The End of the Pier [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Martha Grimes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 1992

Two murders with the same modus operandi committed a year apart lead La Porte duputy sheriff Sam DeGheyn to the conclusion that the man convicted of the first killing has been unjustly imprisoned.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Something completely different from the author of the popular, ever-so-British Inspector Jury mysteries (The Old Contemptibles, etc.). This time the setting is small-town America, the mystery is secondary (a psycho serial-killer of sporadic interest), and the emphasis instead is on earnest character-studies that never quite add up. The primary character under scrutiny is Maud Chadwick, a divorc‚e in her late 40s who works as a diner waitress in sleepy La Porte, a town somewhere considerably ``up north'' from N.Y.C. Maud, dreamy and depressed, spends her free time obsessing about son Chad, 20, whose increasing adult-ness and separate-ness devastate her. She whiles away her summer evenings sitting at the end of her backyard pier--fantasizing about the rich summerfolk who party across the lake, puzzling over Wallace Stevens's poetry, and chatting (edgily yet amiably) with La Porte's sheriff, Sam DeGheyn, himself lonely in his lousy marriage to unfaithful Florence. Sam, meanwhile, has his own obsession: the savage murders of four local ``loose women'' over the past few years, crimes not solved to Sam's satisfaction (despite the conviction of young ``Boy'' Chalmers for some of the killings). And indeed Grimes introduces us, without naming names, to the real psycho-killer, through run-of-the-mill interior monologues. She also interjects--with far less coherence-- a long episode in which young Chad visits the stately home of a decadent college-pal and gets entangled in the family's glitzy, dreary pathology. (This section reads like a watery American imitation of Brideshead Revisited.) At its best, atmospheric psychological suspense reminiscent of L.R. Wright. At its worst, a pretentious mishmash: though linked by a theme (parent-child relationships), the pieces don't fit satisfyingly together--and Maud's ultra-sensitivity has limited appeal. Still, Grimes writes fetchingly at times, has a large following (much of which will be plenty disappointed), and a first printing of 100,000 copies is planned. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

In a sleepy resort town, Maud Chadwick waits tables at the Rainbow Cafe. Her confidant is Sheriff Sam DeGheyn and what they have in common is obsession. Maude doesn't want her son to leave home, and Sam cannot let go of the unsolved murders of three local women -- or his intuition that the killer is still out there. How these lives intertwine reveals a rich and startling story of parents and children and the pain they cause one another.
"Gripping."
CHICAGO SUN TIMES --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (April 7, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067941147X
• ISBN-13: 978-0679411475
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 4.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,809,268 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

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A disjointed effort, January 24, 2000

By 

P. Jackson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The End of the Pier (Mass Market Paperback)

I liked the earlier Hotel Paradise, apart from the deliberately obscure ending. This novel, featuring the same locale and at least one character, was disappointing in a different way. It reads like a first draft, and although the ending is understandable, there are a lot of unanswered questions left pending, particularly about the motivations of the various characters.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mystery with Character, August 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The End of the Pier (Mass Market Paperback)

Grimes' English Detective Jury mysteries have always been delightful because they are English mysteries that move with American speed. Her characters are special - charming and funny. A well-developed character is sometimes hard to find in a good mystery novel. The characters in The End of the Pier are so real that you will feel your loss when you finish the book. I still miss them. This is a beautifully written and unforgettable book - and a mystery to boot

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars could have been a lot better., April 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The End of the Pier (Mass Market Paperback)

I like Martha Grimes (especially loved Hotel Paradise) and the detective here, DeGheyn, is a really great character. Likewise Maude, the well-drawn waitress who loves him. Both of these characters are great. The story plugs along fairly well until the end -- what a disappointment! It was as if she scribbled the last few pages in the car on the way to dropping off the manuscript. I really couldn't believe how poor an ending it was. Grimes has done and can do better.