The Old Fox Deceiv'd (Richard Jury Mysteries 2)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Old Fox Deceiv'd (Richard Jury #2)

by Martha Grimes (Goodreads Author)

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 3,623 ratings · 71 reviews

When Gemma Temple is found dead on Twelfth Night it is a murder so bizarre that, to the irritation of the local constabulary, Scotland Yard is called in to investigate.

Arriving at the bleak and foggy Yorkshire fishing village of Rackmoor, Inspector Richard Jury is soon confronted with unrequited loves, unrevenged wrongs and even undiscovered murders.

Was the beautiful victi...more

Paperback, 310 pages

Published June 3rd 2003 by Onyx (first published 1982)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Insufficient Mating Material by Rowena Cherry

The Invasion of Falgannon Isle by Deborah MacGillivray

How Not to Murder Your Grumpy by Carol E. Wyer

Humor is the Best Medicine

99th out of 397 books — 231 voters

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Best Murder Mysteries Of All-Time

102nd out of 267 books — 36 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 20, 2010 Joyce Lagow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

The second in the Richard Jury series.[return][return]Always the object of Chief Superintendent Racer's malice,again out of the order of the rota, Racer sends Jury and Wiggens to Rackmoor, a fishing village on the North Sea, to assist in the investigation of the bizarre murder of a young woman who may or may not be the long-missing stepdaughter of a local baronet, Sir Titus Crael. The victim, Gemma Temple, is costumed in black-and-white, including her face, one half of which is black, the other...more The second in the Richard Jury series.[return][return]Always the object of Chief Superintendent Racer's malice,again out of the order of the rota, Racer sends Jury and Wiggens to Rackmoor, a fishing village on the North Sea, to assist in the investigation of the bizarre murder of a young woman who may or may not be the long-missing stepdaughter of a local baronet, Sir Titus Crael. The victim, Gemma Temple, is costumed in black-and-white, including her face, one half of which is black, the other white. She has been stabbed, but the wounds are puzzling--no one can determine what the murder weapon was.[return][return]By chance, Melrose Plant has been invited to the Crael house as well. For the second time, he teams up with Jury and Wiggins in a murder investigation. Along with the murder, there is the case of Bertie Makepiece, a an intelligent, practical 12 year old boy whose mother has been on an extended, suspicious visit to northern Ireland, supposedly to attend a sick granny. Bertie is not alone, however; he is accompanied by his terrier, Arnold, who is quite possiby the smartest character in the whole story. Bertie and Arnold play crucial roles in the solving of the crime.[return][return]The plot is a solid one. The writing is typical Martha Grimes in the series, with distinctive characterizations. As usual, the major humor centers around Melrose Plant, especially in his relationship with his aunt, Lady Ardry. Jury himself is by no means lacking in humor, but it is of a quieter, more ironic kind; Plant's interactions with his aunt are many times nothing short of laugh-out-loud (or at least giggle).[return][return]The climax is well done. The book is not a page-turner but in many ways, a well-plotted police procedural that allows Grimes freedom to play with characters for whom she obviously has great affection and to add a great deal of local color in the form of believable and entertaining characters as well as setting and customs. As usual, a child (or children) features prominently in the story; Grimes clearly loves and respects children and handles them deftly.[return][return]Grimesism: "To have her around would be like always having a sore throat".[return]Highly recommended.(less)

