The Old Fox Deceiv'd

by Martha Grimes

Book Overview

Scotland Yard's Richard Jury and his sidekick Melrose Plant converge on a northern fishing village to hunt down a wily killer.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440167477
• ISBN13: 9780440167471
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
• Length: 299 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful myster Christie's style..

Finally i got to read something close to good old Agatha - wonderful book. Reminded me of "Peril at End House" " Mirror Cracked", of course, but in my case it's not a bad thing! Very charming characters, good story, atmospheric location- what else do you need from a mystery!I can't wait to read the next one!

Well-written second entry in a pretty good series

This is the second in the Chief Inspector Richard Jury murder mysteries, and this time Scotland Yard sends him off to assist in investigating a murder in the cliffside fishing village of Rackmoor, in darkest Yorkshire. A young woman who might be the returned prodigal ward of a wealthy landowner has been killed on a foggy night and there are way too many suspects. As it happens, Melrose Plant, who developed a taste for detecting last year, and who has becomes friends with Jury, was recently invited to visit said landowner, so he takes the opportunity to involve himself as well. Fortunately for Jury, Plant is a very bright guy with hidden resources and a wry sense of humor, and his assistance is welcome. As in the first book, the roots of at least one of the murders in Rackmoor (you knew there would be more than one) stretch far back into the past. The characters are nicely done, especially young Bertie Makepeace, who has had to do for himself with the aid of his faithful canine companion, Arnold.

Enjoyable mystery

I have all of the Ms. Grimes' book and they are very entertaining. Once you start reading them you can't stop.

Second In The Series Sets Style

The Old Fox Deceiv'd, by Martha Grimes, is the second in the series of this exceptionally well writted series featuring Richard Jury and Melrose Plant. The reparte between the two primary characters and their growing friendship is really the best part of this series. If you are new to the series, than congratulations... you have found an excellent series by a very witty and gifted author. Some of the books - like any series - are much better than others. In this novel, the style of having Melrose essentially sent on assignment is made, with excellent results. Reading along as Melrose plays jr. detective is very funny. The mystery here is just nifty enough to make this a 4 star read. For those of you new to the series, here are the books in order: The Man with a Load of Mischief The Old Fox Deceived The Anodyne Necklace The Dirty Duck Jerusalem Inn Help the Poor Struggler The Deer Leap I am the only Running Footman The Five Bells and Bladebone The Old Silent The Old Contemptibles The Horse You Came In on Rainbow's End The Case has Altered The Stargazey The Lamorna Wink The Blue Last The Grave Maurice The Winds of Change The Old Wine Shades Dust

Curry and Grimes a winning combination

A beautiful woman lies dead, her blood covering her party costume, and smearing her Harlequin face paint. She is a stranger, so not only do people wonder who killed her, but why kill a stranger? Detective Chief Inspector Richard Jury and his pal Melrose Plant are sharing a pint at the local pub The Old Fox Deceiv'd, when this came swirling with danger and deception touches them. Foxes are abound - the pub carries one in the name, Jury and Melrose find the only way to trap a foxykiller is to ride to the foxes.It's typically Grimes all the way, the humor dry and droll, and brought to life by the ever-so-talent Tim Curry. I just cannot imagine anyone but Curry reading Grimes. He brings all the characters to life. While my preferred medium is reading in print, I cannot resist all the Curry-Grimes tapes. They are just too perfect!If you love British Mysteries, you cannot pass on these tapes. If you are a Curry fan, you simply need to hear him doing Aunt Agatha and Gwendolyn! This was the second in the Jury-Plant series.