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Martha Grimes
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The Man with a Load of Mischief Mass Market Paperback – February 4, 2003

by Martha Grimes (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,190 ratings
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At the Man with a Load of Mischief, they found the dead body stuck in a keg of beer. At the Jack and Hammer, another body was stuck out on the beam of the pub’s sign, replacing the mechanical man who kept the time. Two pubs. Two murders. One Scotland Yard inspector called in to help. Detective Chief Inspector Richard Jury arrives in Long Piddleton and finds everyone in the postcard village looking outside of town for the killer. Except for one Melrose Plant. A keen observer of human nature, he points Jury in the right direction: into the darkest parts of his neighbors’ hearts…
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 25
    Richard Jury Mysteries
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Berkley
  5. Publication date
    February 4, 2003
  6. Dimensions
    4.3 x 0.7 x 6.8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0451410815
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0451410818
  9. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“For readers who value wit, atmosphere and charm.”—The Washington Post Book World

 

“Grimes captures the flavor of British village life…Long may she write Richard Jury mysteries.”—Chicago Tribune

 

“[Grimes’s novel] is cast in the mold of the great British mysteries and comes complete with all the classic elements.”—The San Diego Union

About the Author

Martha Grimes is the bestselling author of eighteen Richard Jury mysteries and also the acclaimed fiction Foul Matter, Cold Flat Junction, Hotel Paradise, The End of the Pier, and The Train Now Departing.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (February 4, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0451410815
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0451410818
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.3 x 0.7 x 6.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,190 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Martha Grimes

Martha Grimes

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Martha Grimes is the bestselling author of twenty-one Richard Jury novels, as well as the novels Dakota and Foul Matter, among others. Her previous two Jury books, The Old Wine Shades and Dust, both appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
1,190 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Sustainable Global Foodie
5.0 out of 5 stars The first book in the series, and delightful!
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
I have to confess that I accidentally read this series first book last. This was not fatal but nonetheless, a mistake! This first book paints the Richard Jury-Long Piddleton-Melrose Plant universe in detail. Martha Grimes takes the time to give pronunciations of British names. The Butler Ruthven's name is pronounced Rivv'n. I finally found out why Melrose gave up his titles! And the book was delicious.

There is an innocence in almost all of the books of this series, because the main characters are good-hearted people. They are literary and given to quoting lines from literature and responding to each other's relevant quotes. They know a lot about antiques, and plants, and architecture is described in detail. Maybe because Martha Grimes is an American writing about Britain, she describes everything in loving detail. Dame Agatha tends to skimp on details assuming that you know the kind of place she is writing about. With Martha Grimes novels, one gets to revel in the details, just for the sheer enjoyment.

In this book, we get to enjoy pristine snow in a Christmas Card village, and enjoy tamped down British humor at ridiculous happenings. The thoughts and conversations are snarky and funny, and sometimes poignant. Martha Grimes includes how people felt about occurrences and each other. The psychological and emotional landscape is described in as much detail as the physical landscape of the beautiful buildings and estates, furnishings, clothing, village, etc.

