AOL's "The Book Reporter"
Friday, October 5, 2001
Martha Grimes
BIO
Martha Grimes is the bestselling author of sixteen
Richard Jury mysteries and also of the acclaimed
fiction COLD FLAT JUNCTION, HOTEL PARADISE, THE
END OF THE PIER, THE TRAIN NOW DEPARTING, and
BITING THE MOON. She lives in Washington, D.C.,
and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
INTERVIEW
October 5, 2001
Martha Grimes crafts her storylines with strong
characters and vivid surroundings that envelope the
reader and make them a participant. Equal parts of
humor and compassion underly her prose, giving it a
strong voice that is reflective of the author herself.
Although some have characterized her as shy,
Bookreporter.com's Ann Bruns has never found that
to be a stumbling block, as readers will see in this
latest interview about her most recent Richard Jury
novel, THE BLUE LAST.
TBR: THE BLUE LAST has an interesting twist
from your previous Richard Jury novels --- the
pub of the title serves as the initial crime
scene, but is nothing more than a pile of
rubble, having been bombed in World War II.
Was there an actual Blue Last pub that you
used as the basis for the story?
MG: The history of the pub is exactly as given in the
book. What inspired me to write it is the fact that
this did actually happen. The Blue Last was
demolished by fire-bombing on December 29, 1940.
The only liberty I took with this history was that the
discovery of the development of the site and the
discovery of the skeletons (and this, too, really did
happen) occurred a few years later than in the book,
the time of which is not 2001, but the mid-nineties --
- 94, 95.
TBR: Inspector Jury is asked by an old friend on
the force to determine the identity of a baby
found at the scene years ago. Given the current
technology available, why wouldn't Jury have
suggested a DNA test to determine which baby
was killed in the bombing?
MG: DNA testing wouldn't work here. If DNA could
be extracted from the bones, it could still not
positively id them, since there would be nothing to
compare the DNA with. The father is out; the
grandfather is out (Jury wouldn't ask him); Kitty and
Maisie are obviously out because they wouldn't go
along with DNA testing --- knowing what the result
would be.
Another interesting way of looking at the
identification is that the bones found are merely
suggestive, i.e., one couldn't say what the adult
woman's bones are actually...
And then of course there's the possibility that the
bones might not belong to the Tynedale mom and
daughter and Mickey is mistaken. Or he might be
lying to Jury... (I think I'll write this book again...)
TBR: In THE BLUE LAST storyline, Jury is in
quite a funk, brooding on his childhood
memories of the war years. Is his personal
history, his fragmented memories of an
orphaned life, in any way an explanation for his
continued bachelorhood?
MG: Jury's bachelor status seems far more the result
of bad luck than lack of desire. The women either die
or are using him or are just not the right woman for
him (e.g. Jenny Kennington).
TBR: THE BLUE LAST is teeming with characters
who have been orphaned for one reason or
another. There's a definite echo of the same
heart-wrenching sadness that consumed Emma
Graham of HOTEL PARADISE and COLD FLAT
JUNCTION and the woman of THE TRAIN NOW
DEPARTING. Are you conscience of this
recurring theme of loneliness when you are in
the process of fleshing out your characters?
MG: The recurring theme of loneliness? Of course
I'm conscious of it. It's quite deliberate. In the Jury
series another reason for the kids' being along (sans
parents or meaningful relations) is that I want to
show their resourcefulness in saving themselves. It
isn't Plant or Jury who save them; they always turn
up a shade too late. (The dog Arnold saves Bertie;
Emily Louise Park saves herself by riding her horse;
Abby gets the dogs to start a sheep-avalanche; etc.)
TBR: How did you go about researching details
about the British Code and Cypher intelligence
branch that operated during World War II?
Were you able to talk with survivors from that
era? Access MI files or other such resources?
MG: Books. I don't know any survivors; I don't know
anyone in the Secret Service. Just a lot of books and
newspapers.
