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Richard Jury #16
The Lamorna Wink
Detective Richard Jury is back in the 16th novel in Martha Grimes' extraordinary New York Times bestselling series--now enmeshed in a series of strange crimes and disappearances, and an age-old tragedy that consumes his sidekick Melrose Plant....
420 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
125 people are currently reading
894 people want to read
About the author
Martha Grimes
114 books1,454 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 206 reviews
March 2, 2024
I got a little tired of the Richard Jury series; several of the books seemed to end so strangely, that I found I was saying to myself WHAT? Who did WHAT? Who was HE? And I read carefully, too. So I gave up on the series until I picked up this book and read the inside description.
Old house. Weird old house. On a cliff. Abandoned by its owners, well sort of. Being let out to rent, yet still filled with the owners' belongings, and the renter? Melrose Plant, the aristocrat who gave up his title, and a character I like, so...
I read it and was confused about midway through. Par for the course for a Richard Jury book. However, handsome old Richard is hardly in this book. His place is taken by Commander Brian MacAlvie, who is investigating the death of a young woman found in the woods near a pub known as the Lamorna Wink. But there's other mysteries here, too, with the most puzzling (and tragic) involving the death of two small children who drowned four years ago. They are the reason for the abandoned house in the first place.
It's really a convoluted plot, with lots of twists and turns, as well as the usual antics by Aunt Agatha, Melrose's interfering aunt, and a cast of eccentric characters who inhabit the local pubs and the local nursing home. (Grimes excels at writing eccentric characters, though I often see people I know looking like and behaving exactly as she writes them. Totally bizarre, but true-to-life, in other words.)
Richard Jury does make an appearance late in the story but this is Macalvie's investigation, assisted by Melrose Plant, a man who gets involved in more mysterious deaths than few others in mystery-literaturedom. There's also, of course, the hypochondriac Sergeant Wiggins, and several of the usual group including Marshall Trueblood, Diane DeMorney and the lovely Vivian Rivington.
An enjoyable, if confusing read at times. Best read, IMO, for the atmosphere, not the story.
Old house. Weird old house. On a cliff. Abandoned by its owners, well sort of. Being let out to rent, yet still filled with the owners' belongings, and the renter? Melrose Plant, the aristocrat who gave up his title, and a character I like, so...
I read it and was confused about midway through. Par for the course for a Richard Jury book. However, handsome old Richard is hardly in this book. His place is taken by Commander Brian MacAlvie, who is investigating the death of a young woman found in the woods near a pub known as the Lamorna Wink. But there's other mysteries here, too, with the most puzzling (and tragic) involving the death of two small children who drowned four years ago. They are the reason for the abandoned house in the first place.
It's really a convoluted plot, with lots of twists and turns, as well as the usual antics by Aunt Agatha, Melrose's interfering aunt, and a cast of eccentric characters who inhabit the local pubs and the local nursing home. (Grimes excels at writing eccentric characters, though I often see people I know looking like and behaving exactly as she writes them. Totally bizarre, but true-to-life, in other words.)
Richard Jury does make an appearance late in the story but this is Macalvie's investigation, assisted by Melrose Plant, a man who gets involved in more mysterious deaths than few others in mystery-literaturedom. There's also, of course, the hypochondriac Sergeant Wiggins, and several of the usual group including Marshall Trueblood, Diane DeMorney and the lovely Vivian Rivington.
An enjoyable, if confusing read at times. Best read, IMO, for the atmosphere, not the story.
May 24, 2016
The 16th in the Richard Jury series shouldn’t be approached without having read at least 10 of the preceding books as it's mostly characters at this point and there's a lot of unseen personae who get name-dropped, apparently just to acknowledge their existence in previous books. I'd gotten bored by the series a few books ago: the constant emotional passivity, inability of any main characters to find happiness, and the slight and sometimes screamingly overt depressive states of almost everyone except hypochondriac Sgt. Wiggins, Cyril the New Scotland Yard Cat, and the abrasive Macalvie … but since I was going to be doing planes, trains & automobiles I borrowed
The Lamorna Wink
for the duration.
