I Am the Only Running Footman by Martha Grimes (1986)

 

About the author: This is #8 of 25 books featuring Richard Jury. See this Wikipedia article for biography and list of the 25 Richard Jury books. Click this Martha Grimes label to see all my reviews of this series.

Major characters:

Sheila Broome (victim #1)
Ivy Childess (victim #2)
David Marr (Ivy's boyfriend)

Marion Winslow (David's sister)

Hugh Winslow (Marion's husband)

Edward "Ned" Winslow, their son 

Lucinda St. Clair, neighbor to the Winslows

Supt. Richard Jury
Det. Sgt. Alfred Wiggins
Chief Supt. A. E. Racer
Division Commander Brian Macalvie
Melrose Plant

Synopsis: Supt. Richard Jury is called to the scene of a murder - of Ivy Childess, found outside the I Am The Only Running Footman pub, stangled with her own scarf. Det. Sgt. Alfred Wiggins recalls another murder - 10 months previous, Sheila Broome was found in the woods of Devon strangled with her own scarf.

The Broome murder, being in Devon, fell under the jurisdiction of Division Commander Brian Macalvie. Macalvie and Jury cooperate in trying to find a connection between the two girls. A connection - though slim - is found. Ivy's somewhat-boyfriend David Marr is a brother to Marion Winslow, and the Winslow family seems to hold some secrets - beginning at the time when Hugh and Marion's young daughter, Phoebe, ran out into the street and was killed by a driver.

Review: It will be helpful if you are familiar with Hoagy Carmichael's song, Stardust. The chapter titles are taken from the song (subtle, that), and the 'Starrdust' shop featured late in the book has that theme as well. 

This is one of the more enjoyable Jurys I have read thus far. The little affair with Susan Bredon-Hunt at the beginning doesn't add much except add the obligatory bed scene. 

It took a bit of sketching out relationships to try to understand the Winslows and the St. Clairs as they are only introduced bit by bit. Suffice to say this sums it up:

Hugh and Marion Winslow had two children: Phoebe (killed in an accident) and Edward "Ned". Marion's brother is David Marr, somewhat-boyfriend to victim Ivy Childess; and the main suspect in her murder.

St. John and Sybil St. Clair are neighbors to the Winslows. They have three children: Lucinda, Davinity, and Pearl.

Vivian Rivington, Aunt Agatha, Fiona Clingmore, and Cyril the cat only make brief cameos, too bad - they are always enjoyable.

The Starrdust shop is a fun place, and Sgt. Wiggins gets right into it and manages to extract some information at the same time. 

My paperback edition has a broken hand mirror on the cover - not sure why - no hand mirrors figure in the story.