I think that I would have enjoyed the series so much more had I read this book first. So, I think that I will read the first book, The Man with a Load of Mischief, again, and then read the series all over again! It is that good!
16 people found this helpful
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Capricorn One
4.0 out of 5 stars A great winter read!
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2012
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This is my first Martha Grimes book, and based on the reviews (both Amazon and Media reviews) it looked like a pleasant read, with a mix of humor and "whodunit" mixed together. Not great literature, but a pleasant read. I can say unequivocally that it exceeded my expectations. If books don't catch my interest in the first 40 pages or so I usually put them aside. This had me within the first five pages. Ms. Grimes has an uncanny ability to set a scene, characters, and capture the oddities and eccentricities of small English village life. The characters are painted broadly, but not too far. Aunt Agatha is the star of the "humorous" side of the book - I absolutely loved her character. Inspector Jury (this was his first appearance in one of her novels) is a very likable character - you do find yourself wanting more of him in following books. The mystery and murder plot was fine, but not exceptional - but that doesn't really matter. Your joy comes more from the dialogue and characters than plot. As I said, a very pleasant and enjoyable read on a cold winter night with a fire going. I've read mixed reviews of her other books - when you have a "formula" I suppose it can sometimes get a little to formulaic, but this is the only one of her books I've read, and I can say that I will certainly read more.
4 people found this helpful
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sandra h mcdonald
5.0 out of 5 stars No problems
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2024
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Arrived on time and in great condition
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant in every way
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2021
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Well written, and filed with interesting characters one could easily identify walking towards us. Jury is unforgettable, Plant has a lot more to tell us, and Lady Ardry, gods have mercy - no one in their right mind wants her around. The plot twists, and turns, and turns once more, leaving me thinking I have the the answer to the murders, when up pops another likely subject. Great read for all mystery lovers. Oh, and the children, the author has a knackfor entering their world - loved that especially.
2 people found this helpful
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Lost in Time
3.0 out of 5 stars Avoid paperbacks marked “good” quality
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2023
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Always a gamble to buy a used book. To be honest, this mass market paperback appeared to be “good” quality except for the deep yellow/brown color of the paper. Then I realized it was impossible to read this copy with its brittle spine and the book’s cover that needed immediate repair to keep it attached. The spine broke in 2 places just trying to open it to turn the pages. I would never have chosen this seller if I had realized that his copy was actually the original 1981-printed version of the cheapest quality paperback sold (including that smell of well-aged book paper). Oh well. My mistake - live and learn :>(
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Gwendolyn Leigh
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, great author!
Reviewed in Canada on May 6, 2020
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An engaging, descriptive read, rife with colorful characters and an elaborate trail of bodies and clues. Highly recommended. I've read many Richard Jury tales over the years, this is the first book in the series. I think it's time to read them all again, but in order this time. Excellent.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!
Reviewed in Australia on May 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
Wonderful. A British village so quirky I want to live there, full of interesting characters. A mystery to keep one guessing. A satisfying conclusion. I will have to revise my prejudice against American authors who try to write British village mysteries - Martha Grimes has proved that a US author CAN write a good one. So now I have a whole series to look forward to! And I almost deprived myself of them...
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Ellen Weiß
5.0 out of 5 stars Wie ein Überraschungsei ohne Schokolade - jede Menge Spaß
Reviewed in Germany on March 15, 2016
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Ich habe die meisten Inspektor Jury Krimis schon seit Jahren auf deutsch und bin vor allem von den frühen ein großer Fan. Oft lesen sich die Originalversionen aber noch besser und unterhaltsamer, also habe ich mir das englischsprachige Original auf meinen Kindle geladen und es keine Sekunde bereut. Jedem Leser, der ganz gute Englischkenntnisse hat, empfehle ich die Originalversion, obwohl die Übersetzung durchaus gut ist. Es gibt einfach ein paar wunderbare Wortspiele, die sich nicht angemessen übersetzen lassen.

Wer die guten alten englischen Krimis mag, wird vermutlich auch Inspektor Jury mögen. Es gibt jede Menge skurrile Figuren und schräge Mordfälle, die auf humorige und nicht immer konventionelle Art gelöst werden.
"The Man with a Load of Mischief" (dt. "Inspektor Jury schläft außer Haus") ist der erste Krimi einer ganzen Reihe und stellt die Protagonisten vor, die auch die folgenden Krimis bevölkern werden: den chronisch hypochondrischen Sergeant Wiggins, der zwischen Hustenbonbons und Kohletabletten auch helle Momente hat, den leich melancholischen Chefinspektor Jury, dem die meisten Frauen am liebsten zu Füßen liegen würden, Melrose Plant, der seine Reihe englischer Adelstitel abgelegt hat und der einen messerscharfen Verstand hat, dessen überdrehte amerikanische Tante und noch einige weitere nicht minder skurrile Bewohner des kleinen Dorfes Long Piddleton, das wie ein Postkartenklischee überzeichnet ist.
Gerade diese Überzeichnungen machen für mich die Charaktere und die Schauplätze liebenswert. Martha Grimes hat ihre besten Krimis mit einem leicht ironischen Augenzwinkern und jeder Menge Spaß geschrieben.
Ich freue mich schon darauf, die weiteren Originalversionen zu lesen.
3 people found this helpful
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Deborah
3.0 out of 5 stars Consegna ottima Il libro così così
Reviewed in Italy on September 7, 2015
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Non posso dire nulla del servizio di Amazon che è sempre impeccabile e su cui conto sempre. Il libro non mi ha fatto impazzire. Forse avevo aspettative troppo alte, mi aspettavo un libro alla Agatha Christie e sono rimasta delusa.
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Allan DB
5.0 out of 5 stars The first of the series.
Reviewed in Spain on April 16, 2014
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Long Piddleton is a sleepy village in Northamptonshire. A few days before Christmas the body of a man is discovered strapped to a beam above a public house. Chief Inspector Richard Jury is sent from New Scotland Yard to investigate the murder and the one which had occurred the previous day. The book is an entertainment, not a pólice procedural. The detective element is handled very well but the aim of this book is to introduce Jury to the residents of Long Piddleton, in particular to Melrose Plant. First published in 1981 the characters of the book seem to belong to an earlier age, as though the village has been caught in a bubble. Many of the characters will feature in later books but the team is Jury and Plant, a rich aristocrat who has given up his various titles. He reminds me of Margery Allingham's hero, Albert Campion. The book is a light-hearted romp, nothing pretentious and very enjoyable. I could have done without Aunt Agatha and Martha Grimes should have known that the British pólice do not carry guns.
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