The Black Cat: A Richard Jury Mystery (Richard Jury Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Martha Grimes (Author)

Book Description

Series: Richard Jury Mysteries | Publication Date: April 6, 2010

The inimitable Richard Jury returns in a thrilling tale of mystery, madness, and mistaken identity

Three months have passed since Richard Jury was left bereft and guilt- ridden after his lover's tragic auto accident, and he is now more wary than ever. He is deeply suspicious when requested on a case far out of his jurisdiction in an outlying village where a young woman has been murdered behind the local pub. The only witness is the establishment's black cat, who gives neither crook nor clue as to the girl's identity or her killer's.

Identifying the girl becomes tricky when she's recognized as both the shy local librarian and a posh city escort, and Jury must use all his wits and intuition to determine the connection to subse­quent escort murders. Meanwhile, Jury's nemesis, Harry Johnson, continues to goad Jury down a dangerous path. And Johnson, along with the imperturbable dog Mungo, just may be the key to it all.

Written with Martha Grimes's trademark insight and grace, The Black Cat signals the thrilling return of her greatest character. The superintendent is a man possessed of prodigious analytical gifts and charm, yet vulnerable in the most perplexing ways.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of bestseller Grimes's muddled 22nd Richard Jury mystery (after Dust), the body of an unidentified woman, who reminds Jury of a Pre-Raphaelite beauty, lies in a mortuary in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Shot outside the Black Cat, a local pub, the victim was wearing expensive clothes, decorous yet sexy. The Thames Valley police wonder why Jury, a Scotland Yard superintendent, is intruding on their turf. The victim proves to have been a professional escort, the only witness to her murder the pub's black cat. Cats and dogs can share their thoughts, mostly mundane, with one another, but, alas, not with humans. More escorts get killed. Unresolved cases from Dust and its predecessor, Old Wine Shades, complicate the plot to little purpose. Off-kilter details jar. No London copper would ask a London cabbie if the cabbie knows a particular street. This subpar effort from one of mystery's major stars will appeal mainly to fans of the talking animal subgenre. 8-city author tour.(Apr.)
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From Bookmarks Magazine

Many reviewers felt obliged to note that a Martha Grimes novel requires a taste both for the British "cozy" mystery and Britain's particular brand of tongue-in-cheek humor. But it was a taste that all those critics seemed to share; Patrick Anderson of the Washington Post wrote that he would gladly set down more superficially thrilling fare for any of Grimes's books. While some critics raised eyebrows at some of Grimes's odder touches (like the telepathic color commentary by the local dog and cats) and plot twists, all of them recommended The Black Cat and the rest of the Richard Jury series to new readers. Meanwhile, they hinted that longtime fans should be satisfied with how Grimes ties up certain loose ends from previous books.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; First Edition edition (April 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670021601
• ISBN-13: 978-0670021604
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

65 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Jury is back but the verdict is not good..., April 12, 2010

By 

L. Burns "Bigdog Mom" (New England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Black Cat: A Richard Jury Mystery (Richard Jury Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Jury is less than pleased to be assigned a case outside his district - a case that's already making the tabloid headlines. A beautiful young woman working as an escort is found murdered outside a pub called The Black Cat. Two more `escort' murders, this time in London, follow and Jury struggles to make a connection between the crimes.

I liked the premise and the set-up of the story. Unfortunately, after that it was pretty much downhill for me.

Early on in the book I was dismayed to find myself back at `The Old Wine Shades'. Yep, Harry Johnson figures prominently in this book. Back again to those boring, circuitous conversations between Jury and Harry. Countless references to the murder that Jury is convinced Harry committed. I disliked `The Old Wine Shades' so much that I've blessedly forgotten the storyline and the author's efforts to remind me in this book weren't very successful. I don't share the author's affection for Harry's character but it seems she's determined to make him a recurring character in this series.

Nothing about the story flowed gracefully. There's a scene with Melrose and Jury in Long Piddleton that seemed like an afterthought; an awkward effort to acknowledge the series `regulars'. A couple chapters dedicated to an animal rescue. A silly and distracting chapter detailing the telepathic communication between Harry's dog, Mungo, and a kidnapped cat. Overall it felt choppy and disjointed.

On the plus side, this entry brings back Jury as we've come to know him over the years - melancholy, introspective and intelligent. Melrose makes only a minor appearance, but a scene that takes place at his club, Boring's, is very entertaining.

What can I say? If you've read the whole series (and I have), you'll probably read this one too. If you liked the last two entries in the series you'll probably enjoy this more than I did. If you are new to the series then please don't judge it by this lackluster entry. Start at the beginning - Ms Grimes has written some great books, this just isn't one of them

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Another bad book in Jury series, April 24, 2010

By 

Book Lover "oneidabooks" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Cat: A Richard Jury Mystery (Richard Jury Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I stopped buying Martha Grimes Jury series a few books ago and I'm very glad I got this one at the library.
What happened to these books? I've read the series from the beginning and used to look forward to each new book, but no more.
The story line could have been improved and the whole "wall of shoes" seemed forced and silly, as if the author has watched too many episodes of SATC.
I agree with other reviewers that the Harry Johnson character should be put to rest. His conversations with Jury are boring and pointless and I don't understand the author's insistence in keeping the character around, especially when the cast of regular characters, especially Melrose Plant, are so much more entertaining.
One thing I noticed in this book was the lack of police procedure, which seems almost laughable. Since the murder victims depended on their mobiles for contact with their respecitive services, why was no mobile ever found or even looked for? I would think that would be the first thing the police would look for in order to find the phone numbers of their contacts and therefore point them in the right direction. Apparently, Ms. Grimes is too caught up in the boring us with Harry to actually put some thought into the storyline.
Unfortunately, I doubt that there will ever be a return to the quality of the first books.

49 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Black Cat Delivers, April 12, 2010

By 

Pamela Grandstaff (West Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Cat: A Richard Jury Mystery (Richard Jury Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I would follow Richard Jury and Melrose Plant anywhere they want to go, so I approach a new book in this series with delighted anticipation. I've never been disappointed and The Black Cat is no exception. Long time Jury readers will not be confused by the shorthand banter and whimsical asides we've come to appreciate. Jury's poetic melancholy is still in place; you can feel how profoundly weary he is, and no wonder. Obsession can knock the stuffing out of a person, and his love affair and subsequent tragedy with Lu has worn Jury down to an exposed nerve. Obsession runs through this mystery like the Thames through London, whether it involves sex, shoes, mothers, rescuing victims, or a festering grudge against an old nemesis with telepathic pets. The whodunit part is tricky enough to satisfy, and although we don't spend much time with our friends in Long Piddleton, it's reassuring to know Melrose Plant is still living with one foot in a Great Britain that no longer exists (if it ever did). Long time fans will find much to love in this latest Jury, and hopefully new readers will want to go back through 22 books to see where it all began. Note: I was disappointed not to have a Kindle version as well, but am pretty sure Martha Grimes has no control over what her publisher chooses to do. If books don't sell because of bad Amazon reviews given in protest it's ultimately the author who is hurt most.