I Am the Only Running Footman (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "The headlamps of the car picked her out through the fog and the rain; she was standing on the shoulder about a hundred yards from..." (more)
Key Phrases: stardust twins, jury nodded, warrant card, David Marr, Ivy Childess, Sheila Broome (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Finally back in print-a classic Richard Jury novel from "one of the established masters of the genre" (Newsweek).

Scotland Yard Superintendent Richard Jury takes on an elusive strangler in a case of family secrets-and family lies...

"Witty...stylishly crafted." (The Washington Post)

"[Grimes] gets our immediate attention [and] holds it...with something more than mere suspense." (The New Yorker)

"A superior writer." (The New York Times Book Review)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Onyx; 1st THUS edition (October 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451410025
• ISBN-13: 978-0451410023
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #243,979 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #21 in

  Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( G ) > Grimes, Martha

• This is item 8 in The Richard Jury Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Another Richard Jury novel, March 8, 2003

By	Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a reprint of a novel copyrighted in 1986. As in other novels by this author, the title is the name of a pub. Inspector Jury is joined again by Melrose Plant who has an estate near Long Piddleton on the River Piddle. In this novel, Jury is assigned to a case where a young woman has been strangled with her own scarf. The investigation reopens an older, unsolved case where another young woman was also strangled with her own scarf. Inquiries into the pasts of the two women turn up love affairs that may be related - both women were sleeping around to some degree.

The questions are whether these are serial killings or well-planned murders, and what would be the motive. Various odd characters are introduced including the odd family that owns and operates the Mortal Man. While the plot is interesting, digressions into discussions of the various characters (many not involved in the main plot) tends to detract from the main story line. At times, the story seems to wander.

When events are finally drawn together, it seems a bit abrupt. The story comes to a climax as the solution to the mystery is revealed, but it seems to leave some loose ends. A short added chapter might have closed things out better. One is left to wonder what finally happened to some of the characters.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Richard Jury Mystery Series, June 28, 2005

By	Penny "British Mystery reader" (Utah) - See all my reviews

I find myself a little addicted to the recurring characters in this series and enjoy following their lives. I can't help thinking I missed something when I found Richard Jury in a relationship with someone I know nearly nothing about.
I like the writing and images created of people, homes, buildings, art and all around. I also felt at the end that I might again have missed something. All the loose ends were not quite tied up as they usually are. I had more questions than answers. What really happened to Rose and did she leave or was she the first? Hopefully in the next book I will find some of the answers. I recommend this series and author. I found the series much later than they were actually published and had to purchase all in the series before I could begin reading the first one. I have not been disappointed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Average Grimes better Than Most, July 2, 2007

By	Happy Chappy "An Avid Reader." (Elk Grove, California) - See all my reviews

I Am the Only Running Footman, by Martha Grimes, is the 8th book in this excellent series. This entry features the mystery surrounding the murder of a blonde shopgirl in Mayfair. The murder, a strangling with a scarf, is eerily similar to a previous murder in devon; investigated by Brian Macalvie (introduced in Help the Poor Struggler). This is a decent entry in the series. Melrose and Macalvie are in fine form, as is Jury. nother very strong entry in this compelling series. A solid 3 star novel.

For those of you new to the series, I would recommend reading them in order for the best reading experience; however, they are also fun as stand alone novels.

Here is the series in order:

The Man with a Load of Mischief
The Old Fox Deceived
The Anodyne Necklace
The Dirty Duck
Jerusalem Inn
Help the Poor Struggler
The Deer Leap
I am the only Running Footman
The Five Bells and Bladebone
The Old Silent
The Old Contemptibles
The Horse You Came In on
Rainbow's End
The Case has Altered
The Stargazey
The Lamorna Wink
The Blue Last
The Grave Maurice
The Winds of Change
The Old Wine Shades
Dust