Rumpole and the Primrose Path

Rumpole of the Bailey #12

by John Mortimer

Rumpole and the Primrose Path - six hilarious crime capers starring John Mortimer's iconic character 'Rumpole, like Jeeves and Sherlock Holmes, is immortal' P. D James, Mail on Sunday 'I thank heaven for small mercies. The first of these is Rumpole' Clive James, Observer Rumpole was last seen in his hospital bed after his sudden collapse in court. Now our hero finds himself in the Primrose Path nursing home - or a hospice as he persists in describing it. Things aren't looking good for Rumpole - until suddenly he begins to sense there's something wrong with the place, and all his intelligence and formidable insight into human behaviour come to the fore again. And once he has solved the mystery of the Primrose Path nursing home, Rumpole finds the briefs fly thick and fast again. This delightful collection of six Rumpole stories shows the legendary advocate on top form. Readers of Sherlock Holmes, P.D. James and P.G. Wodehouse will love this book. Sir John Mortimer was a barrister, playwright and novelist. His fictional political trilogy of Paradise Postponed, Titmuss Regained and The Sound of Trumpets has recently been republished in Penguin Classics, together with Clinging to the Wreckage and his play A Voyage round My Father. His most famous creation was the barrister Horace Rumpole, who featured in four novels and around eighty short stories. His books in Penguin include: The Anti-social Behaviour of Horace Rumpole; The Collected Stories of Rumpole; The First Rumpole Omnibus; Rumpole and the Angel of Death; Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders; Rumpole and the Primrose Path; Rumpole and the Reign of Terror; Rumpole and the Younger Generation; Rumpole at Christmas; Rumpole Rests His Case; The Second Rumpole Omnibus; Forever Rumpole; In Other Words; Quite Honestly and Summer's Lease.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Crime, Short Stories, British Literature, Audiobook

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

John Clifford Mortimer was a novelist, playwright and former practising barrister. Among his many publications are several volumes of Rumpole stories and a trilogy of political novels, Paradise Postponed, Titmuss Regained and The Sound of Trumpets, featuring Leslie Titmuss - a character as brilliant as Rumpole. John Mortimer received a knighthood for his services to the arts in 1998.

Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles

Reviews

[Jason Koivu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short collection of Rumpole short stories that are only loosely tied together with the thinnest of threads. But that doesn't really make a difference. The quality is still there and any fan of the Old Bailey barrister's tales of triumph will find plenty to enjoy within these pages.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rumpole and the Primrose Path is one of the latest of John Mortimer's Rumpole collection. Primrose Path is a collection of six short stories, all entertaining and enjoyable.

Primrose Path starts with Rumpole in a care home, recovering from a heart attack. A new member of his legal practice, one Luci Gribble, hired as director of marketing is trying to organize a remembrance party for Rumpole. Rumpole escapes in the middle of the night and begins an investigation on a death in the home. The results are excellent. The rest of the stories carry on from there; a case with a modern day Fagin, a case involving privacy concerns, one with a re-offending con, etc.

The familiar cast is still there and all playing their roles; Rumpole's long suffering wife, Hilda (aka She who must be Obeyed), practice head Soapy Ballard, the husband / wife team of the Erskines, Phillida now a justice, etc.

Mortimer has a knack for creating nicely flowing, entertaining short stories, interesting cases with very satisfying resolutions and fun characters. Rumpole is always entertaining; curmudgeonly but smart, able to cull information from his legal briefs to get to the grit of the case and the solution. The stories aren't deep but they are fun. I enjoyed each and every one and especially the final chapter where we see that Hilda really does love and care for her recalcitrant husband. Choked me up a bit. (4 stars)

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old Rumpole -- he shines as a barrister and reminds us that criminals are innocent until proven guilty.

These linked short stories are wonderful. The links between them are sometimes as convoluted are Rumpole's thought processes. Just brilliant. But I'm a (retired) lawyer.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A delightful, entertaining, humorous collection of six stories involving old barrister, Horace Rumpole. The book begins with Rumple in a private hospital and his colleagues planning his funeral!

Rumpole fans will be very satisfied with this six short story collection.

This book was first published in 2003.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun. Writing is excellent.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining collection of six short stories starting with Rumpole's escape from the Primrose Path nursing home where he has been sent to recover from his heart attack brought on by a fight in court with Judge Bullingham. Rumpole fears that the body count at the Primrose Path is rather too high and decides to make his escape as speedily as possible.