TBR: Inspector Jury interviews Sir Oswald, who
was a former member of the Code and Cypher
group, in order to piece together a history of
Ralph Herrick, the father of the presumed heir
to the Tynedale estate. Is Sir Oswald's resigned
attitude toward "the game" of spies and
counterspies a realistic portrayal of how many
former intelligence agents view their
occupation?
MG: Again, I don't know any agents, but I certainly
think the attitude of some would be Sir Oswald's.
TBR: THE BLUE LAST draws a great deal of
background from the destructive bombing of
England during World War II. Are there still a
good many locations that remain dangerous to
excavate or restore?
MG: In London, none. The Blue Last was the last
bomb site.
TBR: The parallel story involving Marshall
Trueblood's quest to identify the Italian
Renaissance painting was not only humorous,
but enlightening. Are there many valuable
works of art thought to be floating around ---
unrecognized, or without proper provenance?
Is it that difficult for experts to identify these
pieces with absolute certainty?
MG: There probably are some, and undoubtedly in
private collections. I doubt it's this difficult to
recognize them, though.
TBR: The residents of Long Piddleton are such
delightfully quirky characters --- Marshall
Trueblood, Diane Demorney, and, of course, the
charming Melrose Plant who has played such a
key role in many of Inspector Jury's
investigations. All of these people have a
somewhat solitary existence, yet, for the most
part, they seem content and self-fulfilled. Do
they reflect a not-so-subtle statement of your
own personal convictions concerning career,
relationships and life in general?
MG: Yes. Clearly, a writer has to be able to tolerate
long periods of being alone. However, considering all
of the people floating around in my mind, I
sometimes wonder if I'm ever alone. But it
astonishes me that many people can't tolerate being
alone, in other words, can't tolerate themselves.
TBR: Melrose Plant undergoes some changes in
his usual conservative demeanor: more
impulsive in his behavior and strikingly
experimental with his appearance. Frankly, my
mental picture of him altered during the
reading of THE BLUE LAST; he seemed younger,
livelier and more assertive. Were you just
having a little fun with his character, or is this
a "new" Melrose?
MG: As far as I'm concerned, this is the same old
Melrose. But perhaps his being for a long period of
time with Trueblood brings out certain qualities. If
Melrose showed changes in his character, I would
say it's in THE LAMORNA WINK.
TBR: Young Gemma became the ward of Oliver
Tynedale when they "accidentally" crossed
paths after the death of his daughter. While
some tantalizing possibilities are presented
suggesting that this might not be an accident,
it really remains an enigma. Do you always like
to leave readers with a little something to chew
on?
MG: The origins of Gemma are more of a red herring
than anything else. One is taken up by wondering
where she came from and, as in the case of red
herrings, doesn't concentrate on the mystery. The
most glorious red herring in the book, though, is
Ralph Herrick and that book Simon was writing.
TBR: Gemma and Benny, who is also an orphan
with strong survival skills, are both such
marvelous characters --- bright, clever, and
remarkably perceptive about human nature. In
fact, the children of your novels are always so
engaging, it begs the question: why haven't
you ever written stories for children?
MG: Well, writing about children and writing for
them are two different things.
TBR: In our last interview, you assured us we
would be seeing more of the Spirit Lake
community of characters (my personal
favorites) and your website states there will be
more novels like BITING THE MOON focusing
on preserving wildlife and the environment.
Can you tell us what your next project will be?
MG: No, I can't. I'm writing a Jury book at the
moment, but I could easily start writing another
book about Spirit Lake and Emma. Sometimes I
write two books at the same time.
NOTE TO READERS: The last few questions may
reveal more than you would like to know prior
to reading THE BLUE LAST. You may wish to
stop here, and return to them at a later date.
TBR: I have to ask the obvious question: Since
you've often said you don't always know where
the story will go until you write it, was that the
case with THE BLUE LAST? Or had you
determined it was time to put Richard Jury to
rest? Since it's not outside the realm of
possibility that Jury could recover if you chose
to let him, could the inevitable fan mail that
will result from this influence you at all?
MG: Why are you so sure Richard Jury dies at the
end of this book? The "villain" is an exceptionally
good shot. Would he have to fire three times? No, I'd
say, with Melrose, Benny and Sparky all headed in
his direction, there's a good chance Jury doesn't die.
