots and love the characters. Generally Grimes also does a great job with the children's characters as well. (And I should mention she seems to have a thing for cats.)
Anyhoo, 'most' of the usual players feature in this latest version though some seemingly just there as if they're contracted to play a role or something (thinking of Wiggins and Carole-anne here).
Sadly for me this book was just all over the place. Not only did it not make sense that the cases linked (I couldn't understand how the ex-cop... the likeable Tom) suddenly appeared in Jury's life at the same time as a new case that ENDED UP being linked to his daughter's death. Perhaps he went looking for Jury to ask him to investigate... at least that would have made their encounter less obscure, but.... the huge leaps in deductions often made no sense here.
And I wasn't sure if the editing was off. Had chunks been cut and moved, I wondered? There's early reference to Macalvie wanting Jury to stay on Bryher Island (when he arrives) to interview two girls. But... I waited for that (as I usually like the bits involving kids) he didn't. Instead it happened a long time later. And - related to that was seemingly a confession. But it apparently wasn't. (Not to mention a double-up comment made about accessing a gun!)
And then Jury references something Melrose is reading (p 71) saying his offsider Wiggins was reading the same book. But... Wiggins only comes into the plot later and it's then he's reading the book (p 170).
I note that someone else in Goodreads pondered if this copy (via NetGalley) was an early version so was going to be tidied significantly before its release in several months time. Perhaps. Or hopefully. Though I did note it's released in some places on 20 August, hence my early review.
Someone also commented in Goodreads they struggled with all of the characters introduced. There are usually a few thanks to Melrose's life in Long Piddleton. It's probably still the fictional place I'd most like to live, but that aside, there were a few ring-ins here that I didn't remember from previous books.
There's an early mention of the hotel on the remote Bryher Island, The Hell Bay Hotel and its manager (etc), so I expected it to feature. But it didn't. (As an aside, I would have preferred the book be named after that hotel and centre more around it and the role of people on the island in the death/s.)
The only saviour was the continued humour, likability of Jury and my love of Melrose's (and his friends') eccentric-ness. I'm loath to rate this 2.5 stars so will bump it to 3 because I'd still recommend it but I am disappointed as this has been one of my 'go-to' series (comfort reads) for decades.
I've written before about my love of this series. Indeed, if someone was to give me a week to binge-read an entire series (and not have to write reviews) I'd choose Martha Grimes or Sue Grafton. Familiar, comfort reads. Generally reliable reads.
I commented in my review of The Knowledge (https://www.debbish.com/books-literat... - not embedding link as unsure that works on NG), that I have often been frustrated by the love interests introduced for Jury as he has spectacularly bad taste in women. (As does Melrose I guess.) But I usually enjoy the plots and love the characters. Generally Grimes also does a great job with the children's characters as well. (And I should mention she seems to have a thing for cats.)
Anyhoo, 'most' of the usual players feature in this latest version though some seemingly just there as if they're contracted to play a role or something (thinking of Wiggins and Carole-anne here).
Sadly for me this book was just all over the place. Not only did it not make sense that the cases linked (I couldn't understand how the ex-cop... the likeable Tom) suddenly appeared in Jury's life at the same time as a new case that ENDED UP being linked to his daughter's death. Perhaps he went looking for Jury to ask him to investigate... at least that would have made their encounter less obscure, but.... the huge leaps in deductions often made no sense here.
And I wasn't sure if the editing was off. Had chunks been cut and moved, I wondered? There's early reference to Macalvie wanting Jury to stay on Bryher Island (when he arrives) to interview two girls. But... I waited for that (as I usually like the bits involving kids) he didn't. Instead it happened a long time later. And - related to that was seemingly a confession. But it apparently wasn't. (Not to mention a double-up comment made about accessing a gun!)
And then Jury references something Melrose is reading (p 71) saying his offsider Wiggins was reading the same book. But... Wiggins only comes into the plot later and it's then he's reading the book (p 170).
I note that someone else in Goodreads pondered if this copy (via NetGalley) was an early version so was going to be tidied significantly before its release in several months time. Perhaps. Or hopefully. Though I did note it's released in some places on 20 August, hence my early review.
Someone also commented in Goodreads they struggled with all of the characters introduced. There are usually a few thanks to Melrose's life in Long Piddleton. It's probably still the fictional place I'd most like to live, but that aside, there were a few ring-ins here that I didn't remember from previous books.
There's an early mention of the hotel on the remote Bryher Island, The Hell Bay Hotel and its manager (etc), so I expected it to feature. But it didn't. (As an aside, I would have preferred the book be named after that hotel and centre more around it and the role of people on the island in the death/s.)