like · see review

Aug 11, 2011 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars

Why is an American author trying to write mystery novels about a Scotland Yard detective? The whole thing is bizarrely derivative, like bad fanfiction ("bad" because any decent fanfic writer from the U.S. who penned a mystery set in England would get a beta reader to "Britpick" it, i.e., flag and help them edit out any stray Americanisms. Martha Grimes hasn't done that -- and her press hasn't bothered to either -- so that every once in a while, you get these supposedly very English people saying...more Why is an American author trying to write mystery novels about a Scotland Yard detective? The whole thing is bizarrely derivative, like bad fanfiction ("bad" because any decent fanfic writer from the U.S. who penned a mystery set in England would get a beta reader to "Britpick" it, i.e., flag and help them edit out any stray Americanisms. Martha Grimes hasn't done that -- and her press hasn't bothered to either -- so that every once in a while, you get these supposedly very English people saying whlly un-English things like "You had a Twelfth Night party, right?" or using terms like "sidewalk" and "parking lot"). Grimes supposedly spends (or spent -- this book dates from the 1980s) six months a year in England doing research for her novels, and the "research" shows through in the form of unrelentingly detailed descriptions of the narrow streets and clammy fogs in the Yorkshire fishing village where what passes for a plot mostly unfolds. The ponderous accumulation of minute detail about locale, cuisine (I like a good Scotch egg myself, but it's hard to escape the feeling that it and the various kippers, fish paste sandwiches -- which one character improbably selects to eat at a party even though she knows in advance that they "always" disagree with her -- bacon rashers, etc., are being flashed at us by way of credentials, to "prove" that the author knows her stuff about England despite being an American), hunting etiquette, the English procedure for getting a driver's license, etc., weighs down the novel to no real purpose: it's there to provide an opportunity for purple prose (as in the descriptions of the weather) and to shore up the supposedly "English" atmosphere of the book (which fails miserably when all the characters talk like Americans putting on an accent). Similarly, the author has her detective, Richard Jury, quote Vergil inappositely and for no apparent reason. Here the purpose is clearly to make him appear erudite and the product of a proper old-fashioned English education, complete with Latin and poems to memorize, but it doesn't work because the author herself isn't that sort of person, and doesn't know enough Vergil -- or enough poetry in general -- to make it convincing.

Similarly irritating, because stupid and ridiculous, is the moment when a character says of her mother, "She died young," and Jury responds "_The Duchess of Malfi_?" Yes, "She died young" is a line (or part of a line) from that play, but surely no one in their right mind, however steeped in English literature they might be, would jump to the conclusion that a person was quoting _The Duchess of Malfi_ when talking about their ACTUAL mother who ACTUALLY died young (and in the context of answering a policeman's questions, to boot). No one this out of touch could ever rise to be an Inspector at Scotland Yard, surely? Here as elsewhere, the puppeteer's hand looms far too large and ungainly over her obviously-cardboard characters.

The reference to _The Duchess of Malfi_ is presumably a tip of the hat to Agatha Christie (_Sleeping Murder_, which like this book features a 15- or 20-year-old "cold case"), from whom the various components of the murder plot, such as it is, are assembled (for most of the book it's fairly easy to forget that there's been a murder; we're so busy being treated to seemingly irrelevant conversations and plot threads featuring extraneous characters that go nowhere, not to mention the seemingly-obligatory-these-days existential angst of the detective, who mostly seems like quite a sensible bloke but out of nowhere will get a moody fit on where he gazes at himself in the mirror and wonders if he's really cut out to be a policeman, etc. etc.). Basically, a lady in a very striking black-and-white fancy dress is found dead, she bears a puzzling resemblance to the long-lost heiress from the manor house, there's a hunting scene (blood on the snow), a dramtic cliffside rescue, etc. etc. In short, a collection of cliches that never quite cohere into an actual plot, and a "mystery" that one tends to forget about from page to page, as the author never actually succeeds in creating any suspense about the outcome. What are they investigating, again? Oh, right.(less)

like · see review

Aug 09, 2011 Liora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, england

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Jury gets sent by Scotland Yard to investigate a murder in the picturesque fishing village of Rackmoor in the north. A young woman has been found murdered on the Angel Steps outside the Old Fox Deceiv'd pub wearing a jester costume for a 12th night gala. This woman had claimed to be the long missing Dillys March, heir to the wealthy, titled Colonel Crael, but the police have identified her as Gemma Temple, an orphan with a less than savory past. Melrose Plant, t...more

like · see review

Jul 22, 2012 Dyana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems that Detective Chief Inspector Richard Jury usually investigates murders in or around English pubs, hence the title of the book and the name of the pub. A reveler on Twelfth Night costumed in black and white including her face which is half white and half black is found murdered in the quaint fishing village of Rackmoor. Her name was Gemma Temple, but it turns out, she was in town impersonating the ward of a wealthy local landowner named Dillys March who went missing many years ago. Sup...more

like · see review

Oct 20, 2012 Abbey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: myst-cosies, series, vintage, myst-set-andor-auth-uk, myst-set-andor-auth-usa, myst-police, myst-fems-project-maybe

#2 Inspector Jury, Melrose Plant, Rackmoor, near the North Sea; police procedural and amateur sleuth. A foggy night in an old seaside village, a costume party, a dead body, a lot of secrets, and a goodly number of suspects, make this classic style village cosy very enjoyable.

