#Big Disappointment (2003-02-27) After reading the summary to There Was A Little Girl I couldn t wait to crack into the book. To my surprise the novel was a little bit like a piece of gum when you first put it in, minty and refreshing. Then as you keep chewing it looses its appeal and then with even more chewing it is completely flavorless. I also was not impressed by the racism, the judging and the language. Overall this book was a big disappointment.

#Not one of his best, not even one of the good ones. (1997-07-25) Being a big fan of Ed McBain s novels, I was very disappointed when reading, ",There Was A Little Girl",. It just wasn t as good as his other Matthew Hope novels. By putting his main character, Matthew Hope, in a coma I think McBain made a big mistake. True, it was an interesting twist watching his friends and colleagues try to figure out what happened to him while geting a glimpse into his head and learning what happened but, the mystery he was trying to solve was boring. The ending left me feeling empt...

#13th Grimes mystery read with panache by Curry (2004-07-27) This is the 13th Jury and Plant mystery penned by the brilliant Grimes. Once again read by the amazing Tim Curry, Rainbow s End takes up just a few weeks after The Horse You Came In On ended. The newest case for Scotland Yard Chief superintendent Richard Jury, sees Jury again on the wrong side of the Pond. He is there to dismiss or confirm similarities among three mysterious deaths, two are British women - one dies in Exeter Catherdral and the second in the Tate Gallery. The Third was an American, one Angela Hope, a Sa...

#Travelogue or Mystery? (2001-10-23) This is the second Grimes book I ve read (both Richard Jury mysteries). I found the plots, with various twists and turns, to be believable and entertaining. The characters are well defined and easy to relate to, and there is good humor interspersed. However, what I didn t like at all were the interminable descriptions of landscapes, scenes, even a cat! I also find Ms. Grimes use of obscure/big words mildly irritating. If all the excess verbage could be eliminated, I d say these would be page turners. As they are, it s almost a chore to pick t...

#Bravo!!!! (2001-08-23) This is the first book I have read by Martha Grimes. I have to say she is a very good writer. ",Rainbow s End", got me hooked from the very beginning to the end. This book has a wonderful plot and the characters are believeable and hilarious! The main character is Richard Jury and he has a suspicious beleif that these three ",natural", deaths are connected and they were not ",natural causes. ", He travels from Stonehenge, England to Sante Fe, New Mexico and discovers. . . well you read it for yourself!!! I reccommend this book fo...

#Long on words, short on substance (2000-12-26) I ve read the majority of Grimes books, including several non-Jury ones and, actually I was quite disappointed with this one. It s long (over 400 pages) and tends to plod meandering between Jury, Plant, Wiggins, the inimitable Cripse family, but to me never really goes anywhere to adding to the story or, importantly, its resolution - more little vignettes of peoples lives rather than mystery tale. Naturally, there s Jury s ongoing personal dilemma of being constantly without female companionship and far too much time wasted on his...

#Great Performance by Tim Curry! (1999-11-28) This mystery, another in the installment of books featuring Inspector Richard Jury is quite fascinating. What could an American woman found dead at Old Sarum, a wealthy British lady found dead at the Tate Gallery in London and a second English woman found dead at Exeter Cathedral have in common? At first glance not much, except that they re all dead. Inspector Jury discovers connections to New Mexico, and travels there to discover what else connected these women. Without giving any more of the plot away, it s quite an interesting s...

#Intrigue (2006-06-29) Hangman s Holiday is a collection of short stories. There are twelve mysteries around the twenties and thirties England in this book, each stands alone but has a common feel, they are: The Image in the Mirror The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey The Queen s Square The Necklace of Pearls The Poisoned Dow 08 Sleuths on the Scent Murder in the Morning One too Many Murder at Pentecost Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz The Man Who Knew How The Fountain Plays It may be my perception but the mysteries get better and more intriguing as the next one appears. Then it is over...