There is something engaging about Grimes’ writing, probably even her grocery lists, and I don’t begrudge the lack of Richard Jury in Wink ; as other reviewers have said it’s sometimes nice to focus on the Watson (Melrose Plant in this series, a far more amusing a sidekick than the dear Doctor.)
BUT, oh lord the buts in the case. This is a 67 chapter book, only about 18 of which have anything to do with the mystery, the rest is all scene-setting and characters and a lot of invasively inane moments meant to be light but which actually come off as utterly random.
Grimes pretty much phoned in the plot based on the most depraved murder she could think of, that of not one but two children simultaneously. Along with the depraved crime(s) and the gallingly random attempts at light humor, she (and her EDITOR!) conspired to make some WHOPPING mistakes:
- Melrose Plant refers to a stepmother as a “mother-in-law.” The setting is England but I’m reasonably sure the English also use ‘stepmother’ to refer to the relationship of a woman to the children of her husband by a previous marriage/liaison
- the cig-smoking cop Macalvie asks fellow smoker Melrose for permission to light a cigarette, lights the cigarette, and then spends a few pages smoking a cigar. How did no one catch this error by the time it reached paperback? Proofreading, anyone?
- a large error that invalidates the deduction of the crime’s timeline:
- an error that utterly negates all the forensics around the main murder in the book:
- a complete change in a character's motives at the last gasp for no reason whatsoever
The entire ‘resolution’ was inexcusably bad as was damn nearly half of Britain pining away for want of Richard Jury in their lives. No wonder I’d stopped reading the Jury mysteries, they’ve gone completely downhill.
Grimes can write, the characters can be engaging, but if you enjoyed the first 8-10 of these books I think you'll be sadly disappointed in this one.
There is something engaging about Grimes’ writing, probably even her grocery lists, and I don’t begrudge the lack of Richard Jury in Wink ; as other reviewers have said it’s sometimes nice to focus on the Watson (Melrose Plant in this series, a far more amusing a sidekick than the dear Doctor.)
BUT, oh lord the buts in the case. This is a 67 chapter book, only about 18 of which have anything to do with the mystery, the rest is all scene-setting and characters and a lot of invasively inane moments meant to be light but which actually come off as utterly random.
Grimes pretty much phoned in the plot based on the most depraved murder she could think of, that of not one but two children simultaneously. Along with the depraved crime(s) and the gallingly random attempts at light humor, she (and her EDITOR!) conspired to make some WHOPPING mistakes:
- Melrose Plant refers to a stepmother as a “mother-in-law.” The setting is England but I’m reasonably sure the English also use ‘stepmother’ to refer to the relationship of a woman to the children of her husband by a previous marriage/liaison
- the cig-smoking cop Macalvie asks fellow smoker Melrose for permission to light a cigarette, lights the cigarette, and then spends a few pages smoking a cigar. How did no one catch this error by the time it reached paperback? Proofreading, anyone?
- a large error that invalidates the deduction of the crime’s timeline:
- an error that utterly negates all the forensics around the main murder in the book:
- a complete change in a character's motives at the last gasp for no reason whatsoever
The entire ‘resolution’ was inexcusably bad as was damn nearly half of Britain pining away for want of Richard Jury in their lives. No wonder I’d stopped reading the Jury mysteries, they’ve gone completely downhill.
Grimes can write, the characters can be engaging, but if you enjoyed the first 8-10 of these books I think you'll be sadly disappointed in this one.
January 3, 2012
While some of the characters were engaging, the plot was unresolved. I was unsatisfied that any real justice was done and left wondering why the main character, who was obsessed by the deaths of the two children, and his local constabulary friend who was equally obsessed, suddenly had no interest in the conclusion of the mystery and the name and prosecution of the young woman who led the children to their shocking deaths. I thought I must have missed who the girl who led them to their deaths must be and reread quite a bit (first reading was sometimes boring, so I feared I had skimmed over it), but I couldnt' find the answer. I was left with too many questions. Why woundn't the family want to know how the children died? Lying to them is only one more cruelty, and how is it up to Macalvie to decide not to tell them and to destroy evidence? Why did Melrose leave before the mystery was truly solved? What happens to Johnny? Does he get to keep the tearoom or go to Las Vegas?
