logo
Wrong email address or username
Wrong email address or username
Incorrect verification code
back to top
Search tags: 23rd-in-a-series
Load new posts () and activity
Like Reblog Comment
show activity (+)
review 2015-03-28 20:38
Vertigo 42-I love traditional British mysteries
Vertigo 42: A Richard Jury Mystery - Martha Grimes

This is the first Martha Grimes novel I've read and it's number 23 in the Richard Jury series.  I almost never read a series out of order but I had, of course, heard of this series so when this came up on NetGalley, I requested it.  I'm so glad I did.  I loved this book.  Since I haven't read the others, I have no idea how it compares but I will find out because I immediately went to my shelves to see what else I had by Martha Grimes.  Happily, it turns out that I have three more from this series so I'm very excited to get started.

This is the traditional British mystery that I have loved since 5th grade.  If it hadn't been for the modern technology, I could have thought I was reading Ngaio Marsh or Dorothy Sayers.  The story begins with Jury being approached by a friend of a friend to re-investigate his wife's murder, which happened 18 years ago.  She fell down the stairs of their terrace and since she was known to have vertigo, an accidental fall seemed reasonable.  Her husband hasn't ever believed it.  Other dead bodies begin to turn up, killed far more recently, but they sure seem connected to the 18 year old death.  Jury begins to tie it all together in the best traditions of the British Inspector. 

There are a good many characters who I assume are regulars in the series.  Only Melrose Plant plays a significant role but the others add color and community.  There is at least one plot point that seems to have been missed by the editor because it seems to be a clear contradiction from one page to the next and the wrap-up is a bit fuzzy to me and those are why it lost a one-half star but the excitement of finding such a fantastic writer of traditional British mysteries overcame every other feeling.  Why have I waited so late to start this series? 

I actually won the hardback from Goodreads and got the eArc from Netgalley both in exchange for an honest review. 

More posts
Your Dashboard view:
Need help?