Dust: A Richard Jury Mystery (Richard Jury Mysteries Book 21)

I think that the author had a great idea for a story, but didn't feel like fleshing it out as well as it should have been before writing and sending it to the publisher. Maybe on a deadline and just couldn't get it done? It feels very much like after reading it, like many of her author protagonists, she threw in a sex scene here and there, wondering if this publisher was the one who allowed nudity or not. Not whether the scene fit the story. And she appears to look down on her readers, the 'Polly Praed' pushing Henry James on them, because she's a fan of James, and maybe a bit of a literary snob making fun of her readers who aren't?

If you are a fan of Martha Grimes, this book does not disappoint. It's even a more "raw" than usual. I would have liked more involvement of her "usual" characters (Viv, Diane, Carol-anne, etc.), but Richard Jury's role, with the some support from Melrose Plant, makes for pretty a strong story.

I have read all of the Richard Jury books by Martha Grimes. This one was the only plot that I couldn't figure out a major clue at the end - I won't give it away - but there is one point close to the end where Jury teases Melrose and Wiggins about a key incident in the past, and I can't figure out who he is talking about. Otherwise a very good read.

Martha Grimes is adept at limning likeable male characters, like Melrose Plant and Brian Macalvie. In almost every novel, Grimes pays homage to our beloved four-legged friends in a fashion that rivals Betty White; children are often multi-faceted individuals who are forces with whom to be reckoned. The Anglophile can enjoy the Jury/Ardry-Plant series... unless said Anglophile is TOO pedantic to ignore an occasional elision. I do not foresee that I will stop reading this series, as I believe many dogs and cats and kids have the style and capacity to move the world; they are certainly treated respectfully in the Grimesian universe. However, if most of her adult human characters seem born to imbibe, remember that many of them are less complex than the cocktails they swill. The masters (Agatha & Erle Stanley) have suggested a certain "minimalist aura" should envelop the protagonist and regular characters of the successful mystery series. If one has an imperfect memory and a flowing pen, annoying contradictions WILL tend to emerge. For example, on which side of the closet door will one find Marshall Trueblood? Similarly, Dr. Freud would have the proverbial "field day" with the Oedipal issues which veritably ooze from "lady-killer" Richard Jury...or alternatively, Cartaphilus meets Dante Aligheri. All in all, the Jury/Ardry-Plant series is worth the time and effort; but, even the earlier breezy romps are superior to the more recent convoluted tangos. If Martha Grimes is "going to the dogs", then I will follow Sparky and Bertie and Bennie and Mungo and Schrodinger, happily into the mist.

One of the reasons I love Grimes is the way she handles references to American movies and/or British or American literature. She does not get into long drawn out explanations of background. Either you know and read or saw the movies or not. The effect is an appreciation for the intelligence of the reader to instinctively understand. This way if you see the connection the reader has more understanding of whatever she is dropping into the plot. If not then nothing is lost because in the end it becomes understandable.Melrose is a character who is so entertaining and witty. His difficulties with children are priceless.That housekeeper Jessup was more like a Nazi than British. The paintings were almost like a side show but great layering to add to the characters in the plot.

I’ve loved all of Martha Grimes books—though this one seems to have more sex and language than the others ( hate gutter language) love this one — didn’t figure it out till the end— a few red herrings but a few more nights at Borings— a few more fish and chips. Love the comrade of Jury and Melrose and their nose for building a good case for us. Thx Martha Grimes!

I got it on my Kindle. I usually really enjoy Martha Grimes, but this one, DUST, was very uneven in my view. There were entertaining and well-written parts that were Martha as I know her, interspersed with sections that seemed ghost -written by a wannabe, and sometimes non-sequitur. When I got to the end, I kept looking to see where the missing part might be. Characters were introduced and developed who ended up seemingly as filler and just dropped off the narrative cliff, leaving questions dangling.

I've been reading Martha Grimes' Richard Jury mysteries for about twenty-five years, and (for the most part) I enjoy them. Her last few efforts, though, have been a bit too experimental for my taste. I think that mystery readers mostly want each story to end with some kind of closure, and the last three --starting with Old Wine Shades--haven't. Dust sort of peters out as if a few pages were left out of the final manuscript. I disagree with other reviewers' comments about the relationship between Jury and Lu being out of character (and out of place). I think that the point is that the sexual attraction between them blindsides both of them -- two people with extreme intimacy issues--and they have to find a way to deal with it. I do take issue with the messy and unsatisfying way Grimes chose to "resolve" the relationship (and it only gets messier in The Black Cat).I always look forward to a new Jury mystery, but Grimes seems to have lost interest in writing the series that her fans love. Perhaps it is time to call it a day.