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187th out of 246 books
—
90 voters
The Blue Last (Richard Jury #17)
by
Martha Grimes (Goodreads Author)
In The Blue Last, Richard Jury finally faces the last thing in the world he wants to deal with—the war that killed his mother, his father, his childhood. Mickey Haggerty, a DCI with the London City police, has asked for Jury's help. Two skeletons have been unearthed in the City during the excavation of London's last bombsite, where once a pub stood called the The Blue Last...more
Paperback, 446 pages
Published
August 27th 2002
by Onyx
(first published September 10th 2001)
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This was an eminently enjoyable mystery. Like many Grimes works, she weaves in her stock cast of amusing characters, throws in a diverting tangential tale of a trip to Florence, Italy, and somehow manages to have the protagonists emerge in the resolution of a long-forgotten World War II spy story.
The twists and turns of a Grimes plot always make me dizzy, sometimes can be boring (not true in this book), but usually fascinate me. She somehow manages to find small features to bring out normally fl...more
The twists and turns of a Grimes plot always make me dizzy, sometimes can be boring (not true in this book), but usually fascinate me. She somehow manages to find small features to bring out normally fl...more
The Blue Last is the seventeenth Richard Jury novel. At this point it appears that Martha Grimes is writing for her fan base.
The story would benefit from a tighter story line. There are long digressions as Richard Jury tries to remember his childhood during World War II. Melrose Plant, Jury's friend, also spends many pages chasing information about a painting.
Loose ends also distract from the story. Grimes introduces a restaurant owner who may be selling stolen paintings, but this never plays a...more
The story would benefit from a tighter story line. There are long digressions as Richard Jury tries to remember his childhood during World War II. Melrose Plant, Jury's friend, also spends many pages chasing information about a painting.
Loose ends also distract from the story. Grimes introduces a restaurant owner who may be selling stolen paintings, but this never plays a...more
This series contains really good British mysteries, and features a host of repeating characters, Jury, a Scotland Yard chief inspector (so goes all over England and other places when asked), along with his rich aristocratic friend Melrose Plant, with the people (many eccentric, many real characters) surrounding both--Plant in his Northamptonshire estate and the small towns surrounding him, and Jury at his London apartment and with all the helpers and local police officials that surround him, whe...more
Another superb Richard Jury novel. This one is a bit of a cliffhanger, but I won't spoil it by telling you much about that!
This one delves into Jury's past as an orphan of the Blitz, and his memories, suppressed and otherwise, of his sad childhood. He becomes involved in solving both a murder and a decades old case of stolen identity.
The usual suspects are not as evident in this book, except for the always present Melrose Plant. Even his partner, Wiggins, isn't seen very much. There is an addi...more
This one delves into Jury's past as an orphan of the Blitz, and his memories, suppressed and otherwise, of his sad childhood. He becomes involved in solving both a murder and a decades old case of stolen identity.
The usual suspects are not as evident in this book, except for the always present Melrose Plant. Even his partner, Wiggins, isn't seen very much. There is an addi...more
A very interesting story begun in war-torn England with far reaching consequences. Confusion reigned at the time and what was done in innocence of a sort at the time changed several future lives. I read this book some time ago, so I'm a bit sketchy on the evolution of the story but I found it entertaining mystery, cover-ups, with a brief bit of wartime history thrown into the bunch. I enjoyed the book, it was my first foray into Martha Grimes writing and apparently the 17th in the series! I must...more
I've been reading my way through the Richard Jury/Melrose Plant adventures chronologically. I can't rank the Mystery part of Martha Grimes' tales very high, but her characters, her landscapes, her writing are among my favorites.
The Blue Last is typical Grimes: quaint charming villages, precocious children, clever dogs and cats, memories tumbling into the present, the inevitable pubs. Richard Jury, Melrose Plant, and their entourage are exceedingly intersting characters. The solution to the crime...more
The Blue Last is typical Grimes: quaint charming villages, precocious children, clever dogs and cats, memories tumbling into the present, the inevitable pubs. Richard Jury, Melrose Plant, and their entourage are exceedingly intersting characters. The solution to the crime...more
Was genuinely touched by Jury's journey of remembrance. I liked the way Grimes developed separate story lines, then drew Melrose and Jury back into each other's doings. Didn't tie up all loose threads, but want to read the next book before getting too worked up. Melrose's antics and characters like Benny, Sparky, and Gemma keep me thoroughly entertained, as always.
I was at first disappointed, then angry at the way the book ended. i was so enjoying the whole story, and I felt as if the rug had been pulled from beneath me at the end, as if the editors told Ms. Grimes to 'wrap it up' after so many pages, and she just ended it abruptly. It didn't ring true for me, and I'm not happy with that.
That said, the book is well written, and the descriptions and characters are vivid. I want a better ending for such a good book.
That said, the book is well written, and the descriptions and characters are vivid. I want a better ending for such a good book.
This is far from polished, I'd say, with some wildly convenient coincidences and amazingly implausible plot turns. But the characters are engaging, and as soon as the main detective found himself enjoying a night in the pub with Shakespeare, John Donne and Chaucer I knew I was going to enjoy reading this as much as the author clearly enjoyed writing it.
There's lots and lots packed in here. Lots of atmosphere, nostalgia, landscape, what I think of as kind of lifestyle porn, by which I mean aspir...more
There's lots and lots packed in here. Lots of atmosphere, nostalgia, landscape, what I think of as kind of lifestyle porn, by which I mean aspir...more
This is an excellent Martha Grimes book of a Richard Jury mystery. This book is certainly different from what I thought the ending would be but it is a surprise and well done.
