'Open a book; open a door'
“Writinga mystery is more difficult than other kinds of books because a mystery has acertain framework that must be superimposed over the story.”– Martha Grimes
Grimes was born in Pittsburgh,PA, on this date in 1931, a fact that sometimes shocks her readers – not thatshe was born in Pittsburgh, but that she was born in America. That’s because many of her best-knownmysteries feature Scotland Yard detective Richard Jury and most people think she is British.
Grimes spent much of heryouth in Western Maryland -- where her mother owned a hotel -- and her "Emma Graham" novels are set in that very locale. But it is her "Jury" novels that have earned her international acclaim.
Each Jury mystery isnamed after a pub, including one set in Maryland. “In Baltimore,” she said, “I was walking with a friend who was playingat a pub he kept referring to as the Horse. But when I saw the sign 'The HorseYou Came In On' - I thought, 'My God.' I had no intention of ever setting aJury novel in the U.S., but when I saw that, I thought, 'That's it.' The namesare very important.” Named “Grand Master” bythe Mystery Writers of America, Grimes says she loves playing with words and the writing process in general. “It really is like opening a door,isn’t it, to open a book," Grimes wrote. "Books, words,stories are a kind of solace.”
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