The only saviour was the continued humour, likability of Jury and my love of Melrose's (and his friends') eccentric-ness. I'm loath to rate this 2.5 stars so will bump it to 3 because I'd still recommend it but I am disappointed as this has been one of my 'go-to' series (comfort reads) for decades.
November 7, 2019
Very disappointing. The plot was full of holes. I had trouble following the story in places. It's so sad that the series has declined in this manner.
November 22, 2019
In this 25th outing in the series, Inspector Jury is called in to assist Brian Macalvie who is investigating the murder of a young French woman found on a remote beach on the Cornish coast. Perhaps because I've just read three of the Richard Jury series in less than a month trying to get current with the series, I cannot help but compare those three and thought this latest mystery was a little lightweight. I found myself rather confused at first by the who-zits and the what-zits. The characters involved in the crime didn't come alive for me as they usually do and I didn't feel there was much in the way of a 'police procedural' investigation involved here. It seemed to be all theory rather than substance.
I did as usual enjoy the antics of Melrose Plant as he tries to put one over on his Aunt Agatha. A couple of fun additions to the cast of characters are involved here. I was pleased to see Aggrieved come into his own with the help of these friends. As this story was set at Christmastime, I was hoping to see how it was celebrated at Ardry End. I'm sure Martha and staff would make a wonderful production of it all. Maybe next time...
I received an arc of this mystery from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It was fun spending time with old friends.
I did as usual enjoy the antics of Melrose Plant as he tries to put one over on his Aunt Agatha. A couple of fun additions to the cast of characters are involved here. I was pleased to see Aggrieved come into his own with the help of these friends. As this story was set at Christmastime, I was hoping to see how it was celebrated at Ardry End. I'm sure Martha and staff would make a wonderful production of it all. Maybe next time...
I received an arc of this mystery from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It was fun spending time with old friends.
December 17, 2019
My Grade = 76% - C (the lowest grade I've ever given a Martha Grimes/Richard Jury novel)
Published August, 2019. 237 pages.
I spent my entire adult life as a high school Engish teacher. One of the zillions of concepts I attempted to present to students was that it was nearly impossible to make a short paper seem longer than it was. I displayed many examples (without names, of course) of larger font, larger spaces between lines, larger top, bottom, and side margins, papers that had either the top or sides physically cut off, or random large, empty spaces.
All of these were used in Martha Grimes' 25th Richard Jury novel, The Old Success. The previous book I read was Louise Penny's A Better Man which was 444 pages in length, with each page having 35 lines.
The Old Success was almost the same top and side dimensions, but had only 28 lines per page, with larger top and bottom margins and more space between the lines. That's a full 20% less per page.
The book was also divided into seven sections, with each section preceeded by a blank page, a title page with only a number and a very short title, and followed by a blank page. 7 sections x 3 pages each = 21 fewer pages. There were a total of 40 chapters, but instead of beginning each chapter at the top of the page, it began on line 15. That's 40 chapters, each 14 lines fewer than 28 (40 x 14 = 560 lines divided by 28 lines per page = 20 more (or less) fewer pages.
Ok, I figured I was on a roll and I decided to count how many lines were missing at the end of each chapter. I literally counted each one and added them up and it came to 429 lines. That, divided by 28, came to about 18 1/2 fewer pages. Finally, at many places throughout the novel there were spaces to separate. Rather than have a simple row of asterisks, as ******* to separate, there was a triple space between, taking up another 89 lines (or 3.17 pages).
This whole thing seemed more like an outline than a novel.
Furthermore, Ms Grimes seemed to squeeze in every character ever seen in a Richard Jury novel, among them Carole-anne Palutski (Jury's Islington flat neighbor), Sargent Wiggins, his partner, the crew at the Jack and Hammer including publican Dick Scroggs, Charwoman Mrs Withers, customers Marshall Trueblood, Vivian Rivenworth, Diane Demorney, friend Lord Ardy (Merrose Plant), his butler and cook, Ruthvens and Martha, Plant's Aunt Agatha, Plant's horse, goat, and dog, Aggrieved, Aghast, and Agro, and the hermit living at Ardy's End. Plus dozens of detectives, and other police, suspects, families, children.
Actually, the horse, Aggrieved, played a rather large part in this very many faceted story.
As for the story itself, it was confused and muddled, with three murders, three major detectives, three pubs.
It seems that the author was in a hurry to get in another novel for the fall books sweep.
I discovered this book earlier this month at Barnes and Noble and when I got it home and eagerly opened it, I discovered that I somehow missed #24 in the series , The Knowledge, which I immediately ordered from e-bay.
