Rating: 
Summary: absolutely dull!
Review: I bought this because reviews on the back cover stated it was as good as Sayers, Christie, etc.
Indescribable boredom best describes my feeling prior to putting the book in the bin - I could not even give it to a charity bookshop - it was so dull!!
The English speech patterns are obviously derived from Coronotaion Street or such like soaps - while the effect sought is apparently PG Wodehouse with a touch of The Nine Tailors.
Characters have tedious conversations, the hero - a Scotland Yard policeman - apparently has no work to do, but he is in love with a Lady Kennington - therefore very posh! The only entertaining character is the owner of an antiques shop - but that's just because he is very rude about everybody else!
Rating: 
Summary: Two murders, a Scotland Yard detective and a pub.
Review: I don't think it will give anything away to tell the reader the the title "The Case Has Altered" is the name of a pub in Lincolnshire. More specifically the Lincloln Fens, an area that was under the North Sea and was reclaimed. Where tuplips are grown, hence the nickname; Little Holland. This is not the usual case for Jury of the Yard, in fact it is not his case. It's his lady friend who is the suspect. A really good mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than a sleeping pill
Review: I dropped off to sleep at least twenty-five times while reading the first one third of the book. This is my first book by the author. I didn't really get a picture of the characters for a long time. I asume prior knowledge of the author's books would have been helpful, however, an author of a series needs to include enough background material so a reader doesn't feel as if he has started reading in the middle of the book. I didn't get an understanding of the relationship between Jury and the main suspect. I didn't understand how the characters are related. I've read other series books by different authors and never had the feeling that I was starting in the middle of the book. I usually am curious and go back and get the previous books. However, these characters will never make me feel as if I'm visiting old friends. They are so boring that I will be happy to let them drift off into the sunset never to return. I forced myself to finish the book because I spent the money to purchase a hardback book and had an optimistic tenacity that the book would eventually develop suspense and interest. It didn't.
Rating:
Summary: Not worth reading!
Review: I have read all of the Inspector Jury novels and enjoyed each of them. Not so with this last. The writing was weak from beginning to middle (where I finally had had enough and put it aside). I am still hoping that the next book might revive the previously memorable characters to their former readable selves. I won't make the same mistake though and buy the book but will wait to get it from the library!
Rating: 
Summary: Melrose takes the case!
Review: I missed Jury a bit during this read but Melrose is fabulous. This is a wonderful story, taking place out in the fens, filled with a fascinating cast including Jury's true love, Jenny, who's a suspect for murder, a little girl who lives in a barn with posters of old rock starts, the little girl's Aunt, a woman who has a mystery held over from many years previous, disappeared children... and of course Melronse, the urbane best friend of Jury's. And through it all is Martha Grimes artful, beautiful use of language. Her words leave me spellbound with their melody and color. I've read this one three times...be sure you read it at least once!
Rating: 
Summary: I Got A Bit Lost in This One
Review: I will admit that NOT ONLY have I NOT read all of Grimes' work, but that what I have read has been all out of order. In her works before 2000, that didn't seem to matter too much. There was some related themes between the books - like Viv's engagment to Count Dracula - but mostly reading her books in any order was fine. However, recently, there seems to be much more carryover between books. To start, there's a growing list of women that Jury and/or Plant both 'love' - Vivian, Polly Praed, Ellen Taylor, Bea Slocum, and Jenny Kennington to start with. Jenny Kennington was the focus of this one, but while apparently she is Jury's true love, I felt so detached because I had never read about her before. There were many other such references that went over my head while new 'regulars' had been added that I didn't really know. In addition to being ripped out of my comfortable old crowd at the 'Jack and Hammer,' I sometimes felt like I must have missed reading a couple of chapters in this book. Grimes keeps referring to an event where Melrose searched all over for Jenny Kennington, and somehow this caused a problem with Jury. At first I thought this referred back to another case in another book, but as the tale went on it seemed like it happened at some point in this book. I was thoroughly confused. For those who don't know, the main focus of the book is a double murder (one following the other by 2 weeks) out on the desolate fens of England. One victim is of the minor movie star Vera Dunn, the vicious ex-wife of Max Owen, who owns the estate where Dunn was visiting when killed. The other murder is of Owen's vegetable cook. This young cook was a nosy unattractive girl whom everyone overlooked and forgot. What motive could anyone possibly have to kill two such different woman? My confusion aside, I still don't think this is one of Grimes' better efforts. If you haven't read any of her books, certainly don't start here. You'll appreciate it more if you have developed an affinity the characters. If you have read Grimes, I would say that while I generally appreciate her trying new things, somehow this plot didn't fall together for her. She makes this one different by letting Jury be vulnerable and, essentially, out of control. He is no longer the smooth operator one step ahead of everyone else. However, something just didn't quite work here. I saw her clues easily planted and solved the case well before the end (which I NEVER do). It wasn't bad, and it was fun to reunite with Plant, Trueblood, etc., but I definitely prefer her other books more.
