This and That with Karen : The Old Success by Martha Grimes

Mar 8, 2020

The Old Success by Martha Grimes

Hello my friends

Today I am reviewing the “Old Success” the 25th instalment in the Richard Jury Mysteries by Martha Grimes. It's been awhile since I visited with Richard Jury, Melrose Plant and the rest of his group of friends. This is one of my favourite British mystery series.

When the body of a French woman washes up on a wild inlet off the Cornish coast, Brian Macalvie, divisional commander with the Devon-Cornwall police is called in. Who could have killed this beautiful tourist, the only visible footprints nearby belonging to the two little girls who found her?

While Macalvie stands in the Scilly Islands, inspector Richard Jury-twenty miles away on Land's End--is at The Old Success pub, sharing a drink with the legendary former CID detective Tom Brownell, a man renowned for solving every case he undertook. Except one.

In the days following the mysterious slaying of the Parisian tourist, two other murders take place: first, a man is shot on a Northhamptonshire estate, then a holy duster turns up murdered at Exeter Cathedral in Devon. Macalvie, Jury and Bronwell set out to discover whether these three killings, though very different in execution, are connected.

Written with Grimes's signature wit, sly plotting, and gloriously offbeat characters, The Old Success is prime fare from "one of the most fascinating mystery writers today" (Houston Chronicle).

I have been a fan of the Richard Jury series for many years, and this latest instalment was no let down. The mystery was well done, with a few twists and turns to keep you guessing.

I would not recommend starting the series with this book if you haven't read the others but I do highly recommend starting with The Man with a Load of Mischief and reading the whole series in order. If you are a fan of British mysteries you will definitely enjoy this series.