Dust: A Richard Jury Mystery

I promised myself that after her last book "The Old Wine Shades", I would never again buy one of Ms. Grimes books until they were available at a bargain price. Did I listen to myself? No! And the result is that I am still frustrated at the continuing change in the characters I loved in the earlier books. Come on. Do the faithful readers of this series really believe that Richard Jury is as sex crazed as Ms. Grimes has written here? Why Ms Grimes? Do you think this will sell more books? Maybe new readers will be intrigued, but this Jury/Plante follower has had enough of such poorly written books - don't get me started on the editing! Makes me sad.

I think I'll just reread the first books of this series to wash away the distaste I have for the last two. Just think. Characters you can like; plots that make sense; editing that is spot on!

Ms. Grimes you need to look at the direction in which you are going.

Martha Grimes long series featuring Superintendant Richard Jury is running into problems. Her books are like spending time with an old friend. You both might've changed, the spark is gone, but some connection stays inspite of all the problems. Her mysteries are less and less mysterious with every passing novel. For those of us who are passionate lovers of this genre, that is becomming a tad annoying.
Anyway, her characters that I've been following for over 20 years are dear to me. It would be nice, though, if she gets back on track and brings back the old lustre.

I enjoyed the latest Richard Jury novel despite several problems with it, namely the resolution which made very little sense at all. What did the Seavac really have to do with the murder? Where is the motive? Why did Lu visit Rose Ames at the very end of the story, and what is up her accident at the end. Is there a purpose? If not for these questions I would have rated the book higher because the story itself was interesting. Yes, Richard Jury has been changed as a character from his earlier days, but first time readers wouldn't know that. I sort like the new, looser Richard Jury. He acts like a man who didn't know what hit him and judging by the reviews here, the readers didn't quite either. I'm giving it three stars because the story did not bore me and kept me reading. Too bad the ending was such a muddled mess. I wonder if Martha Grimes was coming upon a deadline and finished the book in haste. It sure seems that way.

Is Martha Grimes trying to kill her fan base with DUST. The story picks up where THE OLD WINE SHADES leaves off, but still doen't go anywhere. It's like what she may have deleted in an edit has been published in a second book.
I reread all of her Jury/Plant titles while recovering from an operation. Now I wonder why I kept them on my shelves, taking up space. If fact I ordered a few I didn't have.
Do hope she pulls her characters out of the slump. I miss Aunt Agatha and friends.
Nash Black, writer.

Dust, by Martha Grimes, marks the 21st entry in this exceptional series featuring Superintendent Richard Jury and his scene stealing friend Melrose Plant. Though I would have preferred the duo spend a little more time in Melrose's hometown visiting with Marshall Trueblood and Vivian Rivington, I do think this book marked a return to form for Ms. Grimes. Many of the preceding reviews speak of the "violent sex" in this book being such a departure for Jury. Give Ms. Grimes a little more credit for her understanding of Jury. I do not recall Jury every having such an intense reaction to any romantic muse. Aguilar seems to be the catalyst for this intense relationship. But the relationship, and its effects, are but one of several plotlines in this story. Clearly Ms. Grimes gives more credit to her longtime readers than having to provide a Perry Mason like ending with closing arguements. How anyone could not know who killed Billy Maples by the time the novel ends must not have payed attention.

I was disappointed at first to learn that Harry Johnson made a return appearance; however, I enjoyed Harry's role hear. More as foil, rather than ever present dinner companion as he was in much maligned The Old Wine Shades. Melrose and Richard Jury are in fine form here. They work together well to solve the murder as they have so many times before. A fine mystery that works. Ms. Grimes is back. I hope for many, many more Jury/Plant mysteries to come.

This is my first Martha Grimes novel. I am about 150 pages in and utterly confused about the plot.
I had to search through other reviews to figure out that she had thrown in random chapters that pull in plots from previous novels.

Dust by Martha Grimes is a fairly good English mystery, but be warned, it's not going to end like anything else you've ever read. It does not become apparent until the last chapter that the author is trying to create a new kind of mystery. This is the first Grimes novel I've read, but the tale did not leave me feeling uninformed. Melrose was a real treat and I found him and his part in the story more interesting than Jury, who seemed sort of regular. This made the story a Sherlock Holms and Watson thing, where Watson was the more interesting player. There is a believability problem with the victim's father and his best friend, being of the same generation, both having been transported out of Germany during the war. There is also a suspicion that the grandmother was also transported, but only a suspicion. The characters are wonderful creations, but the sex seems unlikely and feels faked. Even with its flaws I still enjoyed the book.

