The Deer Leap [Mass Market Paperback]

Martha Grimes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1986

In a village plagued by missing pets, Scotland Yard's Richard Jury and sidekick Melrose Plant face the worst of human nature when a chilling old crime leads them to a brand new way to die.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is the seventh crime novel by Grimes, an American who writes wih assurance on the exploits of Scotland Yard's Richard Jury and his titled friend Malcolm Plant. They meet at The Deer Leap, a pub in Ashdown Dean where people and pets have been dying "accidentally." Plant focuses his attentions on a solitary, 15-year-old girl who calls herself Carrie Fleet. She's an amnesiac, rescued from London lowlifes who had found the child and were using her to collect government money for her support. Carrie's unlikely savior is a baroness, living on drunken fantasies in the decayed splendor of her late husband's estate. In an isolated corner of the grounds, Carrie maintains a sanctuary for abused animals. Her zealous care makes her a suspect in the destruction of the local fox-hunting headquarters, but Jury casts his net elsewhere. In the last act of the witty and deeply moving drama, retribution for heinous crime is exacted. Here gentle Plant plays a role so utterly unexpected that readers will feel its impact for a long time. November 26
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Charm and energy... A brilliantly interwoven multiple narrative. (Time) [A] witty and deeply moving drama...Readers will feel its impact for a long time. (Publishers Weekly) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dell; First Thus edition (October 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440119383
• ISBN-13: 978-0440119388
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,115 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

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Deer Leap, July 1, 2003

By 

Randy E. Bauman (Altamonte Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Deer Leap (Hardcover)

I am very much a fan of Martha Grimes; but in this offering, she loses the battle when trying to balance her sparkling, dry humor and an almost depressing sullenness. I don't want to ruin the book for anyone, but the ending leaves us completely drained emotionally. I am a big fan of Ms. Grimes and have read most of the Jury novels. I am not one to always expect a "storybook" ending; but the resolution of this one is decidedly dark (even Melrose Plant does something totally out of character). I would rate this the weakest entry of the 10 or so that I have read so far, although it is still superior to most current books of the same genre.
My advice is not to read this one if you are feeling blue and want a pick me up!

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Poignant, unfinished story, April 13, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: The Deer Leap (Hardcover)

This is one of Martha Grimes' early Richard Jury novels, where some of the characters are almost stereotypical and not quite real--sometimes these early novels seem to me to be played out against cardboard sets in my mind. Despite this, this is a poignant, rather unfinished story about a child who seems to belong to no one and have no past and has given herself to protecting animals. Not even Richard Jury is able to protect Carrie Flood, and this is parinfully sad.

One of the fun things about this novel is the introduction of Carole-ann, definitely a mutilayered character, and to see the development of Mrs. Wasserman.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best of the series, but worth a read, July 16, 2001

By 

Vicki Leigh "Melusine Bee" (OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Deer Leap (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a great fan of Ms. Grimes' Richard Jury series, but I must say this is my least favorite of the bunch. I guess my only real reservation is the graphic descriptions of how animals are abused and killed by the most sadistic of predators: Man.

Plot-wise, "The Deer Leap" is a worthy as any book in the series.