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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have been a fan of the Richard Jury series for many years and found this latest entry, the 25th in the series, completely enjoyable. The mystery was (as always) well done but I don't honestly know how much that mattered. It was so nice to have all of the characters together again. I feel like the characters are people I know and have missed greatly. This book was a joyful reunion.
I also appreciated that this mystery wasn't quite as dark as several preceding entries in this series. I would not recommend jumping into the series with this book if you haven't read the others but I do most heartily recommend starting with The Man with a Load of Mischief and reading the whole series in order. These are well-constructed mysteries delightfully written.
I also appreciated that this mystery wasn't quite as dark as several preceding entries in this series. I would not recommend jumping into the series with this book if you haven't read the others but I do most heartily recommend starting with The Man with a Load of Mischief and reading the whole series in order. These are well-constructed mysteries delightfully written.
I think I read most of the book in the Richard Jury series and was more than happy to read a new one.
It was great to meet again the cast of characters, as quirky and well thought as usual, and to be entertained by a well written and engrossing plot.
The mystery is solid, it kept me guessing and it's full of twists and turns.
Even if there's some backstory I think it's better to read the previous installment before this one.
A very pleasant read as usual, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It was great to meet again the cast of characters, as quirky and well thought as usual, and to be entertained by a well written and engrossing plot.
The mystery is solid, it kept me guessing and it's full of twists and turns.
Even if there's some backstory I think it's better to read the previous installment before this one.
A very pleasant read as usual, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Admittedly I read this in January and am writing this up in September, so my memories are faint...but as I remember, I was disappointed with this one. It seemed more a sketchy outline for a Jury mystery. Ah well, even mediocre Grimes is better than no Grimes at all, I suppose.
While I mostly enjoyed this mystery, which involves a recent murder and a suspicious death in the past, I felt like I was dropping into a conversation in progress between several very close and insulated friends. Not having read Grimes's other books in this series, I'm certain that I missed out by not knowing some of the references in the book or the series's underlying arc. This installment, though, was not quite enjoyable or interesting enough to convince me to go to the beginning of the series and read the rest of the books. The characters aren't particularly interesting to me, their processes rely heavily on connections and power rather than personal investigation, and the predominance of male characters in power over female characters in less powerful roles or as victims didn't help.
I’m an old fan of the Richard Jury series, and returning to the world of Long Piddleton, and its colorful cast of characters is a delight. I needed to pay close attention as Jury jet-setted across Great Britain in this multi-body mystery, but its worth it. All of the usuals make an appearance, if somewhat brief.
I do think that much of the richness of the book is lost if you aren’t already acquainted with the series, but perhaps it will lure you in to read the first 24 (!) books in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I do think that much of the richness of the book is lost if you aren’t already acquainted with the series, but perhaps it will lure you in to read the first 24 (!) books in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I hadn’t read a Martha Grimes in a while, and was a bit disappointed. For me, the joke is getting old. An$ it got a bit confusing and hard to follow in the middle there. Enjoyed it, mostly, but won’t be seeking another one out for a while.
The Old Success is the latest in the long running Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes. For all that is a part of a long-established series, it is a tribute to its author’s power to attract and beguile a reader.
We begin with a murder, a woman found shot, on Hell Bay, on one of the Isles of Scilly. Two little girls found the body. Well, right away we know that there will be children in this story. I thought we might be done with that particular plot line, but, no. The local man calls Richard Jury in for help, and we’re off. And in the usual Martha Grimes fashion, she manages to find a way to enlist the help of Melrose Plant on the case.
It’s the usual convoluted plot – with a lot of side stories that will all come together, never fear. Best be paying attention. But you know that, since you have followed the fortunes of Jury and Plant through all the other books in the series. And you should have. These are not the books to start up anywhere but at the beginning.
There’s another murder, another equally unusual one. “Peculiar’ ain’t the half of it. The first has almost disappeared in our story. We’ re on to other matters, it seems. At least for a while. But the first victim has ties to someone who has ties to someone that Jury knows, who is trying to prove that his daughter didn’t commit suicide. Are the cases connected somehow? And then there’s a third murder. How in heaven’s name is Martha Grimes going to pull all of this together and make it plausible? Well, never fear.
Secrets come out. Lots of them not related to the murders, either. You will be happy and sad for the people involved. Anger and rejection and sexual obsession play a part. And someone wanting something back that is theirs.
There’s always “something else” in these books. It’s not the solving, the bringing to justice. That’s a given. It’s how the setting is brought in to become part of the story, how personalities spring forth to conceal and reveal. How the people in and around Ardry End go about their lives, and have been made so interesting that those of us who have followed their fortunes for many a book quite care about those lives. Finally, it’s the undertone that Ms. Grimes is a master of, the nuance of plot and characterization so finely rendered. The Old Success is another fine example of this grand art.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.
We begin with a murder, a woman found shot, on Hell Bay, on one of the Isles of Scilly. Two little girls found the body. Well, right away we know that there will be children in this story. I thought we might be done with that particular plot line, but, no. The local man calls Richard Jury in for help, and we’re off. And in the usual Martha Grimes fashion, she manages to find a way to enlist the help of Melrose Plant on the case.
It’s the usual convoluted plot – with a lot of side stories that will all come together, never fear. Best be paying attention. But you know that, since you have followed the fortunes of Jury and Plant through all the other books in the series. And you should have. These are not the books to start up anywhere but at the beginning.
There’s another murder, another equally unusual one. “Peculiar’ ain’t the half of it. The first has almost disappeared in our story. We’ re on to other matters, it seems. At least for a while. But the first victim has ties to someone who has ties to someone that Jury knows, who is trying to prove that his daughter didn’t commit suicide. Are the cases connected somehow? And then there’s a third murder. How in heaven’s name is Martha Grimes going to pull all of this together and make it plausible? Well, never fear.
Secrets come out. Lots of them not related to the murders, either. You will be happy and sad for the people involved. Anger and rejection and sexual obsession play a part. And someone wanting something back that is theirs.
There’s always “something else” in these books. It’s not the solving, the bringing to justice. That’s a given. It’s how the setting is brought in to become part of the story, how personalities spring forth to conceal and reveal. How the people in and around Ardry End go about their lives, and have been made so interesting that those of us who have followed their fortunes for many a book quite care about those lives. Finally, it’s the undertone that Ms. Grimes is a master of, the nuance of plot and characterization so finely rendered. The Old Success is another fine example of this grand art.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.