Rating: 
Summary: Is Ms. Grimes getting tired of Richard?
Review: Richard Jury's old cop buddy, Mickey, is dying. He calls on Jury's expertise to help him solve a decades old case of deception. When modern murder intervenes, Jury and his old friend Melrose Plant set out to unravel both the new and old mysteries.We see the usual suspects: Jury, Plant, Trueblood, the young child, the plucky boy, the old wealthy gentleman, the hard-hearted woman, the maybe-so/maybe-not imposter. What we don't see, alas, is real originality in plotting. As I read The Blue Last, I experienced deja vu--I had read this Richard Jury novel before. Plant and Trueblood together are amusing, as usual. Ms. Grimes seems to have put too much emphasis on perspective and art style to render her theme. There seemed something lacking there. Considering the location of their excursion, the absence of a certain female character was disappointing. The sudden bit appearance of an old female character was surprising and felt out of place, as though she had been added just to "make the readers happy. You felt like you'd met all these characters before--even the plucky boy with the dog living on his own. Add to this, the destruction of much of the "history" of the characters as we know it (perhaps this was tying in with her theme of perspective again) and the disappointment builds. At the end, when the killer is revealed, there is no surprise. Although motive may not have been apparent, the suspect certainly had been from the beginning of the novel. Perhaps my real disappointment comes with the ending, which can only be called ambiguous. If you dislike cliffhanger endings, you'll loathe this one. I give the book 3 stars mostly due to loyalty as I've read Martha Grimes since her first (Man with a Load of Mischief). Save your money for the paperback, though.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I've read every book in the Richard Jury series and enjoyed them, and so I was delighted when The Blue Last arrived. My delight soon turned to disappointment however. The standard reviews from the critics all address issues of plot and character, but what most distracted me was the uneven writing, poorly contrived metaphors, and generally disjointed narrative. I found it very difficult to get through, sad to say...
Rating: 
Summary: Good, Different but Good
Review: My advice to those who aren't sure and are worried about Martha Grimes 'tiring' of the Richard Jury series...well first, who could blame her? But again, I'd say she's still got it. I didn't find the Long Pid characters too repetitive and alot of information is still being given to us yet about Jury and Plant. My biggest complaint? WHY, oh WHY is there no 'Mystery' BBC production of these books??? I can see it now... particularly since Jury is now aging like fine wine in the The Blue Last, Timothy Dalton as Jury and oh...say...Patrick Ryecart as Melrose Plant. But enough of that, if you want back inside Jury's head, read this book. It's British dry, as we love them.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling
Review: Richard Jury does it again, in his 17th adventure. It's a case of switched identities, as Jury goes back to a 50-year old mystery in which Kitty Riordan's child and Maisie Tynedale may have been switched during the last bomb raid on London during WWII. Who is behind the switch? Then Simon Croft, an author was writing a book on London in WWII, is murdered, and the whole mystery changes. Melrose Plant enters in when Jury recruits him to do some investigative research. The ending is suspenseful, thrilling, and even I, a fan of Martha Grimes, wasn't aware of what was coming. Highly engaging and fun to read. A must for all fans of Richard Jury.
Rating: 
Summary: I'll Take The Unpopular Road
Review: I loved every minute reading this book. Her humor is, as always, brilliant! British humor sparkles once again! The ending might not be popular, but then again, sometimes life's like that too. Her twists and turns are classic mystery. For those who felt they were left dangling, you must read "The Grave Maurice". The story goes on.... I personally, have never been disappointed with her work.
Rating:
Summary: Proof that Grimes is More than a Mystery Writer
Review: I will admit up front that I am not a hard-core mystery reader. I read them in between other projects for a bit of respite. My first choice for mysteries is Grimes because from her very first book, her clues were buried below the surface of rich characterization and commentary on life. I absolutely adore her and her characters. Well, I will say that she forces her metaphors a bit and she definitely dwells in a land of depression, precocious children and adults who aren't tied to desk jobs...but, who's perfect?
Lately, however, I sense that Grimes has been getting restless. I'm sure she loves Jury and Plant and all, but she definitely hasn't been willing on cookie-cutter formulas for her success. In this one, she opens up with the SAME chapter that I just read in 'The Man With a Load of Mischief' (her first novel). Later on she quips (though Polly Praed I believe) that you can turn in the same old stuff to publishers and they'll never notice. Her sharp, even cynical characters already show her tendency to see through the superfluous. However, here you can just see her restlessness with her own success. For those who don't know, this particular story is involved with solving 3 mysteries to start with:
- Is the woman calling herself Maisie Tyndale the true heir to the Tyndale fortune, or was the true Maisie killed along with her mother back in a backing in WWII? If it isn't Maisie, did the nanny slip her own infant daughter into Maisie's place?
