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The Grave Maurice (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Melrose Plant looked around the rather grim environs of the Grave Maurice and wondered if it was patronized by the staff of the Royal London..." (more)
Key Phrases: training track, stud farm, Dan Ryder, Vernon Rice, Arthur Ryder (more...)
2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In this, the 18th outing in Martha Grimes's popular series featuring Scotland Yard Superintendent Richard Jury and his aristocrat pal Melrose Plant, Jury, recuperating from a near-fatal shooting (The Blue Last) hears about the two-year-old abduction of his doctor's talented young daughter, Nell Ryder, who disappeared from her grandfather's stud farm, along with a champion thoroughbred horse. Pursuing the stalled investigation when he's released from the hospital, Jury stumbles on a complicated scheme involving murder, insurance fraud, and a scheme to replicate a popular menopause drug derived from the urine of pregnant mares. As readers of this popular series know, while there's a mystery at the heart of every Jury novel, the real payoff is in Grimes's lucent prose, wit, and complex characterizations. Fans of British mystery writer Dick Francis, who's made the world of thoroughbreds his own turf, will find this a delightful diversion, particularly since Francis recently announced his retirement from the genre. --Jane Adams


From Publishers Weekly

In the 18th entry in this popular series (after 2001's The Blue Last), Grimes serves up a convoluted hodgepodge of rape, kidnapping and murder, then throws in corporate greed, animal rights issues and assorted satires of modern British society. Supt. Jury is hospitalized following a shooting in an earlier case. His aristocratic assistant, Melrose Plant (aka Lord Ardry) overhears two women in a pub curiously called the Grave Maurice discussing the disappearance of horse enthusiast Nell Ryder, who turns out to be the daughter of Jury's doctor, the first of many implausible coincidences. Nell's devoted 16-year-old cousin, who's also named Maurice, has been in a grave mood following Nell's apparent abduction. This poor lad must also cope with his father's death, his mother's flight to America and a growth spurt that has left him too tall to be a jockey, his life's ambition. Most of this long and winding tale deals with the world of horse racing and its seamier sides. Pregnant mares are being badly treated at a stud farm where their urine is collected for a commercial menopause drug. People and prize thoroughbreds get snatched away in the night, and, to the dismay of his elders, a greedy stepbrother has left the Ryder farm to peddle IPOs in London. Jury's investigation gets off to a tardy start, by which time Plant has dug himself in deep, even buying his own horse to try to understand the lore of racing. Frequent digressions divert the sleuths (and the reader) from the investigative trail. (Aug. 26) Forecast: A 10-city author tour, on top of national print publicity and advertising, should help launch this one into bestseller territory.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Viking Adult; 1st Edition edition (August 26, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0670030457
  • ISBN-13: 978-0670030453
  • Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #587,677 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Martha Grimes
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Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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First Sentence:
Melrose Plant looked around the rather grim environs of the Grave Maurice and wondered if it was patronized by the staff of the Royal London Hospital across the street. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
training track, stud farm
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Dan Ryder, Vernon Rice, Arthur Ryder, Nell Ryder, Roy Diamond, Criminal Type, Valerie Hobbs, Ryder Stud, Beautiful Dreamer, Grave Maurice, Ardry End, Melrose Plant, Nurse Bell, Roger Ryder, Danny Ryder, Little Chef, Richard Jury, Theo Wrenn Browne, Barry Greene, Leon Stone, Scotland Yard, Simone Ryder, Wrenn's Nest, George Davison, Neil Epp
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Customer Reviews

