Martha Grimes is the author of over 30 novels, mostly of a style known as 'cozies' (as in curl up in a cozy chair), such as those starring Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. A 'cozy' mystery is humorous, downplays sex and violence, and the mostly bloodless murder is not dwelt upon. The (amateur) detective is a little eccentric and usually has a friend on the police force (or is tolerated by the authorities) while they nose around the town or small group of suspects for clues. The villains usually have an old grudge and are hiding in plain sight.
Martha Grimes is in her 90's and writes her novels longhand, naming each of her mysteries after an English pub. Grimes has created Richard Jury, a melancholic inspector with Scotland Yard. His friend and sidekick is Melrose Plant, the eighth Earl of Caverness and who has given up his title and lives in the Northhamptonshire village of Long Piddleton. The two often investigate separately before joining at the finale.
All that being said, Dust was a misfire for me. I have tried other Grimes novels, intrigued by the titles and her reputation. I once found a complete paperback set of the series, new and uncirculated, on the library sale table for .25 cents each. Yes, please. I read the underwhelming Help The Poor Struggler and then got just halfway through The Lamorna Wink before passing the series on unread. Somehow, I wanted to try Dust, her 21st Jury novel and the only one I held on to. Why? Because I liked the cover.
It begins with the murder of a guest at a boutique hotel in London, after his visit to a bar called Dust. He was shot on the balcony, and although he was eating a hamburger, still has his jacket on. These are the kind of oddities Jury picks up on. Several recurring characters from previous novels make appearances such as Phyllis Nancy, a pathologist Jury is involved with. Jury gets around as he is quickly involved with Lu Aguilar, the main detective on the case, and flirts with upstairs neighbour Carol-Anne. The victim was a wealthy house sitter for the National Trust home of the writer Henry James in East Sussex. The plot involves art stolen by the Nazis, high ranking German SS officers, the wartime kindertransport, and code breaking at Bletchley Park. Fans of Henry James will love the references to his famous novels and perhaps pick up clues when scenes are referenced and characters appear with names very similar to those in James' novels. Grimes writes in a light style where everything is detailed though nothing taken too seriously. She has an eye for English eccentricity making it seem like a comedy of manners with a little investigating on the side, with Jury saying lines like "Oh, he was in a fine fettle, he was!".
I did make it to the end, with a groan. By that time I found it super dull. There were no characters I wanted to spend time with and the finale fell flat. There were guilty parties, but instead of tying up the ball of loose ends in a nice bow, a last page event happens which diverts Jury's attention. I thought this would lead into the next novel, The Black Cat, but it's not mentioned again that I can see.
By now I've learned that, as accomplished as she is, Martha Grimes is not my kind of mystery. Not a stinker, just not my style, and I couldn't wait to leave Dust behind.
2007 / Paperback / 411 pages
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