Furthermore, the silly humor about so-called friends butting into the engagement of Vivian and Count Dracula came at the wrong places and was inane. First of all, who cares? I had nothing to add to the plot, incuding comic relief. It was instead insulting. Secondly, it diminished the depth of the main character, making him look shallow and arrogant.
Don't waste your time. There are better mysteries out there.
Furthermore, the silly humor about so-called friends butting into the engagement of Vivian and Count Dracula came at the wrong places and was inane. First of all, who cares? I had nothing to add to the plot, incuding comic relief. It was instead insulting. Secondly, it diminished the depth of the main character, making him look shallow and arrogant.
Don't waste your time. There are better mysteries out there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2019
Horrible, horrible, horrible. I could not care about the characters except the children, once I found out what evil thing happened to them. What a depressing story! Instead of lending it to friends or giving this novel to a library, I just threw the book away. Ugh!
May 9, 2016
I kept reading the series because I like the characters, but the writer's obsession with killing children gets weirder all the time. And in this case, her most exploitative and perverse use of dead kids, I started thinking 1) she's mentally ill and 2) I better stop reading her. I've never had to skip so many paragraphs and pages, due to her pandering to the lowest of low human nature - which I doubt exists at the degree the police characters would have us believe. Ms. Grimes throws in young children and teens that are likable in every book - usually extraordinarily smart, poised, etc., in fact unrealistically so, as if her knowledge of real children is very limited - so what she's working out in her psyche to kill off defenseless children in such horrific and prolific ways dumbfounds me. Thank heavens. I think it's time for me to pick up a new author.
June 28, 2013
My husband and I savor this series, and are reading it in order. This is no. 16 and my favorite thus far because Melrose Plant has his biggest role yet, being in most every scene. What a charmer Plant is, very humble, gave up his title of Lord Ardry, suffers his pushy aunt's demands and yes helps solve murders.
There are many odd murders and disappearances and the tragic death of two children, which Plant investigates while he attempts to escape his aunt by renting a stately home in Cornwall. The home seems haunted, set on the cliffs above a wild sea.
And will Viv marry the Count? Who knows?
There are many odd murders and disappearances and the tragic death of two children, which Plant investigates while he attempts to escape his aunt by renting a stately home in Cornwall. The home seems haunted, set on the cliffs above a wild sea.
And will Viv marry the Count? Who knows?
November 21, 2021
Despite my 5-star rating, this is not my favorite book in the Richard Jury series. Not my favorite because the mystery being solved is beyond horrible and was difficult to read about. 5-stars because of the character development, the pictures the writer painted in my mind, and the raw emotions her writing evoked in me.
April 23, 2015
I usually enjoy these, but this was just a horrible story, especially for a parent, and I still have nightmares about it five years later. Took me a while to come back and try the others.
November 29, 2014
Bothered by the horror of this.
March 11, 2022
Melrose Plant carries the investigation’s focus this time. Though I’ve been going through the series in a spotty fashion, I’m noticing the writing maturing and my interest improving as the series continues.
April 22, 2022
3.5 rounded up to 4 for goodreads, review coming up
June 3, 2019
This is definitely one of the better books in this series!! It has some twists in it that I did not think about. The 'killer' was revealed somewhat early this time. But there was still the 'tying together' of all the parts. The biggest sadness was the description of the deaths of the children. That was difficult to read. I'm not sure what Melrose is up to with Bea Slocum now. It seems he doesn't see her very often, but he now has an intimate relationship with her when he does see her. His character has certainly changed as the series progresses. Inspector Jury is still depressed.... Not a good thing... Vivian is still not married and the Long Pidd crew is still trying to prevent the marriage. At first this was funny. Now its just tiresome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2018
Really should be 3 1/2, but I didn't like it well enough to bump it up to 4 stars.
Richard Jury plays a minimal role. It's mostly Melrose Plant, Brian Macalvie, and Wiggins. All the regular characters put in appearances. Funny, but I like the Richard Jury books better with less Jury.
The plots are kinda predictable, but engaging enough to keep me coming back, even if I swear I won't read another.
This is particularly convoluted, and the crime that ties it all together is really evil and sad. On further reflection, maybe 3 stars is all it should get.
