The Old Silent

Martha Grimes

May 2013 · Richard Jury Mysteries Book 10 · Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Witnessing a murder while on vacation, a detective is drawn into a twisting case in “another tour de force” for the New York Times bestseller (Publishers Weekly).

As a newly appointed Scotland Yard superintendent, Richard Jury takes a much-needed holiday in West Yorkshire. But the respite is short-lived when he observes a woman shoot her husband at an inn called The Old Silent. With no question of “whodunit”, Jury is determined to discover why. Snooping outside his jurisdiction leads him to the dark tale of a kidnapped music prodigy—as more murders ratchet up the stakes.

Now caught up in a triple murder, Jury would go to any lengths to help Nell Healey, the lovely widow of one of the victims. But Nell Healey remains silent as the Yorkshire moors, quiet as the grave, while the scope of the mystery widens.

Ratings and reviews

Just reread this after 20 years. This was my original introduction to the series and it really colored my view on Richard Jury being melancholy and morose, even though he isn't in many of the earlier novels. This is probably my favorite of the Jury novels with all the humor intertwined with the dark nature of the subject matter. It starts off a bit slow, but the last 200 pages just flew by. The early part with Melrose being a brilliant conversationalist but not actually talking was hilarious. Lots of Melrose to make me happy. I also enjoyed all the references to the music. There is a part towards the end written from the perspective of two dogs which was a little strange and had me checking to make sure I didn't mix up my pain medications. Macalvie makes another appearance, and he's always a great character.

Love this whole series great plots and a cast of unique, quirky characters.

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.