Dust, by Martha Grimes (344 pgs., 2007). "Dust" was the twenty-first book in the series featuring Superintendent Richard Jury of Scotland Yard.
I've read all of this author's published works. Rarely has she disappointed me. Her books featuring Richard Jury & his merry band of warriors are my favorites. A good Richard Jury book is something to relish & cherish. This is one of those books.
In this novel, the usual supporting cast changes somewhat. Melrose Plant, the self-defrocked former Earl & Lord Ardry & Jury's best friend appears, as always. He does have an important role in this book. However, the merry band of warriors in the quaint village of Long Piddleton do little more than make some token appearances. Thankfully, this means that my least favorite character, Plant's Aunt Agatha, also makes limited appearances. Young Benny Keegan continues to play a role in Jury's life, as does his dog Sparky, who helped save Jury's life in a recent novel. Dr. Phyllis Nancy, a pathologist for Scotland Yard reappears & she is a romantic interest in Jury's life. Jury's colorful neighbors only make token appearances. I miss them. Yet, we have a compelling new character, Detective Inspector Lu Aguilar.
Lu is a female. She & Jury have an instant sexual attraction. Grimes usually doesn't write like this. Jury often lives like a monk, let alone having to deal with having sexual relations with two attractive women who are both attracted to him. Is something going on in the life our author?
Dust is the name of a pub, continuing the tradition of all the titles in this series being named for pubs. Breaking tradition, this isn't a quaint pub in some quaint British village. It's a modern pub in modern London.
The plot is intricate. When the reader thinks he's solved it, it turns in another direction. This is one of the author's strongest books in the Jury series. Not the most emotive or the one containing the most eccentric characters or the one containing the most evocative scenery; but, it does contain some of her strongest & most intricate plotting. The author tosses in WWII, the Holocaust, the theft & confiscation of art during WWII, the kindertransport of mainly Jewish children from the continent to the UK, the evacuation of children from the UK to Canada during WWII via ships, & code-breaking in the U.K. Somehow she takes facts from all these real historical incidents of history & creates characters who several decades later interact in ways the reader could readily understand. Toss in the village of Rye & the home of Henry James & the novels of Henry James & even an antagonist from Jury's last case. However, figuring out this plot isn't easy.
I've enjoyed this latest addition to the Jury series. The ending is a real cliff hanger. Lu Aguilar Dr. Phyllis Nancy & Richard Jury all are involved in it. Does Jury's life take a critical turn? Wait & see.

The relationship between Jury and Lu rang false. It had neither true passion nor romance. Mostly it served as yet another pretext for Jury's unutterably tedious angst. I had hoped we had put that to bed with the final wrap up of his obsession with the memory of the blitz and his mother's death (which seems to be a false memory . . . most likely because if he was actually 6 at the time of her death and it had been during the blitz he would be 72 and that would not fit well with the character as written).

I suspect I am in the minority on this but the joy of this series has been for me the interaction between Jury and Melrose Plant and company. In the spirit of complete disclosure I must admit that I have always preferred Plant as a character. And, it is a long 86 pages before Plant shows up in Dust.

There are some interesting and compelling characters. Lamb's House is wonderful. But, for me, not a satisfying read.

What's the matter with Martha Grimes? Isn't there anyone from her publisher, her agent, her friends who can help her write something that makes sense? What a huge disappointment "Dust" is. Is there anyone out there who can tell me who killed Billy Maples and why? What about the grandparents, the parents, the artwork? What's DI Aguilar about? What was her accident all about and who was the man killed in the accident? Also, for heaven's sake, someone please clear up the whole mess about the tables being overturned and that being a clue for Melrose. Fill me in on the drowning of Jessup's sisters and who did it?
I really hope someone can make sense of this. I was awake most of last night trying to figure it about. I was so glad that other readers felt the same way. I don't feel like an idiot any more.
Mary
[email protected]

And this book did not disappoint me that much. I will admit that it was a little low on plot, and that I didn't get a chance to see more of the real characters in the Jack and Hammer. But I did get to see Plant, and he plays a key role in this one, by connecting all the dots, so to speak. I think Jury was a little preoccupied with two romantic interests at the time. I did not like how the book ended however. I felt a lot of things were unanswered and it certainly left one hanging as to what happened at the very end. But Ms. Grimes knows how to write a good book, and that kept me tunring pages. She has also placed some very interesting young people in this book.