The other stories are equally good with Rumpole's performance clearly not impaired by his brush with death. I especially enjoyed Rumpole Redeemed in which Rumpole sees that just because a crime appears to have been committed by a particular person with a trade mark style doesn't mean it actually was committed by that person. In this story yet another of Claude Erskine-Brown's mad attractions to unlikely women is doomed to failure.

There is something hugely endearing in Rumpole as a character I find even though he doesn't always suffer fools gladly. He frequently sees through outward appearances to the real people underneath - such as in the first story and Nurse Dotty. Rumpole is marvellous comfort reading even when you know the outcome of the story.

[Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable!

[JZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some delicious tidbits for you from the late, lamented John Mortimer, a man with a fine sense of humor.

Rumpole is astounded to find out that rumors of his death had been greatly exaggerated, and it goes on from there.

British short stories are my get-ready-for-the-winter accompaniment. Just like hot cocoa or mulled cider, or egg nog by the fire.

Snuggle in.

[Robert Hobkirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another entertaining read from John Mortimer. A collection of Rumpole mysteries, one leading to the other. What a wit Mortimer was.

[London Mabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hadn’t read a Rumpole in awhile—they’re a breath of fresh air. And listening to these stories got my bf hooked too.

[CQM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always finish a Rumpole book with a satisfied smile.

[Donna]

Six short stories, with all the usual suspects presented in Mortimer's usual witty and wonderful way.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Mortimer is a master of wit and language gymnastics. His earlier books recounting the adventures of Rumpole of the Bailey were fun, funny, and delightful. Rumpole and the Primrose Path takes place after poor, portly Rumpose has had a "heart incident", to which he pays no mind. But rumors of his death have preceded him back to his Chambers, and his colleagues there are already planning his memorial service. When Rumpole hears about this extraordinary situation, and is told by his medical attendants that he must rest-rest-rest (supported of course by his faithful but nagging wife), he gets himself up out of hospital and trots home... to resume work as before... and to, as before, ignore advice about sensible diet and exercise.

This little book is such fun, so witty, so full of wonderful plays on words, I could not put it down till the end. And then I was sorry it was over. The mysteries, the little and big puzzles that interweave throughout, are engrossing while at the same time entertaining. I loved my time with Rumpole... once again.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories are perfect for a road trip. They are illustrative and colorful and contain clever writing. This particular audio book used multiple actors, sound effects and music, so it was more like a radio play than listening to Mom reading you a story. Prunella Scales is wonderful as SWMBO. Good to listen to, road trip or not.

[Andy Gore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rumpole is truly priceless.

[Theodore Kinni · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No one should ever underestimate Rumpole, when he's doing a murder alone and without a leader."

[William Leight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Years ago I watched, and enjoyed, some of the Rumpole TV show but had never read any of the stories, the first of which were written, in an inversion of the usual pattern, after the success of the show. This volume consists of six stories, all of which were written well after the show went off the air. Nonetheless, they stick strictly to a format which was obviously inspired by TV. Each story has three plot lines. The main one involves a case that Rumpole is working on, and includes a slight mystery and some light detective work. It is accompanied by two subplots, one about some minor domestic dispute between Rumpole and his wife Hilda, better known as She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, and one about something happening at Rumpole's office. Sometimes there are direct connections between them; if not, there's a thematic similarity. Somewhat to my surprise, despite the fact that Rumpole clearly hasn't changed much since the mid-70s, Mortimer makes him fit in very well in the world of 2002: in some ways he is indeed a relic, but he's also just flexible enough to adapt. For instance, in the title story, which kicks off the collection, he becomes friends with the Chambers' new head of marketing, despite the fact that he hates the idea of marketing and the head is a fashionable young woman who spells her name "Luci" with an i insteady of a y and generally seems to have nothing in common with him. What's more, while Mortimer is clearly proving a point here, he nonetheless makes it believable. It helps, I think that Rumpole, the consummate defense lawyer and friend of the little guy, is, despite his gruffness and often-cynical outlook, always looking for a reason to be sympathetic to the people he meets. There are exceptions, of course: it is war to the knife with hanging judges, Home Secretaries, corrupt politicians, and those who try to pin crimes on people for the simple reason that they are known criminals. Nonetheless, Rumpole's general willingness to take the world as it comes -- with a few exceptions, mostly related to his personal habits -- make him more comfortable in the modern world than I was expecting, which in turn makes these stories quite readable. Plus, though Mortimer is rarely laugh-out-loud funny, he's often amusing. I will look out for more Rumpole in the future, and maybe even see if I can find the TV show streaming somewhere.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss Leo McKern, but Timothy West does a good job in his part in a BBC radio drama. It contains the following episodes:

o Rumpole and the Primrose Path: A convalescence home nurse is accused of murdering a patient in order to collect money from the will.