Richard Jury plays a minimal role. It's mostly Melrose Plant, Brian Macalvie, and Wiggins. All the regular characters put in appearances. Funny, but I like the Richard Jury books better with less Jury.
The plots are kinda predictable, but engaging enough to keep me coming back, even if I swear I won't read another.
This is particularly convoluted, and the crime that ties it all together is really evil and sad. On further reflection, maybe 3 stars is all it should get.
December 11, 2014
This was a very boring book and I could hardly wait to finish it. Half of the time, I had no idea what was going on because there was a second story going on, which wasn't necessary at all. It did nothing for the book, except make it longer and confusing. The main story was hard to follow and not thrilling at all.
June 3, 2016
Another Richard Jury and Melrose Plant mystery. This one is a nice change...Melrose is the main character until Jury arrives in the last 4-5 chapters. Plot that isn't simple, characters that aren't either. So good reading at bed time. And the best part in my estimation is the on-going struggle of the Long Piddington crew of freinds who just can't stay out of each others lives. Fun-nee.
April 5, 2019
I enjoyed that Jury did not play a big part in this. It was a good mystery, and I would have given it 4 stars. However, I detest anything involving murders of children. Doesn’t matter that it’s fiction.
I enjoyed the comic relief in the end with the regulars trying once again to thwart the marriage of Viv and the Count.
I enjoyed the comic relief in the end with the regulars trying once again to thwart the marriage of Viv and the Count.
October 7, 2010
This is one of my favorites in the Richard Jury series.
May 18, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this book having gotten acquainted with the characters in this series previously. In fact, I'll look for more in this who-done-it romp.
November 3, 2020
I will start by saying that I rank this as my #1 Martha Grimes. She’s such a good writer (and while one book disappointed/bored me terribly) I have thoroughly enjoyed her books. Some of the books are more humorous and lighthearted. Others have been a bit melancholy in the out working of what’s happened to victims of the crime. But this book is overwhelmingly heavy in the subject matter of the crime and the victims.
Children always figure into Martha Grimes’ novels. In The Lamorna Wink we find at least 4 who we are quickly wrapped up in. We hope for justice and anxiously follow the paths of the ones trying so hard to find something, anything that will bring ‘closure’ (never to the victims or their families) to the case.
Jury is largely absent only making an appearance towards the latter half of the story. This is more Melrose Plants day. Having taken a home for 3 months for a bit of good old aloneness he becomes intrigued and haunted by the death of two young children four years earlier. Of course he’s not allowed any alone time. Right from the start Aunt Agatha (who I could certainly have hoped would be totally absent) follows in his wake in her own particular annoying way. Knowing her character though one is not surprised. She is who she is.
Melrose befriends a young man, Johnny, still in his teens and earns Melrose’s respect and admiration for his work ethic and maturity. He’s older than his years and quickly endears himself. Which is a first for Plant, as usually he’s not keen on or comfortable with younger people. Soon a crises arises in Johnny’s life that also compels Melrose into the role of protector. It’s very touching and surprising knowing how he’s always been portrayed. It’s much more Jury’s thing to be the champion/friend of the young.
This book delves into the past as much as the present. And there are a few surprises I didn’t expect that gave me more insight into two characters we think we already know and typecast. You think you know someone until you know.
Excellent read. Just prepare yourself for an ending that is truly unsatisfying. But only because human nature and fellow feeling get involved.
Children always figure into Martha Grimes’ novels. In The Lamorna Wink we find at least 4 who we are quickly wrapped up in. We hope for justice and anxiously follow the paths of the ones trying so hard to find something, anything that will bring ‘closure’ (never to the victims or their families) to the case.
Jury is largely absent only making an appearance towards the latter half of the story. This is more Melrose Plants day. Having taken a home for 3 months for a bit of good old aloneness he becomes intrigued and haunted by the death of two young children four years earlier. Of course he’s not allowed any alone time. Right from the start Aunt Agatha (who I could certainly have hoped would be totally absent) follows in his wake in her own particular annoying way. Knowing her character though one is not surprised. She is who she is.