I waited to say anything about any of the Richard Jury series till I have finished it all. That was the quest I set out for myself at the beginning of the year and have now completed.

Admittedly I read the last two books Wine Shades and Dust with a bit of trepidation with all the negative reviews. I am glad to say I disagree-I rather enjoyed both books. Perhaps I enjoyed Wine Shades which I thought was a bit more creative in its approach better.

I am beginning to wonder about some of these mystery writers. Granted a series should follow with some degree of continuity but the last three Grimes novels seem really too connected, especially the last two. What is up with Harry Johnson and Mungo? Is he Jury's Moriarty. I had a problem with David Hewson and his Nic Costa mystery The Lizard's Bite which was a real sequel to Lucifer's Shadow or Elizabeth George's last two. I don't know how good idea it is for a writer to have this kind of serial mentality expecting any reader to be in with the writer every step of the way. For someone just picking up a Grimes book for the first time like Dust-not a good introduction.

I think like Susannah Gregory and her Matthew Bartholomew-it is really not the crime and its solving which is the primary focus. It seems to be a more "getting to know you" reading experience. I do believe as someone mentioned Grimes seems to have Jury in the last two novels experiencing some kind of life realization-a sort of ephiphany to change (and somewhat for Plant regarding his parentage) or alter the direction of is life's direction. Lu probably represents the need for Jury to get some passion in his life-wild unrestraint passion unlike the other "relationships" romantic that came before. Maybe in her next Jury novel ole Dick may actually fall in love-something he does not appear to be able to do.

In other words (and some of the later novels like Winds and Wink have been pretty heavy in topic) she wants to lighten up the stories and the characters. Now she just has to do something with Harry Johnson. And who knows in the end Jury might end up with a dog of his own.

I usually love the Richard Jury, Melrose Plant books. I enjoyed reading this one but THERE IS NO ENDING!!!!
When I got to the end of the book I assumed the printer had bound it without the last chapter or two and went to the library to find the ending but found the book had no ending.

Very disappointing way to end a book.

Like another reviewer said, after THE OLD WINE SHADES I swore I would never read another Grimes mystery. But having loved her earlier books so well (I got hooked with THE STARGAZEY and have read almost all of them since)I couldn't resist the plot outline on the cover and hoped that perhaps Ms. Grimes had returned to form. Unfortunately, she hasn't. While better than THE OLD WINE SHADES (which I think might have been a joke on the public)DUST at least attempts to tell a complete story. The operative word here is attempts. She is not successful. I can forgive an author anything so long as there is some kind of reasonable conclusion to the story. Like, an ending! Jury's sexual escapades, the Henry James' references, even the ridiculous errors regarding the appropriate ages of the characters (obviously Ms. Grimes can't add since there's no way some of these characters could have been involved in WW2 and be the ages they are purported to be in the book!)- all these things I can overlook with a satisfying finale. Like they say on Broadway: hit them with a great closing number and they'll forget everything else before it! Ms. Grimes is still a wonderfully talented writer. Even her "bad" stuff is well-written. Like listening to Richard Burton read the phone book...it sounds great but who cares after a while!

Huh? Turning eagerly to Chapter 54, I discovered it wasn't there..did I get a defective copy from a reputable bookstore? Then as I wondered if I were dreadfully lacking in perception, how delightful to read customer reviews by equally puzzled readers, including one saying that maybe the answers will appear in a subsequent book!

Probably the murderer was fairly obvious, but motive? And I have no clue about the earlier incident. If any kind reviewer can point me in the right direction without divulging anything to spoil it for future readers, please do. Thanks.

This is a great disappointment. First of all, the constant references to a previous book which I hadn't read did nothing but frustrate and confuse. Secondly, the distracting prattle about Henry James seemed to be little more than literary showing off. Thirdly, the whole plot seems to hang on a series of totally inconceivable coincidences. Fourthly, the basic research on the kindertransport was, at best, inadequate. I was a big fan of the Richard Jury series. Now I'm not sure if I'll bother buying the next one...

Am always on the lookout for new and interesting crime writers. I bought this book in the hope of discovering a worthwhile writer but was sorely disappointed. A plot that made little or no sense and was extremely farfetched. Plot did not grip me, in the end I decided to throw the book out before finishing it, I will not waste my precious time reading this kind of rubbish.