I am currently more than 25% into this 363 page tome (no tricks with the spacing here) and am finding it absolutely delightful, with many very well fleshed out and interesting new characters and the delightful concept of a pub that cannot be found by anyone except London's Black Cabbies.
Published August, 2019. 237 pages.
I spent my entire adult life as a high school Engish teacher. One of the zillions of concepts I attempted to present to students was that it was nearly impossible to make a short paper seem longer than it was. I displayed many examples (without names, of course) of larger font, larger spaces between lines, larger top, bottom, and side margins, papers that had either the top or sides physically cut off, or random large, empty spaces.
All of these were used in Martha Grimes' 25th Richard Jury novel, The Old Success. The previous book I read was Louise Penny's A Better Man which was 444 pages in length, with each page having 35 lines.
The Old Success was almost the same top and side dimensions, but had only 28 lines per page, with larger top and bottom margins and more space between the lines. That's a full 20% less per page.
The book was also divided into seven sections, with each section preceeded by a blank page, a title page with only a number and a very short title, and followed by a blank page. 7 sections x 3 pages each = 21 fewer pages. There were a total of 40 chapters, but instead of beginning each chapter at the top of the page, it began on line 15. That's 40 chapters, each 14 lines fewer than 28 (40 x 14 = 560 lines divided by 28 lines per page = 20 more (or less) fewer pages.
Ok, I figured I was on a roll and I decided to count how many lines were missing at the end of each chapter. I literally counted each one and added them up and it came to 429 lines. That, divided by 28, came to about 18 1/2 fewer pages. Finally, at many places throughout the novel there were spaces to separate. Rather than have a simple row of asterisks, as ******* to separate, there was a triple space between, taking up another 89 lines (or 3.17 pages).
This whole thing seemed more like an outline than a novel.
Furthermore, Ms Grimes seemed to squeeze in every character ever seen in a Richard Jury novel, among them Carole-anne Palutski (Jury's Islington flat neighbor), Sargent Wiggins, his partner, the crew at the Jack and Hammer including publican Dick Scroggs, Charwoman Mrs Withers, customers Marshall Trueblood, Vivian Rivenworth, Diane Demorney, friend Lord Ardy (Merrose Plant), his butler and cook, Ruthvens and Martha, Plant's Aunt Agatha, Plant's horse, goat, and dog, Aggrieved, Aghast, and Agro, and the hermit living at Ardy's End. Plus dozens of detectives, and other police, suspects, families, children.
Actually, the horse, Aggrieved, played a rather large part in this very many faceted story.
As for the story itself, it was confused and muddled, with three murders, three major detectives, three pubs.
It seems that the author was in a hurry to get in another novel for the fall books sweep.
I discovered this book earlier this month at Barnes and Noble and when I got it home and eagerly opened it, I discovered that I somehow missed #24 in the series , The Knowledge, which I immediately ordered from e-bay.
I am currently more than 25% into this 363 page tome (no tricks with the spacing here) and am finding it absolutely delightful, with many very well fleshed out and interesting new characters and the delightful concept of a pub that cannot be found by anyone except London's Black Cabbies.
June 29, 2019
I love Martha Grimes' books but this one seemed a little rushed. There are so many characters described briefly that I felt a little confused. Melrose Plant, as always is my favorite and he did not disappoint.
November 7, 2019
The Old Success was a failure. A disappointment. I always look forward to Jury and the other characters in the series, but I’m sorry I wasted my time and money on this one. No depth and very disjointed.
December 18, 2019
Felt a bit cheated, I did.
December 16, 2019
Ever since I first met Richard Jury, I have loved these books. From now on, all I have to do is think “hagfish” and I will be laughing like a loon!!!
November 25, 2019
This is not one of Grimes’ better efforts. The beginning felt like an old boy’s club and if you aren’t a member you have no idea what they are going on about or why they need to. Having read several of her books I easily fell into the back and forth between characters but there was something off about the cadence. It was jerky, it was here and there and it was not comfortable nor satisfying. Lots of people talking and not saying very much.
While the bodies are dropping there are too many tangents leading off without successful resolutions. He’s involved with her, but she is not involved, but she may have been involved and why would she have done that or been there and it just never flowed. The plot and players were just a little too simplistic. Thankfully, Grimes wit is apparent throughout.
Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a copy.
While the bodies are dropping there are too many tangents leading off without successful resolutions. He’s involved with her, but she is not involved, but she may have been involved and why would she have done that or been there and it just never flowed. The plot and players were just a little too simplistic. Thankfully, Grimes wit is apparent throughout.
Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a copy.
