The Deer Leap

Martha Grimes

Apr 2013 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

In her latest Richard Jury adventure, Martha Grimes takes us to Ashdown Dean, a little English village where animals are dying in a series of seemingly innocuous accidents. While the puzzling deaths of village pets may raise some idle gossip over a pint or two at the Deer Leap, the village pub, this hardly seems a case for Superintendent Jury of Scotland yard. Nor does it seem much of a challenge for the combined deductive powers of Jury and Melrose, the affable former Earl of Caverness.

It is his mystery-writing, amethyst-eyed friend, Polly Praed, who drags Plant and Jury to Ashdown Dean. The impatient Polly, having yanked open a call box in the pouring rain, is ill-prepared for what lands at her feet. The now-deadly case is cause for calling in Scotland Yard.

Ratings and reviews

A great story but a couple of little quibbles. I didn't really understand the point of the earlier deaths of the animals. I don't understand how the responsible got everyone away from the lab for the showdown. I didn't like how open ended the fate of the ultimate victim was. That said, I loved that Carole-Ann and Mrs. Wasserman had actual roles to play. I loved that Melrose got his hands dirty and even made a bit of a connection with a child (he never seemed to like children much in the earlier novels). Several of the characters were written as almost completely unlikeable, and that led to a lack of sympathy for their plights. But, I did like the character development of some of the characters (Polly finally seems to be coming along).

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About the author

Bestselling author Martha Grimes is the author of more than thirty books, including twenty-two Richard Jury mysteries. She is also the author of Double Double, a dual memoir of alcoholism written with her son. The winner of the 2012 Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Award, Grimes lives in Bethesda, Maryland.