Melrose befriends a young man, Johnny, still in his teens and earns Melrose’s respect and admiration for his work ethic and maturity. He’s older than his years and quickly endears himself. Which is a first for Plant, as usually he’s not keen on or comfortable with younger people. Soon a crises arises in Johnny’s life that also compels Melrose into the role of protector. It’s very touching and surprising knowing how he’s always been portrayed. It’s much more Jury’s thing to be the champion/friend of the young.
This book delves into the past as much as the present. And there are a few surprises I didn’t expect that gave me more insight into two characters we think we already know and typecast. You think you know someone until you know.
Excellent read. Just prepare yourself for an ending that is truly unsatisfying. But only because human nature and fellow feeling get involved.
December 14, 2021
Richard Jury, working on a case in Northern Ireland, gives his partner-in-crime Melrose Plant downtime. Melrose goes to Cornwall renting the residence Seabourne. Melrose meets Johnny Wells who is a magician, cook in a pub, chauffeur among other things. One of Johnny’s favorite things to talk about is his wonderful aunt Chris. One day Melrose goes into the pub and finds Johnny looking melancholy. Melrose asks Johnny what’s wrong and Johnny tells Melrose that his aunt Chris is missing and he hasn’t been able to find her. Johnny told Melrose he’s worried because she would not have left without leaving a note.
Melrose teams up with Macalvie, a commander in the Devon and Cornwall police, who is investigating the murder of a woman near Lamorna Cove. While investigating the Lamorna Cove murder someone is being murdered at the local hospice.
It had been a long time since I’d read a thriller by one of the masters. I enjoy listening to thrillers. Anyone who hasn’t read a Martha Grimes book is in for a treat because this thriller is an old-fashioned thriller without the fluff and filler and porn. Donada Peters does a good job in telling the story.
Melrose teams up with Macalvie, a commander in the Devon and Cornwall police, who is investigating the murder of a woman near Lamorna Cove. While investigating the Lamorna Cove murder someone is being murdered at the local hospice.
It had been a long time since I’d read a thriller by one of the masters. I enjoy listening to thrillers. Anyone who hasn’t read a Martha Grimes book is in for a treat because this thriller is an old-fashioned thriller without the fluff and filler and porn. Donada Peters does a good job in telling the story.
January 7, 2025
Picked up reading the rest of this series - interesting story but does have more "horror" than the others - Jury wasn't the main character , it was Melrose Plant - this made the story more interesting with his sense of humor & ideas about the other characters he came in contact with to interview - did seem to have a lot of "filler" like most of her novels -
November 29, 2022
Convoluted plot and eccentric characters who do not all serve a purpose in the story. Not worth the trouble if you have anything better to read.
June 23, 2019
Deeply satisfying British mystery with just the right mix of wit, class and murder
March 23, 2017
This is another great mystery read by Martha Grimes featuring Richard Jury. It is a traditional British mystery, with lots of descriptive passages about scenery, and characters as well as a wealth of literary references. I truly enjoy her writing, here's what Publisher's Weekly had to say about the book:
From Publishers Weekly
"In her 16th Richard Jury mystery, Grimes delays the great man's appearance until late in the game, but the novel is nonetheless as consuming as its 15 predecessors (most recently, The Stargazey, 1998). Here, Jury's pal Melrose Plant leases Seabourne, a lovely oceanside house in Cornwall, where four years earlier two children died from an inexplicable fall down a flight of stone steps. Their parents fled to London; their grandfather, who owns Seabourne, refitted a local stately home into a hospice/nursing home, where he now lives. Melrose befriends Johnny Wells, a vivacious teenager with ambitions to become a magician, who lives with his Aunt Chris. When Chris vanishes and another woman, whom Chris detested, is found dead in neighboring Lamorna, Melrose calls Div. Comdr. Brian Macalvie of the Devon and Cornwall Police Department, whom Plant and Jury first met as a hot-tempered constable in Help the Poor Struggler. As two more murders follow, Melrose and Macalvie realize they are investigating two different cases, with vengeance the motive for one, the other connected to a child pornography ring. At last, Jury arrives fresh from a case in Northern Ireland and helps solve the crimes, past and present, although it is the hypochondriac Sergeant Wiggins (now hooked on the Bromo Seltzer he discovered in Baltimore in The Horse You Came In On, 1993), whose voluminous note-taking leads to the linchpin clue. In addition to richly portrayed characters and stunningly described settings, the tangled plot is strewn with a host of genuine clues, as well as red herrings that beguile as effectively as they mislead. Grimes fans will be particularly intrigued as Melrose contemplates his childhood, revealing more about his complex personality than ever before."
