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Title: The Old Silent by Martha Grimes ISBN: 0-440-20492-5 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 03 August, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.44 (9 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Full of wit, charm...and even a murder...
Comment: One of the reviewers mentioned that this might not be the best place to start in the Jury series. This is probably true. I had read 5, 6, maybe 7 of her books before I got to this one. And that windup was great as I became absorbed into her characters, her tone, her plots, the atmosphere she creates.
For those who don't know Grimes, I think she is one of the true literary geniuses of our day. Her books really aren't about the murder mystery itself. Yes, that is the plotline that moves the story along, but neither I or she is overly worried with simply lining up the clues to solve the mystery.
Rather, in each of her works, she displays before your eyes an English scene complete with its own set of quirkey characters - some old ones & always some news ones. And through the circumstances she sets up in each novel, she makes a commentary on life & people as they respond to the various situations into which they are thrown.
In this way, Grimes reminds me of Agatha Christie...one of the great murder mystery writers. I think Christie was more concerned with observing human nature & working it out on script than she was with the actual murder. And the dry, ironic humor Grimes employs is similar to that of Christie itself. If you are interested in such stories, Grimes is a fabulous writer to get hooked on.
If you have read several of Grimes' works & you have enjoyed them, then I think you are in for a treat with this one. I don't think that her wit has ever been better. Her comedic timing and various storylines - all with a somber plotline of murders setting the tone - kept me very entertained:
- Plant is at his all-time best as he deal with children, animals, a tough NY woman, and his old aunt Agatha.
- Jury retains his smooth charm & competency all while hob-nobbing with an eclectic group that includes a hot band, band reviewers, the genteel class and eccentric old folks.
- Malcavie is all that you hope of him as he pulls over speeders on his way to crime scenes and continues to listen to Wiggens (of all people!)
- The little girl in the book, Abby, is one of the coolest kids ever to appear in a murder mystery.
I will admit that I was thrown off a bit by the dogs' monologues. It took me awhile to figure out what was going on there. But I was glad Grimes was still trying new things.
So, there it is. Another great work from Grimes!
Rating: 4
Summary: Long, elaborate, and complex
Comment: This is a complex and challenging novel. Richard Jury, depressed at the start of the novel, finds himself engrossed in the diffiult circumstances of Nell Healy, who murders her husband in a pub lounge, while Jury watches. As Jury attempts to discover why Nell would have done this, and how it ties in to the tragic kidnapping of her step-son ten years before, he is drawn into different eccentric groups of people--an ill-assorted group living in a b& b near Haworth, home of the Brontes and the dark world of alternative rock and roll performers. This musical mileiu is definitely new to Jury--although it turns out to be familiar territory for Seargent Wiggins!
The different worlds of this book do not completely fit together. There is sometimes an odd disjunction between the parts of this novel,and I agree somewhat with one reviewer who says that she doesn't understand the role that Melrose Plant plays here, other than to add his usual gentle comic charm, and to interact with many of the eccentric.
Despite some of this, this is also a moving and emotionally successful novel. The literary and musical allusions have deep meaning and are releent not just to the progression of the plot but also to the ongoing growth of the characters in this series.
I credit Martha Grimes with taking chances with this novel.
Rating: 3
Summary: Not the best place to start!!!
Comment: Geeze! I hate to disagree with all these stellar reviews, but I have to say "The Old Silent" was a little bit of a let down. Maybe I picked the wrong place in the Richard Jury series to start - but I found it hard to care about a lot of the characters, many of whom just seemed to be "checking in" from a prior novel. In fact, this may sound like sacrilege to a lot of Grimes' fans, but I didn't even see any real need for Melrose Plant's presence. (And I'm still trying to figure out what he and his buddy we're cutting up at the table that upset Vivian so much). There was also one too many tea parties with the little girls. One too many interviews with the band Sirocco -- who don't even sound good on paper. And one too many jumps between characters (At one point we even get the perspective of the little girl's dog). Yes, Grimes has a wonderful way with words, but she also has a way of stringing things out and underexplaining Jury's actions in a misguided attempt to keep the reader guessing. Compare for example, the first chapter of "The Old Silent" with the first chapter of Anne Perry's incredible "The Face Of A Stranger" and you may understand what I mean. But as I said before, I could have started in the wrong place, so I am going to pick up Grimes' first novel, "The Man with a Load of Mischief" with the ardent hope that I'll wind up eating my words.
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Title: The Dirty Duck by Martha Grimes ISBN: 0440120500 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 01 September, 1990 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Old Contemptibles by Martha Grimes ISBN: 0345374568 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 22 January, 1992 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Anodyne Necklace by Martha Grimes ISBN: 0451410890 Publisher: Onyx Books Pub. Date: 06 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Rainbow's End by Martha Grimes ISBN: 0345394267 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 1996 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: The Five Bells and Bladebone by Martha Grimes ISBN: 0451410386 Publisher: Onyx Books Pub. Date: 04 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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