About the author: This is #9 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:
- Sadie Diver, a hairdresser
- Timmy Diver, her brother, a tugboat hand
- Ruby Firth, neighbor to Sadie, a decorator
- Simon Lean, publisher's accountant
- Hannah Lean, Simon's wife/widow
- Eleanor, Lady Summerston; Hannah's grandmother
- Joanna Lewes, romance author
- Theo Wrenn Browne, bookseller
- Diane Demorney, divorced four times, looking for husband #5
The regulars:
- Superintendent Richard Jury
- Agatha, Lady Ardry - Richard's aunt
- Melrose Plant
- Vivian Rivington
- Marshall Trueblood, antique dealer
- Carol-anne Palutski, Richard's upstairs neighbor
- Mrs. Wasserman, Richard's downstairs neighbor
Locale: London
Synopsis: Flamboyant antiques dealer Marshall Trueblood purchases a drop-front secretary desk from Lady Summerston. When it is opened, he is surprised to find the body of local Simon Lean stuffed inside. Simon's wife, Hannah Lean, is the only heir to her grandmother Lady Summerston's immense fortune. This hints at a possible motive - Simon was a known womanizer with various ongoing affairs: hairdresser Sadie Diver, romance writer Joanna Lewes, and flashy Diane Demorney. Perhaps Hannah did away with him to have the fortune all to herself?
However - Sadie Diver is almost immediately found dead herself, stabbed - with her body stashed in a boat moored beside a pub along the Thames. Evidence shows their deaths occurred within hours of each other. Sadie's brother, Timmy Diver, is called upon to identify the body - but claims it is not her.
Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this title, with all the regulars in appearance and some interesting one-timers.
This title gives insight into the book business, with seller/binder Theo Wrenn appearing, the womanizing victim Simon Lean being an accountant to a publisher, and especially author Joanna Lewes, who cranks out romances according to strict formulae provided by the publishers. It is amusing to watch her assemble these books according to recipe.
One thing that left me a bit puzzled was the somewhat vague ending. We have a dead woman, apparently by suicide, but is she character A or character B? An assumption must be made.
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