From Publishers Weekly
"In her 16th Richard Jury mystery, Grimes delays the great man's appearance until late in the game, but the novel is nonetheless as consuming as its 15 predecessors (most recently, The Stargazey, 1998). Here, Jury's pal Melrose Plant leases Seabourne, a lovely oceanside house in Cornwall, where four years earlier two children died from an inexplicable fall down a flight of stone steps. Their parents fled to London; their grandfather, who owns Seabourne, refitted a local stately home into a hospice/nursing home, where he now lives. Melrose befriends Johnny Wells, a vivacious teenager with ambitions to become a magician, who lives with his Aunt Chris. When Chris vanishes and another woman, whom Chris detested, is found dead in neighboring Lamorna, Melrose calls Div. Comdr. Brian Macalvie of the Devon and Cornwall Police Department, whom Plant and Jury first met as a hot-tempered constable in Help the Poor Struggler. As two more murders follow, Melrose and Macalvie realize they are investigating two different cases, with vengeance the motive for one, the other connected to a child pornography ring. At last, Jury arrives fresh from a case in Northern Ireland and helps solve the crimes, past and present, although it is the hypochondriac Sergeant Wiggins (now hooked on the Bromo Seltzer he discovered in Baltimore in The Horse You Came In On, 1993), whose voluminous note-taking leads to the linchpin clue. In addition to richly portrayed characters and stunningly described settings, the tangled plot is strewn with a host of genuine clues, as well as red herrings that beguile as effectively as they mislead. Grimes fans will be particularly intrigued as Melrose contemplates his childhood, revealing more about his complex personality than ever before."
July 5, 2014
I really enjoyed this! Melrose is off to Cornwall for a few months where he is drawn to a house that seems to call to him. While in the area he meets an interesting young man whose aunt goes missing, couple that with a woman who's soon found murdered and a heartbreaking mystery associated with the house and she have the backbone of the book. The characters are fun and likable - the author is great at writing her mysteries with a British flair for telling the story. I was sure she had originated in England- though I did find it interesting the she mentioned Pikes Peak a number of times (not many people know where that is!). The only thing that bothered me was constantly mentioning in that someone with AIDS wasn't gay. Not really sure of the point of that. I look forward to reading more in the series.
July 2, 2014
A solid, four stars Jury novel with very little Jury, my favourite guest detective Brian Macalvie which I've cast Damian Lewis in. Really. I would love to see him play Macalvie. Melrose Plant was good in this one. Really good. The plot is interesting, the characters are just this side of quirky but not in an annoying way. Very little Agatha or of the pub gang. An excellent Jury even if Jury wasn't that much in it.
May 23, 2017
Presumably a Richard Jury mystery, but he has been sent to Northern Ireland on a case, and Melrose Plant is the main character here. I found Plant more likable and more serious than in previous books, and being out of the village of Long Piddleton helps, too. The eccentric villagers, especially Plant's Aunt Agatha, don't really appeal to me. That said, it's good to finally find British mysteries catching up to the times, with cell phones and videotaped porno films figuring in to the story. 8-)
May 17, 2009
I know I've read other Richard Jury mysteries but the characters don't stick with me. Struck by how homoerotic the narrator in this novel is (while having a variety of lightly homophobic asides). The mystery itself was compelling and the solution ingenious but the ending very, very British and completely dissatisfying.
December 28, 2019
Well-written as usual. Apart from a brief chapter, Jury doesn't appear significantly until the last quarter of the book; I didn't miss him because Melrose and Macalvie (and the rest) are excellent characters. But I don't recommend this book. It's all pretty awful. Not a bad mystery...just super depressing and yucky.
February 11, 2020
I love Martha Grimes' character development. That being said, I don't think people would enjoy or understand this book as well if they haven't ready most, if not all, of the preceding books. This one is even darker than usual. I would prefer to give it a 4.5 but would not want to go below that.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews