The Anodyne Necklace [Paperback]

Martha Grimes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1990

A severed finger found at the scene of a baffling murder in the village of Littlebourne leads local constables on what seems like a wild goose chase. But Richard Jury prefers to take the less traveled route to a slightly disreputable pub, where drinks all around loosen tongues and provide clues galore. **MASS MARKET PAPER**

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A spinster whose passion was bird-watching, a dotty peer who pinched pennies, and a baffling murder made the tiny village of Littlebourne a most extraordinary place. And a severed finger made a ghastly clue in a killing that led local constables from a corpse to a boggy footpath to a beautiful lady's manion.

But Richard Jury refused preferred to take the less traveled route to a slightly disreputable pub, the Anodyne Necklace. There, drinks all around loosened enough tongues to link a London mugging with the Littlebourne murder and a treasure map that would chart the way to yet another chilling crime.

Product Details

• Paperback: 10 pages
• Publisher: Dell (November 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440102804
• ISBN-13: 978-0440102809
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Martha Grimes is the bestselling author of twenty-one Richard Jury novels, as well as the novels Dakota and Foul Matter, among others. Her previous two Jury books, The Old Wine Shades and Dust, both appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Melrose & Jury - done with Panache by Curry, July 27, 2004

By 

Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Anodyne Necklace [ABRIDGED] (Audio Cassette)

When I first read the Jury and Plant series, all the books named after Pubs, I was shocked to learn she was American. She just does Brit droll humor to a T. I was even more shocked when later I learned that Grimes was actually dropped by Knopf Publishing, saying she was not making her advance back on the Jury series. Well, she has gone on to make them eat those words as every one is now a bestseller. I absolutely love to read, but in this instance, I actually prefer to enjoy the audio tapes simply because they are done by the great Tim Curry. As Grimes does Brit humor to perfection, Tim brings Richard Plant, Melrose Plant and his indomitable Aunt Agatha so perfectly. Curry slips into one character after another with such panache - right down to children. The combination of Grimes and Curry is just not to be missed.

In the Anodyne Necklace, a violin, an ancent emerald necklace and a severed finger are clue to solving the ghastly murder in the wood of Littlebourne. The town is filled with dotty birdwatchers, a pretentious Peer, and more suspects than Jury can handle. Naturally, the ever-so-helpful, Melrose Plant, a Peer who has shun his titles, tags along to aid his friend - actually, to escape his Aunt Agatha who refuses to let Melrose give up his titles. The key unriddling the Littlebourne mystery is hidden in coded treasure map.

It's great full all they way, and an absolutely must for Curry fans! Martha loves the old saying he who laughs last...she has been having one big giggle on the shortsightedness of Knopf ever since!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars longtime favorite (or should I say "favourite"), May 16, 2001

By 

Zeneve (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Anodyne Necklace (Paperback)

This is the book that began the Jury/Plant series, where all of the books are named after pubs. This is one of the very few books in my experience where I remember who the muderer was because it was a flawless mystery, perfectly logical, nothing held back, but still I couldn't guess the culprit! Definitely NOT the "had I but known" school. There are some wonderfully gory scenes, if you appreciate that in your mudrer mysteries, in adition to wonderful character moments and real humor. I found this book to be the best of all of M.Grimes's marvelous books. I hope they republish! I read this book for the first time when I was nine (child of a mystery reader)and it has not lost its charm with successive readings over the years. My old copy finally fell to bits!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent character piece, March 10, 2002

By 

Martha E. Nelson (Watertown, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Anodyne Necklace (Paperback)

This early Richard Jury novel is more comic than most of the others in this series--the scenes in Littlebourne, despite the fact that this is a mystery, are quite funny, with stock characters who end up being likeable and affecting. However, the strength of this book is in the scenes in The Anodyne Necklace and its surrounding London slum neighborhood, which is full of eccentrics, odd as can be, but fully enjoying their sordid lives.

The murderer is a surprise here as well.

This is also the novel that introduces Jenny Kennington, who is as enigmatic at the beginning of this series as she is later on. I am not sure of her appeal for Richard Jury!