o Rumpole and the Scales of Justice: Rumpole defends police official who had previously criticized defenders such as Rumpole, but now needs a good defender.

o Rumpole and the Vanishing Juror: A religious fanatic is accused of murdering a lap-dancer, but as Rumpole seems to be winning over the jury, one of its members vanishes.

o Rumpole Redeemed: Rumpole defends an ex-con who had benefited from a prisoner redemption program, but now seems to have returned to crime.

In general the Rumpole mysteries run along two story lines intertwined and ending in a twist, that is, a surprise at the end. The stories above were less surprising than I had hoped, and the character development amongst the secondary characters was minimal. It appears that the audience is supposed to recall the personalities of the characters from previous episodes. That is fair, but it has been a while since I have revisited the Rumpole characters, so I really needed a refresher.

I'll probably listen to this audio series again later in the year to make sure I simply wasn't in a bad mood while I was listening. I love the Rumpole series and I am surprised I didn't give it 5 stars.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to an audio version of this that isn't quite any of the listed choices. There was only one story, not four, or six, so I suspect it was considerably shorter.

I did thoroughly enjoy Rumpole. Sometimes I think about gathering up all the books about him and going through them. I did also enjoy watching the BBC version some years ago.

The story began with Rumpole in a nursing home, and hearing that part made me feel overly tired and old, myself. I found it hard to get anything done during the days I drove around listening to this!! Thankfully, Rumpole moved out of the nursing home before he became a part of it.

I think he focused on the situation at the nursing home partly in order to avoid focusing on any sort of behavioral changes that might've improved his health. Those weren't even mentioned. Poor Rumpole!

Other reviewers appreciated Rumpole's humor in this, and usually, I do, but there just seemed to be less of it than usual, and it almost seemed to be half-hearted and almost by rote, calling things as he saw them. I felt like his medical condition had taken some of his pizzazz, and somehow, he eventually went from being nearly bedridden to escaping the nursing home ("away without medical leave" is what the staff who phoned me called it when my dad did the same) and returning, with force of will, to the office.

I thought the graduation was a little too convenient for the plot.

I did figure out this mystery, and perhaps too easily, but I did enjoy watching Rumpole unfold the case.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of stories evolving from a London barrister's escape from a rehab facility where he had been sent to heal from a heart attack. The author expertly creates a lovable character in Rumpole who the reader gets to know well through a variety of interactions with colleagues, friends, felons, and family his beloved wife Hilda "She Who Must Be Obeyed." She tries her best to facilitate his recovery by signing them up for a health club membership which he circumvents by having a colleague sign in for him. His creativeness in preparing defenses for his clients that no one else in his practice wants is phenomenal. Characters are developed in such a comical way a smile stays with as you read. PBS had a series from this author's work many years ago which was excellently crafted as well. I will continue with the other selections in the series and I suspect you will do so too after this read.

[A.K. Kulshreshth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the pleasures of reading is dicovering a series such as this one rather late in life.

I was hoping to detox from a particularly bad week at work, and Rumpole, brilliantly read by Bill Wallis, exceeded my expectations.

In this collection of short stories, Rumpole first proves that rumours of his death are exaggerated, and then goes on to consistently get justice for the underdog episode by episode. The undedog can be a street urchin or a senior police official. Rumpole ensures that the wheels of justice creakingly turn the right way, even when judges themselves visibly fawn over the wrong person. In each case, he is aided heavily by coincidences, but that's all right. There's a lot that makes up for them: the lovable cast of characters, the laugh-aloud moments, the exploration of the role custard might play in love, and the rich social commentary.

Delightful. And probably one of those works that are better listened to than read.

[Viva · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of short stories featuring Rumpole, a skillful and canny defense barrister. Not all the action takes place in the courts, his fellow barristers, his wife and various ancillaries are usually heavily featured in each short. Most of the shorts deal with him winning his case in unconventional ways, usually due to him sleuthing out the truth. And pretty much every other barrister is incompetent and every judge is biased against the defendant. Not sure how accurate that is in British courts.

The writing is easy to read and follow. The action and pace is somewhat low key and there's a lot of understated humor. Rumpole is basically your old fashioned, wine swigging, cigar smoking, food loving champion of the downtrodden. You would want him to defend you.

I'm re-reading the entire series. Tbh, the writing is somewhat slow so this isn't what you want if you want edge of the seat thrills. It's Yorkshire pud rather than haute cuisine.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the audio version of the book and it is very good. The narrator was able to not only create different voices for the various characters but also to get the usual tones of irony and sarcasm that are an integral part of all Rumpole novels. This novel had a theme of Rumpole in peril due to health issues and it was interesting to see the responses of the usual cast of characters to this serious concern. It is a good addition to the series but first time readers would enjoy it more more if they read some of the earlier novels first and so be introduced to the cast of reoccurring personalities. There is a level of repetitiveness to the series but the mysteries and solutions are entertaining. It got 5 stars because the book gave exactly what I expect from a Rumpole novel - it was fun and entertaining.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rumpole is nearly always what I turn to when I'm interested in gentle humor, sly reading eye winks at the absurdities of life. But then, this book begins with good old Rumpole having suffered a heart attack and his office mates treating it as if he has died.

What numnuts! Even showing a bit of his age, Rumpole never loses his sense of wit and gile. and these six stories not only show that the old man is not through kicking but he also knows just where to make the most impact. Rumpole likes life on his terms and so do we. These are fun to read and a solid addition to the series that began in 1978 and like the Energizer Bunny, just keeps ticking.

[Mark Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do miss Rumpole. This is the last book of short stories by the late John Mortimer and it shows no signs that his powers were flagging.
In the title story—which was nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America’s—Rumpole turns the tables on a dreadful convalescent home in which he was trapped (at the beginning of the story). Other tales are variations on the old and loving themes: the criminal family Timson, the Old Bull Judge Bellingham, Claude Erskine Brown’s propensity to fall in love with any woman who is not his wife.
Horace, we hardly knew he.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Rumpole books rate either a 4 or a 5+++, depending on how many times I have read and reread them. They are always fresh, funny and super entertaining.

In this one a Ms Luci Gribble has been hired as marketing director for Equity Court. You can imagine Rumpole’s reaction to that!! Well, he doesn’t have much say as he is recuperating from a heart attack in the Primrose Path Home. It’s too clean, no Pomroy’s plonk, no small cigars. Not Rumpole’s kind of place. So, he does a runner.....

And Rumpole returns to chambers. What follows are a series of cases in true Rumpole style.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rumpole and the Primrose Path" - Rumpole was at a convalescence home when one of the nurses was accused of murder. Solved.
"Rumpole and the New Year's Resolutions" - Mrs. Fagin (as in Dickens' character) in the subway. Won.
"Rumpole and the Scales of Justice" - Rumpole defended a policeman who had been critical towards lawyers in the TV. Won.
"Rumpole and the Right to Privacy" - A businessman vs a local newspaper. Won.
"Rumpole and the Vanishing Juror" - A juror held a key to solving a murder. Won.
"Rumpole Redeemed" - A reformed convict with a unique bathroom habit. Won.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

#BeatTheBacklist: the title includes a type of flower

As David Suchet is synonymous with Poirot, so to me is Leo McKern the very incarnation of the rumpled, disreputable, and curmudgeonly Rumpole of the Bailey.
This collection of loosely linked cases are easy reading at its best. Witty and compulsively readable, I wonder that these cases have sat unattended on my shelf for so long. However, now discovered I have plenty of other volumes to enjoy.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

These short stories are best read after having become acquainted with the recurring characters from the novels. For me, the actors from the television series always sprang to mind, not a bad thing but clearly a testament to the power of that production.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Rumpole short stories. Opening with Rumpole collapsing in court with a heart attack and being sent to a nursing home after hospital. Needless to say, he doesn't take well to being deprived of his wine.
These stories are all great fun, even if they are a bit formulaic.