- Who killed Simon Croft? Was it someone in the closer-than-kin Tyndale family who is threatened by his research of WWII for his book?
- Is Trueblood's panel a Massachio? (No, honestly, this takes quite a bit of time.) As usual, Grimes raises alot of red herrings and other mysteries before winding down to a close. But in her surprise ending she asks of the audience the same questions that she's been asking of her characters throughout the book. It's enough to drive a mystery fan nuts but also to leave you awed by Grimes' nerve. While everyone who loves her would love for her to keep cranking out the Jury-and-Plant song-and-dance routine, Grimes does no such thing...
Rating: 
Summary: The Blue Last
Review: The Blue Last is the name of a pub subject to bombing during World War II. The mother of a young baby died. There is a mystery as to whether a young nursemaid substituted her child for the deceased baby who would inherit a considerable fortune. Richard Jury lost his own parents during the war and does not like to think of such things. Mickey Haggerty, a police officer, presents the case to Jury for solution. Mickey is afflicted with a fast-acting cancer. He feels that he lacks the time to puzzle out the answers. Simon Croft is writing a memoir of World War II. He has connections to the owners of The Blue Last. Jury of Scotland Yard and Mickey of the municipal police force jointly investigate his murder. It was made to look like a burglary, but the scratches came from inside the house. Richard Jury meets Gemma, a ward, nine years old. She believes she has been the subject of a homicide attempt. The child, Benny, who runs a delivery service, knows her. Jury questions Benny about Gemma Trimm. He says she is sort of invisible. People do not notice her. Perhaps she is making up things to attract attention. Melrose Plant and Marshall Trueblood travel to Italy to try to authenticate a possible Masaccio painting Trueblood has acquired. Jury decides not to participate in their proposed trip to Florence. Benny, the child delivery person, lives under the bridge. The number of orphaned persons in this work is astounding. Jury has an opportunity to interview Simon Croft's sister. He ascertains from her she does not care for Kitty Riordan, the nursemaid or for Maisie, the child who grew up after the demolition of the pub by bombing. Melrose Plant, having returned from italy, goes undercover as a gardener at the lodge. It is believed that the death of Simon Croft is the result of an inside job. Jury and Plant consider Gemma Trimm. It is unlikely that there are two cases of hidden identity in the household. The history of Bletchley Park and the Enigma code are involved in the solution to this mystery. There is a surprise ending I will not disclose. The tale is rich and diverse. There are at least three plot strands, each of which standing alone would make compelling reading.
Rating:
Summary: Middle of the Richard Jury Pack In Quality
Review: I've read about a dozen of the Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes. I'd place this about the middle of the pack. The proposition - unearthed body from a bombed-out WW2 pub may reveal an impersonation - is ingenious in its own way. Without giving anything away, this one relies on a least-suspected-villain type of plot, which was handled relatively well. Martha Grimes does rely too much on coincidences in her plots, but this is hardly the worst offender IMHO. I'd rate it OK for Grimes fans, but look elsewhere for your first Grimes book, i.e. The Man With A Load Of Mischief.
Rating:
Summary: entices you to read her next book
Review: I think the ending in this book is where most of the lower reviews come in to play. We have one mystery answered but there are too many other unanswered questions that just beg us to go get her next book to find out the answers. Overall, I really liked the book, and I am already searching to see if she has written a follow up. If she has then it was a great book, if not then it left you hanging and frustrated. Jury is asked by a friend who is also a police officer, but who doesn't have long to live, if he would help investigate a mystery that happened years ago during World War II. Two woman were in a pub and each have a baby with them. One of the women go outside to take a walk with the other mother's baby (so she says) and while she is gone, the pub gets bombed and the people inside are killed, including the woman's baby and the mother of the baby she is taking a stroll with. His friend knows the family, which is extremely wealthy, and he thinks that the woman is lying about which baby died so that her baby will be raised as Maisie Tyndale, who will inherit a large amount of the Tyndale fortune some day. He asks Jury to investigate and, of course, because they are friends, Jury agrees. A Mr. Croft, who is a close friend of the Tyndales, is killed shortly after that and all of his manuscripts, computer, and notes on a book he was writing is stolen. Other characters are, Gemma (a ward of Oliver Tyndale and one of his favorites) and Benny (a boy living off the streets with a dog) and of course you have the other characters that are usually involved in her Richard Jury mysteries. The book kept my interest all the way to the end, but it didn't answer all my questions. If there is not a sequel, then there really needs to be one. I am going to check and see as soon as I finish this review. :)
| 