December 27, 2019
Much as I haved loved Jury, Melrose, et al...I have to say that not only has Martha Grimes lost it, so have her editors failed to do their job. This book seemed cobbled together from several ideas that had previously been discarded. In the first chapter, Jury and MacCalvie are in a pub where the young people are listening to Roy Orbison and later Nat King Cole! Later in the book Jury and Tom Brownell are in a "smoke filled pub"! Parts of this book reads like a flashback to the 60's and the rest of it is just a mess. I am going back to the first book in the series just to remind myself how charming and entertaining they once we're. Meanwhile I am morning the loss of Martha Grimes!
November 15, 2019
Was so looking forward to this book. As other reviewers have mentioned, it took a while to get into the book. Too many characters at the beginning....we needed a program to keep who's who. Grimes didn't get her mojo going in this book until near the end. It's a quick read and it made me think she had been under contract to get another book out this year. It is NOT up to her standards at all. AND Jury was made to look a bit second rate in this book...and only 1 bit about Carol-Ann. Missed all the old characters throughout the book. They were just thrown in here for effect.
November 12, 2019
Enough with the precocious children! At least the animals didn't talk to each other thhis time!
Thin story. Too many characters for the number of pages, not enough character given to any of them.
Waited so long for a Jury book and was disappointed.
Thin story. Too many characters for the number of pages, not enough character given to any of them.
Waited so long for a Jury book and was disappointed.
February 19, 2020
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
The Richard Jury series is another mystery series with more than 20 books, which I have read and loved for a long time. I just started listening and collection them on audio because they is narrated by Steve West!!!! He's one of my favorites.
I love the character development and how Jury brings in his whole motley crew into his investigations. They are long-loved characters. One could never start with this book, as not only would you miss so much but the characters would not be as well-developed or dear to you. Each book is named for a pub I think.
The Old Success is a bit shorter than average. The characters are many of our usual favorites. There are the personal peeks at their lives and current projects. Melrose Plant is hilarious in his current efforts.
The current case is very convoluted and I would never have guessed the perpetrator. It is quite the effort and patching together of disparate bits of information which brings the solution. The odd, seemingly unrelated information does make it confusing, at least to me. It's a good thing Richard Jury has such well honed skills.
Narration:
I would listen to any audiobook where Steve West is the narrator. In fact, I am more likely to choose his works. I will go back and listen to this series on audio from the beginning at some point. I am collecting them. It looks like someone else narrated just one of the 24 audiobooks. He really does all the character voices so well, both male and female. I have no idea if the societal and regional accents are accurate, but they sound great. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip HERE:
UPDATE: 2/18/20 - I was able to buy the audio on Chirp for $3.99
The Richard Jury series is another mystery series with more than 20 books, which I have read and loved for a long time. I just started listening and collection them on audio because they is narrated by Steve West!!!! He's one of my favorites.
I love the character development and how Jury brings in his whole motley crew into his investigations. They are long-loved characters. One could never start with this book, as not only would you miss so much but the characters would not be as well-developed or dear to you. Each book is named for a pub I think.
The Old Success is a bit shorter than average. The characters are many of our usual favorites. There are the personal peeks at their lives and current projects. Melrose Plant is hilarious in his current efforts.
The current case is very convoluted and I would never have guessed the perpetrator. It is quite the effort and patching together of disparate bits of information which brings the solution. The odd, seemingly unrelated information does make it confusing, at least to me. It's a good thing Richard Jury has such well honed skills.
Narration:
I would listen to any audiobook where Steve West is the narrator. In fact, I am more likely to choose his works. I will go back and listen to this series on audio from the beginning at some point. I am collecting them. It looks like someone else narrated just one of the 24 audiobooks. He really does all the character voices so well, both male and female. I have no idea if the societal and regional accents are accurate, but they sound great. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip HERE:
UPDATE: 2/18/20 - I was able to buy the audio on Chirp for $3.99
October 9, 2019
Three shooting, three different locations but is there a connection between them. Inspectors Jury and Macalvie, with the help of ex-police Inspector Brownell investigate.
I have in the past read a few of this series but not for sometime. The story felt like it was connected to past arcs in the series and therefore I feel it could not be read as a standalone. The story itself didn't really caught my imagination, nor my interest. There seemed to be too many names introduced which were really of no importance, and at times I found it difficult to know who was talking, which may be the fault of the formatting of this ARC.
A NetGalley Book
I have in the past read a few of this series but not for sometime. The story felt like it was connected to past arcs in the series and therefore I feel it could not be read as a standalone. The story itself didn't really caught my imagination, nor my interest. There seemed to be too many names introduced which were really of no importance, and at times I found it difficult to know who was talking, which may be the fault of the formatting of this ARC.
A NetGalley Book
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