When the body of a Frenchwoman washes up on a wild inlet off the Cornish coast, Brian Macalvie, divisional commander with the Devon-Cornwall police, is called in. With the only visible footprints belonging to the two girls who found her, who could have killed this mysterious tourist? While Macalvie stands stumped in the Isles of Scilly, Inspector Richard Jury – twenty miles away on Land’s End – … 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 weeks following the unexplained death of the tourist, two other murders are called in to Macalvie and Jury’s teams: first, a man is found dead on a Northamptonshire estate, then a cleaner turns up murdered at Exeter Cathedral. When Macalvie and Jury decide to consult Brownell, the retired detective insists that the three murders, though very different in execution, are connected. As the trio set out to solve this puzzle, Jury and Macalvie hope that this doesn’t turn out to be Brownell’s second ever miss.
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).
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The “Old Success” Is the 25th instalment in the Richard Jury Mysteries series by Martha Grimes. It’s been awhile since I visited with Richard Jury, Melrose Plant and the rest of his group of friends. This is one of my favourite British mystery series.
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.
I have been a fan of the Richard Jury series for many years, and this latest instalment was no let down. The mystery was well done, with a few twists and turns to keep you guessing.
I would not recommend starting the series with this book if you haven’t read the others but I do highly recommend starting with The Man with a Load of Mischief and reading the whole series in order. If you are a fan of British mysteries you will definitely enjoy this series.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Love!
This Author is one of the Best I ve ever Read
A new Richard Jury mystery by Martha Grimes is something every mystery fan should treasure. Her series featuring Jury, a Scotland Yard detective, his assistant, Wiggins (the worst driver on the force), and the characters from Long Piddleton — especially Melrose Plant and his social climbing aunt, Agatha — are a delight. Each of the books in this series are titled after a British pub, which frequently plays an important role in the plot development. The Old Success, the latest in the series, begins when the body of a French woman washes up on an isolated beach in England. It’s clear that it’s murder, and the only footprints around the body belong to the two little girls who discovered her. Although the case is not officially Jury’s, he’s called in as a consultant.
The Old Success is the twenty-fifth title in this series. The plots are just as intriguing, the dialogue just as witty, and the characters just as fresh as they were in book one of the series, The Man With A Load of Mischief. Highly recommended.
I love this series. I have read them all. The characters are so well drawn. I find myself laughing out loud as I read. The plots are always unpredictable and keep me reading all night!
Three and a half stars here as well. I just rounded up instead of down.
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.
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.