Reviews

The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes

cecile87's review against another edition

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3.0

Of the cozy mysteries I’ve read, I liked this one with an actual detective leading the investigation and not a pushy civilian who bakes or owns a bookstore. I did find the Melrose Plant’s aunt an over the top pain in the ass, but the story needed something like her in it. Also, Jury’s boss is an ass as well—an annoyance I guess will be in all of these stories.

I’ll read some more, even though they are a bit dated. This one was a decent diversion.

jrenee's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

rebeccabadger's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

lynn_pugh's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

5.0

bnielsen214's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

badseedgirl's review against another edition

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2.0

I'm not sure what I think of Detective Chief Inspector Richard Jury. He seems a bit dry, but the glimmer of personality expressed when he was interacting with the children in the book made him redeeming to me. There are slew of bodies before this book ends, which does beg the question, just how good a detective is he, after all. Half the characters in the book are dead by the end. I'm giving him and this author another shake before I decide to abandon this series.

laila4343's review against another edition

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4.0

I've always heard such good things about Martha Grimes. This was well-done and witty. I defintely will read more of the Richard Jury series. Mysteries make a nice change of pace from all the emotion-filled fiction I usually read.

gwoman's review against another edition

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5.0

The Jury/Plant detective series is always entertaining, no matter how many times I read the books. This first installment is an introduction to the two main characters as well as a few recurring ones. Much simpler in focus and lighter in tone than the books further in the series, this book is a great escape from the issues in the world. I enjoyed re-reading it as I do every year.

gavinsteyn's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

persistent_reader's review against another edition

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4.0

I read quite a number of the Martha Grimes' Richard Jury mysteries in the past. So I enjoyed the audio version of this cozy-ish British mystery. The plot revolves around a series of murders that have occurred in different pubs near the village of Long Piddleton. I may reread (or listen) to more in this series. I did stop at one point because they became a little too dark for me.