Help
The Poor Struggler
Richard
Jury Mysteries
By
Martha Grimes
Help
The Poor Struggler is from Martha Grimes' bestselling Richard
Jury series, and the story takes place near Dartmoor. This mystery
centers around the murder investigation of three young children
who are brutally murdered. The motive is unknown and the killer
is at large. Richard Jury of Scotland Yard is on the case along
with Wiggins, his counterpart. Also present is Brian Macalvie, who
assists with the investigation. Although Macalvie's abrasive personality
is often an irritant to Jury and several others, Macalvie's intelligence
and talent for solving cases makes him worth the trouble. Jury,
Wiggins and Macalvie serve as an interesting trio of characters
as they unravel these mysteries and shocking murders.
The
prologue begins the story in the hamlet of Clerihew Marsh, where
Rose Mulvanney has been murdered and her five-year-old daughter
calls the operator to report that her mother is dead. Several years
later, the murders of the children occur and Jury, Wiggins and Macalvie
begin their investigation. The victims are Simon Riley, the son
of a butcher, Davey White, the grandson of a vicar, and Angela Thorne,
a lonely girl found murdered by a mysterious woman named Molly Singer,
who wraps the young girl in a cape but does not bother to report
the murder. Macalvie has his theories about Molly Singer although
there is a rather long, uncertain list of potential suspects that
needs to be sorted through before the murder investigation is complete.
Help
The Poor Struggler has a pleasant blend of British atmosphere
and coziness while having a gritty side to it, at times, which will
equally satisfy fans of "cozy" and "hardboiled"
mysteries. I highly recommend Help The Poor Struggler,
which was a nice slice of escapism for me after a long day at the
office, and I look forward to reading the rest of the Richard Jury
series.
|
The
Book |
Onyx
Books / Berkley / Penguin Putnam |
February
28, 2005 |
Mass
Market Paperback |
0451411730
|
Mystery
/ British |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt
|
NOTE:
|
The
Reviewer |
Shannon I. Bigham |
Reviewed
2005 |
NOTE:
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