...and SO confusing. I've always loved the Richard Jury series, but this book and The Old Wine Shades have tried my affections to the point where I don't know that I'll read any future books.
To begin with, the Jury/Aguilar lustful, furntiture-breaking, neighbor-disturbing relationship rings so false that it almost ruined the rest of the book for me early on. I just couldn't see Richard Jury becoming that abandoned for ANY woman. I do understand that all people have hidden facets to their characters, but this was just too over-the-top.
I've come to the conclusion that all the loose ends in the plot lines of this book, which have been very well addressed in the previous reviews, were actually in Ms. Grimes' head - she just forgot to write them down.
Very sad.

I found this book badly done on several levels. First of all is Martha's blatant disregard for a sensible time line. Most of her characters were alive during WWII. That would be 60-70 years ago. Yet we have Richard Jury turned into a sexual athlete and rappelling a 15 foot wall! In the early books Richard remembers his mother's WWII death although Martha now seems to be trying be buy him a few years by claiming that he was a baby at the time and actually could not possibly remember his mother. It is most difficult to try to make sense of this book with regard to the characters, their relationships/ages and WWII. I also found her characters predictable including the obligatory child(ren) and animal(s). And the end, as mentioned by other reviewers, was annoying. Altogether this book was not satisfactory. I liked the first Jury books much better.

After suffering through the Old Wine Shades I had hopes for this. When I finished it I checked the reviews on the store to see if I was the only one who didn't get the ending. How many books do you toss in the trash can? Well this one I did. What a shame. I feel like Martha Grimes has no clue how her devoted readers feel about these latest works. And all the Richard Jury sex stuff...please! A complete waste of time and money.

The murder of a blameless grandson to avenge the deaths of siblings pushed into the sea 50+ years ago by a bipolar grandmother who doesn't much care for her grandson anyway?? The motive suggested at the end of the novel is absurd and an insult to the reader added to the injury already caused by the farcical Richard-Lu furniture-tossing sexcapades. The only saving grace of this confused, unconvincing, and ultimately unrewarding book is that it may prompt a reader to pick a Henry James novel or a volume of his stories. His writing may be challenging, but he always kept faith with his reader. With the publication of Dust, Martha Grimes commits a big breach of trust with her fans, many of whom must feel as if she tossed them off the side of the boat just when they thought they were reaching an illuminated shore.

I'll be honest. I stopped reading this about two-thirds of the way through and have no intention of finishing it.

It seems like the author doesn't like her characters any more. Jury, Melrose Plant, the cameos by all the other regulars; every single regular character comes across as self-important and condescending. I don't want to spend time with any of these people.

Melrose Plant has become such a perfunctory character that all of his scenes could easily have been cut out of the book without affecting the story at all.

I also was quite vexed by the time setting of this book. Although it was written in 2007, the book contains the text "Kurt is in his midfifties, I belive. That would have made him somewhere around three or four at the time (event) started. It was nineteen thirty-nine." Basic math tells us that a someone born in 1935-36 would be over seventy by 2007, not in his mid-fifties. So, either the author doesn't know what year it is, or the book was set in about 1990. Without any attempt to otherwise establish that the setting is nearly twenty years ago. Other details support this - while Jury's age isn't given, we're told that he was alive during World War II, but he's written as a Lothario in his early 50's and not a 70-year-old approaching retirement.

The author has changed Richard Jury's character and it is disappointing. His sex scenes with Lu Aguilar resemble the mating habits of kangaroos. Why on earth did the author do this? It makes him appear to be more like a hormonal teenager who would mate with anyone available and Jury has not been like that in past books.

So bad is this installment of the Richard Jury series that one is forced to consider the possibility that Ms Grimes is no longer with us and that her publishers have decided to keep the franchise going by farming her byline out to booty book writers.
The prose style is uneven; the plot ludicrous and the denouement absolutely witless.
As a long time fan of this once capable and rewarding author, one laments the passing
of a very bright talent. Perhaps this is a one off and she'll be back in form with her next. I hope so. But Dust is so substandard an offering that it deserves its trashing.

I agree with the others who complain about: the gun not being mentioned as found in Brunner's desk and then stated as fact near the end, the time frames and ages not being compatible with WWII, and the Balcolm instead of Malcolm at the beginning of Chapter 25. Sloppy writing, editing and proofreading are always disappointing. Martha is apparently no Henry James.

I had decided against reading this latest Richard Jury installment. While many of her later Richard Jury novels (and we won't include "The Old Wine Shades" here) have been largely decent reads in spite of certain factors (characters and subplots that hijack the novel even though they have precious little to do with the main plot), these later installments really pale in comparison to her earlier stellar work. And so I had decided not to bother about reading "Dust" especially when I had heard that Jury's main preoccupation here was about bedding the detective in charge of the case he's horned in on, Detective Inspector Lu Aguilar. But a weekend looming with nothing to read, made me breakdown and borrow the book. And in the end I'm glad that I did. True, there was the unfortunate Jury-Aguilar diversion, but for the most part, in spite of the slowish start, "Dust" turned out to be a decent read.

When young Benny Keegan discovers the dead body of a guest in the patio of one of the room's at Zetter's (a rather posh London hotel), his first thought, after ascertaining that the man is actually dead, is to call up his friend Richard Jury of New Scotland Yard. After all, as an underaged child working illegally at the hotel, Benny cannot afford to be caught in the middle of a murder investigation, and that's where Jury comes in -- to stand between the wheels of an official investigation and Benny. For Jury however, this investigation poses a whole set of different problems. To begin with there is the murder victim, Billy Maples, a rich young man, given to lavish spending, mood swings, and who was such an aficionado of Henry James' that he rented James' cottage in Rye from the National Trust. Why was Maples murdered? For gain, or for revenge? Satisfied with none of the many hypothesis floating around, Jury sends Melrose Plant (once again) under cover, to see if Melrose can uncover some dirt that would shed light on Billy's murder. More disturbingly, though, is Jury's attraction to Detective Lu Aguilar, especially since it is an attraction that seems to be getting in the way of the investigation...

There are several things to appreciate about "Dust" -- the lyrically beautiful descriptions of scenes for example, and the manner in which Martha Grimes has incorporated Henry James into the plot. Another thing I truly appreciated is that the side show characters (Agatha, Vivian, Trueblood and Carole-anne) were confined to a few paragraphs here and there. So no chance for them to steal the book. Though, I was dismayed that Harry Johnson turned up in "Dust." (I suppose it was futile of me to wish that this character would either fade into the woodwork or else just be killed off ?) The storyline was a rather good and intriguing one too, even though it did get off to a slowish start and really didn't pick up until Melrose Plant makes an appearance. Who would've thought that the day would come when Melrose Plant would liven things up?

However, there were things that were unsatisfying too. The poor editing for example; and the fact that the mystery subplot was never really properly developed to my satisfaction. Could this have been the reason why it lacked complexity and subtlety? On another note, I'm embarrassed to admit that the whole kindertransport bit confused me a little. How could Roderick have been part of this, given that he wasn't a Jewish child or from one of the occupied countries? And since the last trip was in 1940, before things began to look bad for the Germans, his father would have had little incentive to smuggle him out of Germany? Which leads me to my last gripe: the ending was really not very satisfying at all. Who pushed those girls of the raft/boat?

All in all, it wasn't as bad as I feared it might be, and in many ways I rather enjoyed "Dust." I'd rate "Dust" as a 3 1/2 star read -- more good bits than bad, and end with the fervent hope that the next Jury novel will be the one that will wholeheartedly satisfy.

I agree with the reviewers who disliked the Jury sex angle - so unlike him and unlike Grimes - what possible purpose does it serve? Although I liked the story, it WAS confusing. I was okay with the boats and trains (although roderick, as a German, should not have been on the Kindertransport) but I also could not answer the questions at the end - who pushed the girls? What does rose have to do with it? Was Lu purposely run down by someone connected with the case in a Hillman (who died)? why did the gun suddenly pop up? Where are my favorite characters from the Jack and Hammer? What could have been a wonderful story was just ok. I've read all of Grimes and will continue to do so, but maybe I'll check the end first!

What is going on with Martha Grimes? Her last two books are so lacking in reading satisfaction that I will certainly hestitate prior to purchasing another. Did someone tell her that she needed to spice up the books with sex? The sex scenes were pretty laughable and I wonder whether the author actually wrote them?? Breaking furniture, pulling out desk drawers in the midst of passion. Please! The ending was frustratingly unsatisfactory. What was the point?

