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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
medium-paced
I enjoyed this Richard Jury mystery more than the last few Martha Grimes has published. The murder and investigation were interesting - an unidentified woman is found dead, wearing a designer dress and shoes. Who was she? As the mystery unfolds other women are murdered. Jury is sure they are connected, but how?
In a typical Jury mystery we usually have a nice (funny) secondary story involving Melrose Plant and the Long Pidd crew. Melrose shows up (although his sideline doesn't get going until the latter half of the book), but the Long Pidd gang only gets one very small chapter - maybe 3 pages if I remember correctly. This was my great disappointment in the book. Melrose and his friends usually have a humorous storyline going on which adds color and fun to the seriousness of Jury's investigation. Instead, Melrose get's paired up with 3 cats and Harry Johnson's dog Mungo. By the end it was humorous, but I really missed the Jack and Hammer crowd. They left a great hole in the story.
Instead of the usual crowd, Harry Johnson is present again in this book. (For backstory, read The Old Wine Shades.) I didn't feel he added much, except for bringing along his dog. A lot of the side story was dedicated to Mungo and three cats.
Otherwise, a good mystery. Next time I hope she leaves the animals at home and brings back Melrose & Co!
In a typical Jury mystery we usually have a nice (funny) secondary story involving Melrose Plant and the Long Pidd crew. Melrose shows up (although his sideline doesn't get going until the latter half of the book), but the Long Pidd gang only gets one very small chapter - maybe 3 pages if I remember correctly. This was my great disappointment in the book. Melrose and his friends usually have a humorous storyline going on which adds color and fun to the seriousness of Jury's investigation. Instead, Melrose get's paired up with 3 cats and Harry Johnson's dog Mungo. By the end it was humorous, but I really missed the Jack and Hammer crowd. They left a great hole in the story.
Instead of the usual crowd, Harry Johnson is present again in this book. (For backstory, read The Old Wine Shades.) I didn't feel he added much, except for bringing along his dog. A lot of the side story was dedicated to Mungo and three cats.
Otherwise, a good mystery. Next time I hope she leaves the animals at home and brings back Melrose & Co!
I loved the twist at the end. But I really wish she would kill off Harry.
DNF after 60 pages
I just don't care and don't really enjoy the cozy murder genre this is turning out to be.
I just don't care and don't really enjoy the cozy murder genre this is turning out to be.
I probably should have started this mystery series with the first book, not #22, to really get into the characters and the sleuthing style. Nevertheless, the choppy, witty dialogue quickly faded and I found myself tracking the stories through various stolen ("borrowed") pets. Even as an animal lover, I had trouble keeping track of the cats and dogs weaved into this story to solve the crimes of jealousy and high-end, designer shoe labels...
Not one of her finer efforts. But I needed something distracting and not horribly HORRIBLE, if you know what I mean, and this worked. I enjoy the dynamics of the regular characters, found the dog/cat convo rather fun/silly, and didn't bother being too analytical. I think I missed the two preceding books in the series and will check them out.
But I have to say, the plot was pretty much over the top. I'm simply not buying it. So there.
But I have to say, the plot was pretty much over the top. I'm simply not buying it. So there.
A wonderful blend of hard-boiled murder mystery and humor. I even liked the dog and cat who communicate with each other.
Martha Grimes has a talent for balancing a satisfying and surprising mystery with humorous interludes -- both human and animal.
I truly enjoyed this book.
Martha Grimes has a talent for balancing a satisfying and surprising mystery with humorous interludes -- both human and animal.
I truly enjoyed this book.
A worthy entry into the Richard Jury series with a nicely convoluted plot. Jury continues to be an interesting hero and the people surrounding him are entertaining. The Harry Johnson subplot was distracting and the "talking" animals were too precious. Melrose Plant is becoming an increasingly anachronistic misfit in these novels.
Grimes' Jury novels never let me down: plotting dog, talking animals, expensive shoes and of course, Jury and Plant. A great weekend treat after a hard week's work!