Plant isn’t too, too Wimsey-ish, Jury isn’t too close to Dalgleish, but there’s elements of both, nicely mixed and paced. The characters are numerous and well-drawn, the plotting excellent, and the setting wonderful, altho...more

like · see review

Jul 29, 2012 Debbie Maskus rated it 3 of 5 stars

Martha Grimes uses the names of pubs as the title of her mysteries. This book is one of the many featuring detective Richard Jury and many of his cohorts such as Melrose Plant, Sergeant Alfred Wiggins, and Lady Agatha Ardry. The story is set in England, as Plant and Jury traipse over the English countryside solving crimes, with very faint hints towards Holmes and Watson. This story has many twists and turns, and false clues. Grimes goes into detailed description of the scenery and characters. On...more

like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Gerry rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'"Sounds a right muddle", said Superintendent Racer after Jury had filled him in on the Rackmoor case' features on page 194 of this book. Never a truer word was spoken and the muddle continues right through to page 308 (the end).

Rackmoor is a north Yorkshire village where a murder takes place on Twelfth Night. The party goers are all in fancy dress and it eventually turns out that the clue to the murder likes in the costumes and make-up that are worn. But it is a long and weary road to that conc...more

1 like · like · see review

May 30, 2010 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-books-read

This is the 2nd installment in the Richard Jury series, and I enjoyed it more than the first one. Richard Jury and Sergeant Wiggins are called out to a small Yorkshire village to investigate the murder of Gemma Temple, or is it Dillys March, the long-lost ward of Sir Titus Crael? There are a number of possible suspects, all with good possible motives. Grimes does a superb job of creating detailed characters, and in addition to fleshing out Wiggins, Melrose Plant, and Jury, we're introduced to th...more

like · see review

Aug 09, 2010 Ellen Gemmill rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the next book in the Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes. (See my review of The Man with a Load of Mischief. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first, and was allowed a further glimpse into Jury's psyche, which is on the melancholy side. The only thing I don't care for in these books is the description of English food: who wants to eat buttered eggs and deviled kidneys for breakfast or fish paste sandwiches at a party? No wonder the British have to swill down so much gin; I would t...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 06, 2009 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, mystery

Light, comical, enjoyable mystery with engaging characters, although Jury's ability to turn women into jello is a bit tiresome. Still, it's worth a read for the humor and the very engaging little boy. Grimes often has her heroes, Jury and Plant, interact with children in a delightful and highly realistic way.

One off thing: this series is set in England, but the author is an American. Once in a while, what seems to be an "Americanism" sort of interferes with the illusion; of course, as an America...more

like · see review

Jan 04, 2011 Marti rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is one of a series which I have always enjoyed. This time Richard Jury's assistant Wiggins seems less like a fuddy duddy--less of a hypochonriac who knows karate, of all things. Melrose Plant plays a big role, and his Aunt Agatha shows up to aggravate him but as they all travel to Rackmoor on the coast to solve more than one murder. There are many interesting characters living there including the titled man, his son, an artist, a thatcher, and a little boy named Bertie, who has been deserte...more

like · see review

Jul 03, 2011 Writerlibrarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: readbefore2005, july-pile, re-read, mystery, read2011

We find Jury and Melrose looking for a murderer in a fishing village on the coast in Yorkshire. Their reunion doesn't include Agatha (which for me is a plus, I find that character very annoying) but does include an old pub and a village where the streets are very narrow and twisted. One can lost herself or himself in them. The murder mystery is interesting, we have an adorable little boy and his dog (bordering on the too cute, almost). Still, some red herrings, some smart twists. I liked it then...more

like · see review

Aug 01, 2010 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another satisfying outing with Richard Jury and Melrose Plant.

The small, picturesque village of Rackmoor (on the North Sea) is the setting for this mystery. A woman in Harlequin costume is found stabbed. First question: who is she? Is she actually the long-lost ward of the local gentry? If not, who was helping her play that part? There are many twists and turns, and (as always) wonderful characters. And more than one murder (of course!).