I've read several Grimes books and really enjoyed them. I purchased Dust as an audio book and couldn't believe it when the copyright info started playing--how could the book be over when I didn't know who the killer was or why Billy was killed (or who was in the car with Lu). I just "finished" it today and thought I must have zoned out for a while so I listened to the last 2 discs again--and I still don't know. I was sure I had a defective disc or two so I came to the the store reviews hoping for some clarity. It appears most reviewers had the same problem I did. Mangled story lines, shallow charcter development and no ending to the book. I paid hard-earned money for the book and feel like I'd been taken by a scam artist.

... however, I have been following Martha Grimes and her Inspector Jury novels since the very beginning. I have been thrilled by the new offering, "Dust". It came as a shock to me to see Jury swear and use bad language for the very first time! While being happy to see that Jury is also developing quite into a ladies' man, I have to say that I did not care enough for English literature to follow up every speck of detailed information regarding Henry James and his great writings. Neither was I sufficiently thrilled by the ending of the book (I always end up comparing Martha Grimes and Elizabeth George), and I found the ending quite curious. Can't wait to see who will be capturing Jury's heart, if that's at all possible ... and please, let him nail that old scumbag from the last book pretty soon.

Having said all that, I would love to see a little bit more character development around Jury and his friends ... or will they ever stay the same?

Has anyone else noticed that Martha Grimes has apparently turned back the hands of time in order to allow Richard Jury -- who has to be close to 70 years old if Dust is set in 2006 -- to have wild, spontaneous, several-times-a-day romantic adventures? On several occasions Ms. Grimes's characters refer to WWII as having ended 50 years ago, which is off by more than a decade and a half. This is just a quibble, however, since I enjoyed Dust. The killer's motive is pretty far-fetched, and all the Henry James stuff is pretty silly (not to mention absolutely pointless), but the book is still a good read.

After carefully re-reading all the Jury stories in the past few months, I believe that Grimes is no longer actually writing these mysteries. The last two books barely resemble the previous excellence of the earlier Jury mysteries, and quite a few phrases and descriptions are liberally borrowed from earlier works. Previously well-developed characters are now only alluded to in order to retain the faithful; sadly, I am no longer one of them.

I felt better after reading the reviews here. At least I am not the only one who had to go back and reread things and felt things were very disjointed in this book. I did not like the sex scenes as Jury has always been such a private person in other books. And the ending? Was it the grandmother? I figured it had to be Billy's father. Wasn't he on that boat or was he only on the train? Who knows?

What is more delicious on a blustery winter evening than curling into a comfy chair with the latest Martha Grimes mystery? An avid reader of mysteries, but new to Grimes, asked me if she writes "cozies." One could be lulled into thinking so as they settle into the warm, friendly atmosphere of the legendary pubs that are central to each Richard Jury whodunit. Especially when the regular cast of characters emerges on the scene as the story moves from the inevitable murder to New Scotland Yard Superintendent Jury's circle of friends and colleagues.

But Grimes soon weaves the motives and methods of the latest victim and perpetrator into a tapestry that introduces us to events that pique our curiosity.

Billy Maples, a wealthy young art patron, is shot in cold blood on the balcony of a seedy hotel in the gentrifying North London Clerkenwell neighborhood of galleries, hotels and pubs. Why he is staying in the hotel or what possible motive anyone would have for killing the charming young man mystifies his close friends and family.

The last Great War is never forgotten by those who experienced it, and the sins of the fathers woefully can be visited on its sons and daughters. Billy is the grandson of a decorated World War II code breaker, Sir Oswald Maples, a friend of Superintendent Jury's. As the story unfolds, so does the history of the German kindertransport, the train of children fleeing pre-war Germany and the doomed City of Benares children's ship, torpedoed enroute from England to Canada in the early years of the war.

Much of the action moves to the coastal town of Rye and the historic home of novelist Henry James, now under the protection of England's National Trust. The murder victim held a residency in the home, which is now a museum, and spent much of his time there with his companion and assistant, Kurt Brunner. Jury's comrade in arms, the venerable Lord Arbry, finds himself ensconced in the Henry James House, where he is instrumental in unraveling the threads of intrigue.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Jury encounters Lu Aguilar, the seductive chief of detectives in the Islington Police district where the murder takes place. In a most un-Grimes-like fashion, Richard and the sultry and beautiful Lu embark on a tempestuous love affair that surprises Jury almost as much as it must the reader. Nonetheless, it proves that Jury is far from over the hill while testing his feelings for New Scotland Yard's equally alluring coroner and sometime girlfriend, Dr. Phyllis Nancy.