Rating:
Summary: I Got A Bit Lost in This One
Review: I will admit that NOT ONLY have I NOT read all of Grimes' work, but that what I have read has been all out of order. In her works before 2000, that didn't seem to matter too much. There was some related themes between the books - like Viv's engagment to Count Dracula - but mostly reading her books in any order was fine. However, recently, there seems to be much more carryover between books. To start, there's a growing list of women that Jury and/or Plant both 'love' - Vivian, Polly Praed, Ellen Taylor, Bea Slocum, and Jenny Kennington to start with. Jenny Kennington was the focus of this one, but while apparently she is Jury's true love, I felt so detached because I had never read about her before. There were many other such references that went over my head while new 'regulars' had been added that I didn't really know. In addition to being ripped out of my comfortable old crowd at the 'Jack and Hammer,' I sometimes felt like I must have missed reading a couple of chapters in this book. Grimes keeps referring to an event where Melrose searched all over for Jenny Kennington, and somehow this caused a problem with Jury. At first I thought this referred back to another case in another book, but as the tale went on it seemed like it happened at some point in this book. I was thoroughly confused. For those who don't know, the main focus of the book is a double murder (one following the other by 2 weeks) out on the desolate fens of England. One victim is of the minor movie star Vera Dunn, the vicious ex-wife of Max Owen, who owns the estate where Dunn was visiting when killed. The other murder is of Owen's vegetable cook. This young cook was a nosy unattractive girl whom everyone overlooked and forgot. What motive could anyone possibly have to kill two such different woman? My confusion aside, I still don't think this is one of Grimes' better efforts. If you haven't read any of her books, certainly don't start here. You'll appreciate it more if you have developed an affinity the characters. If you have read Grimes, I would say that while I generally appreciate her trying new things, somehow this plot didn't fall together for her. She makes this one different by letting Jury be vulnerable and, essentially, out of control. He is no longer the smooth operator one step ahead of everyone else. However, something just didn't quite work here. I saw her clues easily planted and solved the case well before the end (which I NEVER do). It wasn't bad, and it was fun to reunite with Plant, Trueblood, etc., but I definitely prefer her other books more.
Rating:
Summary: Did a ghost writer write this?
Review: I've read everyone of Martha Grimes Richard Jury mysteries and enjoyed them. The rich dialog and description. This one has none of that. In fact the dialog between Melrose and Jury in the first chapter sounded like a beginning writer's attempt at pithy dialog. I'm about half way through and keep wondering if this book was ghost written. It is truly terrible. These great characters deserve better.
Rating:
Summary: A Great book for Martha Grimes Fans!
Review: If you like Martha Grimes, you will enjoy this book. It has a well developed plot that keeps you guessing to the end. It was an enjoyable read if you are familiar with Richard Jury and Melrose Plant. If you have not read any of her work you may be wondering how all these people fit together.
Rating:
Summary: A Great book for Martha Grimes Fans!
Review: If you like Martha Grimes, you will enjoy this book. It has a well developed plot that keeps you guessing to the end. It was an enjoyable read if you are familiar with Richard Jury and Melrose Plant. If you have not read any of her work you may be wondering how all these people fit together.
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