Enjoyed this book and will read more Martha Grimes.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
Enjoyed this book and will read more Martha Grimes.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
I really liked this book, right up until the ending. Seriously, I was pushing the "next page" button on Kindle over and over, but nothing happened. It was done. I felt like there were several characters/relationships that needed some resolution, but didn't get it.
All the usual people are here - Richard, Melrose, Marshall, etc. It's a lot of fun, and if you're a fan of this series then you'll probably like it. I just wish the ending had been a bit more...conclusive.
All the usual people are here - Richard, Melrose, Marshall, etc. It's a lot of fun, and if you're a fan of this series then you'll probably like it. I just wish the ending had been a bit more...conclusive.
When will I learn? Martha Grimes' books are always saccharine-sweet with British Characters right out of Central Casting. Everyone in while I pick one up with the hope that it will be better, that somehow I've been too harsh in my past assessments. Nope. Note to self: Enough already.
By far (in my humble opinion) the weakest of the Jury novels. Too many strange flights of fancy into Jury's mind without clear demarcations between the real and the fantasy. The story itself is good, but too many distractions.
Second book I've read in this mystery series. Scotland Yard detective Richard Jury and his friends, especially Melrose Plant, are enjoyable characters. Bit of a cliffhanger at the end--I guess I'll just have to read the next one.
ARGH! I really liked this book; but when I saw that the last section was called "Vanishing Point" I knew that the ending was going to create more questions than it answered. Guess I have to pick up the next one.
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Not really one of my faves... I kind of thought the ending a little too sudden and rushed, as if the author was ready to finish writing it and be done. Great story line though! Very interesting British lit.
Should have read this before Grave Maurice, but as always, Grimes does not disappoint. The children in this book, Gemma and Benny are particularly charming, and Sparky the dog is an out and out hero.
A tale of some pathos, some great mystery and some history. You have to be a Richard Jury fan to love the book, but if you have not read any, don't start with this one. Try to read in order.
This was not one of my favorites in this series. Only bright spots to me were the children, Benny and Gemma, and Melrose posing as a gardener. Jury gets too morose for me sometimes.
This is the first that I have read Martha Grimes. I will be sure to read more of her especially the Richard Jury books. Very interesting and I didn't figure it out!
First book I picked up by Martha GRimes, so some of her characters I was picking up in the middle, as it were, but that did not hinder my appreciation of the book. I loved this mystery, which was somewhat low key rather than a thriller, but the characters and humor kept me not wanting to put it down. Word of warning though - not knowing Martha Grimes' style I was really livid when I got to end of book and was left somewhat hanging.......for those who want to know it all at the end and have every...more
I was really surprised by the ending here - it leaves my hanging. I'm hoping the kids are carried over to another story in the series.
Great fun until the end, when Martha Grimes pulled the rug out from under her readers, but not in a good way.
I thought it was me. That trying to read a mystery and raise a baby meant that I just was distracted and the book seemed disjointed as a result. Then I started to read other reviews. IN part because my book, purchased second-hand ended with a word and not a sentence. I think this is what it does for everyone.
The book is disjointed, I had a hard time following what was going on. This is usually not a problem with me. I am so disappointed I cannot begin to articulate it properly.
Only read this if...more
The book is disjointed, I had a hard time following what was going on. This is usually not a problem with me. I am so disappointed I cannot begin to articulate it properly.
Only read this if...more
I like Grimes' Richard Jury series. It's good mindless and sometimes humorous bedtime reading. This series takes place in England and each book is named after a local pub to the story. Easy, light reading. Great for car rides too.
Ugh. Has a bit of a cliff hanger. I'll need to get the next one in the Jury series right away!
Ugh. Has a bit of a cliff hanger. I'll need to get the next one in the Jury series right away!
I enjoyed the story and all of the tangential storylines, as usual. Wonderfully descriptive writing, with enough humor to keep it from reading like a Michener book.
As were many of the other reviewers, I was underwhelmed by the ending. I might go so far as to say I was flat-out irritated by the ending. Is the author thinking that since this is the 17th book in this series she gets to rest on her laurels because her readers are loyal to her? I don't know if it (the ending) was meant to be arty or...more
As were many of the other reviewers, I was underwhelmed by the ending. I might go so far as to say I was flat-out irritated by the ending. Is the author thinking that since this is the 17th book in this series she gets to rest on her laurels because her readers are loyal to her? I don't know if it (the ending) was meant to be arty or...more
Good story line but hard to follow the many turns. The ending was anti climatic for sure.
Better to read this series in order for a clearer picture of who the characters are.
I do enjoy this series. The continuing characters become old friends.
Memorable plot and great story, one of Grimes best.
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Martha Grimes is an American author of detective fiction.
She was born May 2 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to D.W., a city solicitor, and to June, who owned the Mountain Lake Hotel in Western Maryland where Martha and her brother spent much of their childhood. Grimes earned her B.A. and M.A. at the University of Maryland. She has taught at the University of Iowa, Frostburg State University, and Montg...more
More about Martha Grimes...
She was born May 2 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to D.W., a city solicitor, and to June, who owned the Mountain Lake Hotel in Western Maryland where Martha and her brother spent much of their childhood. Grimes earned her B.A. and M.A. at the University of Maryland. She has taught at the University of Iowa, Frostburg State University, and Montg...more
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Feb 08, 2013 03:47pm