As Harry Johnson, the psychopathic murder suspect from THE OLD WINE SHADES, helped us explore quantum physics through the principles of Schrodenger's cat, so do Henry James's ghostly tales lead us to explore the duplicities of human nature. Harry Johnson and his insightful dog Mungo are back to help Jury sort out the details, leading us through a long winter's night thriller that keeps the pages flying.

--- Reviewed by Roz Shea

Would someone, anyone, please explain to me the outcome of this book? The last two chapters have left me completely baffled. Who pushed Janie and Dora out of the lifeboat? Why was Lu Aguilar injured in an automobile accident.

Thank God I've read most of Henry James otherwise the constant references would have left me even more befuddled.

This was my first Martha Grimes mystery. I was confused by some of the characters who appeared without much introduction, as if I should have known who they were. In addition, the ending was entirely unsatisfactory! I still don't know exactly who pushed the girls out of the boat, and what that had to do with the murder of young Billy Maples!

Who else can write about the intricacies of human behavior (and pet behavior LOL) so deftly? Who else can keep her series so interesting for so long? Probably the only other persn who can do this, but differently, is the creator of Harry Bosch.

This had to be one of the most unsatisfying Martha Grimes novels ever! Too much jibber-jabber about Henry James and too little character/plot development. The hot and heavy, apartment wrecking sex bits were unnecessary and out of character. I certainly hope the next Richard Jury mystery will be more in line with the earlier novels.

Dust by Martha Grimes is a fairly good English mystery, but be warned, it's not going to end like anything else you've ever read. It does not become apparent until the last chapter that the author is trying to create a new kind of mystery. This is the first Grimes novel I've read, but the tale did not leave me feeling uninformed. Melrose was a real treat and I found him and his part in the story more interesting than Jury, who seemed sort of regular. This made the story a Sherlock Holms and Watson thing, where Watson was the more interesting player. There is a believability problem with the victim's father and his best friend, being of the same generation, both having been transported out of Germany during the war. There is also a suspicion that the grandmother was also transported, but only a suspicion. The characters are wonderful creations, but the sex seems unlikely and feels faked. Even with its flaws I still enjoyed the book.

In Clerkenwell, England though he is only thirteen years old, Benny Keegan looks much older so is able obtain work as a helper in the kitchen of Zetter's restaurant, a place with rooms. Waiter Gilbert Snow asks Benny to deliver a meal to the room of Billy Maples, but the young teen finds a corpse in the room. Benny immediately calls his friend Scotland Yard Superintendent Richard Jury.

Islington Inspector Lu Aguilar leads the investigation into the room service homicide, but Richard forces his way on the case especially since he plans to sleep with her. Both have no problem in bed, but struggle to find a motive for murder because Billy seemed to have no enemies and though wealthy the inheritance went to his even more affluent father. With the assistance of his pal Melrose Plant, Richard tries to figure out who killed the lover of William James' novels only to find ties between friends and family to a WWI atrocity that still fails to explain why Billy was killed.

In his twentieth plus appearance, Jury is at his best as he investigates the homicide in which leads prove false and he slowly peels away the mendicant masks of those close to the victim; even more interesting is his attraction to Lu. Readers will appreciate his inquiries as he digs deeper into what the family and friends try to conceal from him. The whodunit leaves the romance in the DUST as this is a strong police procedural.

Harriet Klausner

Richard Jury fans, rejoice! The latest mystery from Martha Grimes is a real treat. After a shaky couple of recent titles (I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm still trying to figure out THE OLD WINE SHADES), her new Jury adventure is right on target.

A troubled young heir is found dead in a seedy hotel, and Jury is called in to the case. His subsequent investigation involves the young man's WWII hero grandfather, the famous Rye residence of author Henry James, a secretive priest, two beautiful women, two clever dogs (with accompanying little boys), and a trendy but rather sinister bar called Dust. But Jury puts it all together, aided by his reluctant sidekick Melrose Plant, the little boys, and--of course--the dogs.

I've been reading Grimes for as long as she's been writing, and this new title is near the top of my list (JERUSALEM INN and the nonseries novel, HOTEL PARADISE, are still my all-time favorites). Her uncanny ability to balance high comedy with the grim aspects of a police investigation has seldom been put to better use, and her children and animals are always entertaining. It's light, it's dark, it's a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.