The verbal exchanges between Melrose Plant and his Aunt Aga...more

like · see review

May 18, 2011 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I am rereading the Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes and this is the second in the series after THE MAN WITH A LOAD OF MISCHIEF. I had forgotten how interesting her combination of American sensibility and English location melded into a good, easy read. The ambiance of the location, in this case the Yorkshire moors, is like another character and in the finale, almost physically jumps from the page to endanger one of Grimes' ubiquitous children that she includes in each novel - not to mention i...more

like · see review

Jan 06, 2013 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-shelf

The Old Fox Deceiv'd is the second in Richard Jury series written by Martha Grimes. The setting this time around is in Rackmoor. Many years ago, Dillys March disappeared . Dillys was Colonel Crael's niece. She stood to inherit quite nicely, but in all those years no one ever heard from her.
Now, a woman calling herself Gemma Temple has arrived in Rackmoor. This woman bears a striking resemblence to Dillys. So much so, the Colonel Crael appears to believe it is Dillys.
However, the woman is murdere...more The Old Fox Deceiv'd is the second in Richard Jury series written by Martha Grimes. The setting this time around is in Rackmoor. Many years ago, Dillys March disappeared . Dillys was Colonel Crael's niece. She stood to inherit quite nicely, but in all those years no one ever heard from her.
Now, a woman calling herself Gemma Temple has arrived in Rackmoor. This woman bears a striking resemblence to Dillys. So much so, the Colonel Crael appears to believe it is Dillys.
However, the woman is murdered before her identity can be established. Scotland Yard is called in to help get to the bottom of things.
If Dillys was back, family and friends may have been knocked out of the inheritance they were counting on. But, not only that, some people still harbored jealousies and resentment toward Dillys.

I enjoyed the first book in this series so much. I just feel in love with Richard Jury. The secondary characters added charm and wit to the story and are equally likeable. Happily, we find Alfred Wiggins is still partnered with Jury and still nursing his health. Melrose Plant is also back giving Jury a sounding board and a little advice here and there.

This second mystery has quite a few surprises and twist in it. A very solid, absorbing and even atmospheric mystery. Having basically established the characters in the first novel, this second installment focuses more on the mystery and the folks in Rackmoor. However, this one did take on a darker tone, which is fine, but I did miss the charm and banter that was so prominent in the first novel.
Richard Jury didn't feel quite as vulnerable in this one. We still saw glimpes of his soft side,but Jury was all business in this one. Wiggins role was also slightly diminished. He was there but not nearly as involved as I would have liked him to be. But, the most glaring ommission was the absence of Melrose's Aunt Agatha. The banter between those two in the first novel was hilarious. Aunt Agatha does make an appearance, but takes no part in the investigation.

The murder mystery though was more detailed and quite cleverly plotted.
Overall a B-(less)

like · see review

Mar 23, 2013 Jean Flannery rated it 5 of 5 stars

Although they become rather formulaic, I do enjoy this series.

My only quibble is that Martha Grimes is sometimes just off key when it comes to English food and customs (I'm English). For example, I've frequented more than a few pubs in my time and never seen anyone knife off the foam (head) from a pint. Did they do it 100 years or more ago? Not for the past 50 anyway!

But the stories and characters are excellent - a good leavening of humour always present. I love the activities of Cyril the cat!

like · see review

Nov 09, 2008 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

i couldn't find a copy of this book at any of my local libraries so i ended up listening to it on tape (read by tim curry who did a FANTASTIC job and caused me to seek out other books read by him...i'm excited because he apparently did a lot of the richard jury books and his voice suits these wry brittish mysteries so well). anyway, i thoroughly enjoyed the reading, but it was abridged so i feel like i might have missed some further dialogue that would have made me enjoy the book even more. i lo...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 07, 2011 Sharon Holford rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the second "Jury" book I've read, and it's because I liked the first one very much that I'll continue to read the series. It's good mystery and a good dash of humor in the characters.
This one has a very sympathetic character you really feel for, and his mother that you simply cannot feel for. Like any good mystery it has twists and turns to keep up the suspense in "who REALLY done it" style.

like · see review

Aug 08, 2009 Mazel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: policier

Tout le monde vous le dira, il ne se passe jamais rien à Rackmoor.

Que pourrait-il d'ailleurs bien se passer dans un petit village du Yorkshire accroché au flanc d'une falaise, battu par les vents et perdu dans le brouillard...