56 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (8)
2 star:
 (15)
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Average Customer Review
2.5 out of 5 stars (56 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars More Fantasy than Mystery, October 25, 2002
By A Customer
I was a big fan of Ms. Grimes' earlier works, but her last few Jury mysteries have been extremely disappointing. Again, she utilizes extremely chance meetings and far-fetched links amoung strangers to produce the mystery as well as solve it. She should also re-read her earlier books and reacquaint herself with her characters. In "The Old Fox Deceived", Melrose had backflashes about participating in a cubbing (pre-season hunt) as a 10-year-old and the trauma of having the fox's blood smeared on him as part of a bizarre ritual. In addition, in the 'Fox Deceived' story, he participated in a hunt -- galloping over fields and jumping ditches and fences -- during which a body was discovered. But, in "The Grave Maurice", he was portrayed as knowing nothing about fox-hunting nor about riding a horse. I think Martha is tired of her characters; maybe she should let them fade away gracefully.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Whoa Nellie!, October 24, 2003
By "dmlii" (Sacramento CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Grave Maurice (Paperback)
I've dipped in and out of the Richard Jury series over the years, and generally I've found Martha Grimes' books to be entertaining and well-written -- though not perfect. By contrast, "Grave Maurice" is gravely flawed. How in the world could the mere photograph of a 15-year-old girl, Nell Ryder, engender such intense feelings of yearning and passion in every grown man who sees it? When Nell appears in the flesh, she's described as lucent and luminous but actually seems one-dimensional in the extreme. Meanwhile, the plot is awash in coincidences that rob it of honesty. Face it: Melrose Plant is the one decent character -- give him his own series, Martha, and give handsome Richard Jury's bullet-riddled, bed-hopping body a little rest.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Big Disappointment!, March 20, 2003
By Jill (Pacific Northwest USA) - See all my reviews
I've been a big fan of Martha Grimes, but this book was a terrible read! I nearly gave up after the first few chapters, but continued plodding through only because I was stuck at a horse show for a week with no other reading material. The plot is poorly done, the characters are shallow (I mean, I really didn't care anymore who lived or died or who ended up being the villian -- I just wanted to get through and done), and it just didn't meet the high expectations I had from my past experience with her books. I think I may have to go back and reread some of her previous works just to remind myself of how good she can be. And if you have never read a Martha Grimes' book, do not choose this one as an example. She can do so much better!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An eye for an eye
The title, a pub, is a bit of a play on words, or names and words, one surmises. At the opening a young man, Maurice, and a horse, Samarkand, are featured. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mary E. Sibley

5.0 out of 5 stars Grave Maurice
I think this is one of Martha Grimes best Richard Jury mystery. I loved the pages where Grimes writes from the horse's point of view! Well done!
Published 4 months ago by K. KASKA

2.0 out of 5 stars Hold the Premarin !!!!
This book, while dull, was eye opening about the abuse that the US's drug companies are allowed to get away with. Read more
Published on July 21, 2007 by Tilly9

1.0 out of 5 stars no more Martha
I can't remember when I was more angry at the ending of a book. When I finished THE GRAVE MAURICE I swore that I would never read another Martha Grimes book, and so far I... Read more
Published on March 3, 2007 by Jacquelyn Bailey

2.0 out of 5 stars A Grave rewrite is needed
Well, I'm not sure how to begin. While the back cover synopsis is intriguing, the execution leaves something to be desired. Read more
Published on May 27, 2005 by Judson T. Hanson

2.0 out of 5 stars Not her best
I have read all her books. Obviously, I love her writing. But I have real problems with this one. Read more
Published on September 12, 2004 by Carter E. Swart

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful, thought provoking book
This is a book which grabs your attention from the beginning. I had avoided it because I thought the subject matter would bother me. Read more
Published on August 30, 2004 by N. Cantwell

1.0 out of 5 stars The Grave Mistake
A well meaning friend bought me The Grave Maurice in anticipation of my wanting a good read for a summer holiday. Read more
Published on August 28, 2004 by amg

5.0 out of 5 stars Did I read the same book you did?
I rarley write reviews but I am an avid reader and enjoy reading the reviews. I almost always agree with the majority of the reviewers, but not this time. Read more
Published on August 6, 2004 by E. Eig

2.0 out of 5 stars Where was her editor?
First let me say that I am a huge fan of Martha Grimes--both the Richard Jury mysteries and her other novels. I love the characters she has constructed in the Jury series. Read more
Published on June 20, 2004 by annkas

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