Or, un jour, on retrouve le corps ensanglanté d'une inconnue.

Une inconnue qui - vous diront certaines personnes bien informées pourrait être Dillys March, la pupille du riche Sir Titus Craël.

Disparue depuis quinze ans, quelques langues venimeuses ajouteront qu'elle sera...more

like · see review

Jul 11, 2012 Corrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Richard Jury mysteries are by far my favourite mystery reads. Martha has a great sense of humor and incorporates it into the stories just enough to take the edge off the dark side of the story. Ive read almost all the Jury stories and 5-star all of them. I hope Martha isnt done with Richard and his loveable circle of friends.

like · see review

Apr 26, 2011 Celia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have read this book probably 3 times now and every time I read it I find something new and exciting in the story. You can put this down to my lack of observation or to the fact that this book, with it's intricate plot, is a masterpiece of twisting stories and hidden emotions, much like Rackmoor is a village of twisted and dark alleyways.

like · see review

Jul 26, 2012 Jean rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think Grimes lost her style a bit in this tale, it was a bit more glum and introspective, but I already know she re-established her style in the third and fourth of the series. I'm interested to see how Jury (and Plant) develop in the future novels.

like · see review

Jul 07, 2010 Irina rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful, charming and witty book! Finally something that reminds me of good old Agatha. I was thinking " Peril at End House" and " Mirror cracked" while reading and it did spoil the ending for me a little bit but the rich writing,interesting characters,humour (seemed very british to me:)) totaly made up for the hints! It's not slow like some british mysteries and i can't wait to get to the next book!

like · see review

Jul 31, 2012 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoy all of Martha Grimes' books featuring Superintendent Richard Jury. I recently decided to re-read them all, mostly in order, and it has been a treat to rediscover these mysteries set in/near old British pubs throughout United Kingdom.

like · see review

Oct 28, 2009 Cindie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a re-read. 20 years old and still fantastic. Grimes is an amazing writer and I have loved every Richard Jury mystery she has published. One complaint: it's been a while - time for another Jury, please!

like · see review

Jan 11, 2009 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

My first Richard Jury mystery. I adore Peter Robinson's books starring Banks, and this didn't compare for me. I'm going to try another, later book by Grimes, and see if it suits me more.

like · see review

Jan 22, 2012 Littlelixie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I always seem to read these books very quickly as I want to know what happens next. They move quite quickly but with different storyline streams that diverge and meet and diverge again.

like · see review

Apr 19, 2013 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's a nice little mystery. I can't find too much to say about it. I enjoyed reading it but I didn't feel like I had to go find the rest of the series. If I happen upon them I will read them but I won't go out of my way. This has the prerequisite plot twists and red herrings and the whole whodunit thing going and it manages to throw in some humor. Not laugh out loud humor, but little smile humor. The characters are interesting enough that you wouldn't mind seeing them again. It doesn't exactly r...more

like · see review

Feb 20, 2013 Janet Meissner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries

One of her better books. Some witnesses respond better to Plant and some to Jury. The mix of characters in this book and the book's setting were especially good.

like · see review

Jul 02, 2010 Marge rated it 4 of 5 stars

This second in the Richard Jury series was rich in character and continued the relationship between Jury and Melrose Plant. Plan on reading more.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (13)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

188 users

Mystery > Crime

13 users

European Literature > British Literature

7 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

6 users

Mystery > Cozy Mystery

3 users

Mystery > Detective

3 users

Mystery > Murder Mystery

2 users

Adult

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Martha Grimes

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...

Books by Martha Grimes

The Man With a Load of Mischief (Richard Jury Mystery #1)

The Anodyne Necklace (Richard Jury Mysteries 3)

The Old Silent (Richard Jury Mysteries 10)

The Dirty Duck (Richard Jury Mysteries 4)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Old Fox Deceiv'd

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Old Fox Deceiv'd
avg rating	preview: The Old Fox Deceiv'd Goodreads rating: 4.01 (3623 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153163.The_Old_Fox_Deceiv_d?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1301953933l/153163.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153163.The_Old_Fox_Deceiv_d?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Old Fox Deceiv'd by Martha Grimes[/url]

The Old Fox Deceiv'd (Richard Jury #2)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website