As for my fans influencing me to do one this way or
another, no.
TBR: Will we ever see any of the other Richard
Jury characters appearing in another novel?
Will any of them pop up in the United States for
a cameo? Is there anything you would like to
say to readers, particularly with regard to the
close of the series?
MG: I guess these are answered above. It's
interesting that you think everything would shut
down if R. J. died. There's still Melrose Plant,
remember. And a lot of readers like him more than
Richard Jury.
Thank you for taking time for some questions.
Your fans always love to hear from you.
--- Ann Bruns
PAST INTERVIEW
April 20, 2001
Fans of Martha Grimes have long been familiar with
her Richard Jury series, mysteries that often evolve
in the quaint villages and colorful pubs of England.
Her remarkable characterizations and intuitive sense
of human nature raise her novels far above the level
of the genre they've been assigned. Her departures
from that series have been acclaimed, as well, for
their rich prose and literary essence. In this
interview with Bookreporter.com's Ann Bruns,
Martha Grimes reveals her frustrations with being
labeled a mystery writer, her curiosity with her
character "the Girl", and much more!
BRC: COLD FLAT JUNCTION is a continuation of
your novel HOTEL PARADISE, the story of a 12-
year-old girl's obsession with a drowning that
occurred 40 years ago. In your opening
chapter, Emma admonishes, "...if you think I
shouldn't have waited so long to tell you more
of this story, just remember: I haven't been
away. You have." Why did you wait so long to
return to this captivating story? Were these
two novels originally written and intended to
be one, or did COLD FLAT JUNCTION evolve
later because Emma was nagging you to finish
telling her story? Near the end Emma states,
"This is my story, and it's not over til I say it's
over." Is she hinting she may have more to tell
us?
MG: The novels evolved out of my wanting to write a
"trilogy," the first being THE END OF THE PIER. This
story actually happens some time after the other
two, although it was written first. Given the content
of THE END OF THE PIER it couldn't have happened
before Emma's story or she certainly would have
made much of it. When I finished HOTEL PARADISE I
knew that although the story didn't have to be "tied
up" --- given that none of these three books is a
mystery --- still there were questions I, myself,
wanted to answer, so that's how COLD FLAT
JUNCTION came about. Now, I guess there'll be
another one because there are still questions that
nag me. Who is this Girl that Emma keeps seeing?
BRC: COLD FLAT JUNCTION involves three
tragic deaths in the same family. Emma's
interest in the whole affair began with a vision
of "The Girl" near that family's Spirit Lake
home. Readers will undoubtedly be divided on
whether "The Girl" really exists, whether she's
the spirit of the little girl that died, or that it's
Emma's overactive imagination. Do you believe
a spirit can haunt the scene of a tragedy?
MG: Who is she? It beats me. Although I know she's
a flesh-and-blood person, she appears to have some
significance that goes beyond the events in the two
books. Emma is convinced she's Fern Queen's
daughter. And the fact that Ben Queen does not
want her identity known further supports Emma's
notion. Ben appears to think she shot Fern (hence
his protective behavior). I think the Girl is the same
"girl" who appears in BITING THE MOON. I think
she's also Carrie Fleet in THE DEER LEAP. I think her
coming back again and again is very, very, very
strange. Do I believe a spirit can haunt the scene of
a tragedy? I don't know. Maybe if I knew who the
Girl is I could better answer that question.
BRC: To describe Emma as precocious would be
an understatement. She's sharp, imaginative,
resourceful, and obviously far more
independent than most girls her age. Yet, she is
often troubled by feelings of loneliness and
self-doubt. Is it her insatiable curiosity or her
need for attention and recognition that compels
her to investigate the Devereau family
tragedies?
MG: It's not Emma's curiosity that keeps her on this
case. It's her unconscious knowledge that if this
awful death could happen to Mary-Evelyn Devereau,
it could happen to her, too. She's also 12; she also
lives with people who appear to be indifferent to her.
Emma is scared, although that might come off as her
"nebbiness." (I love that word.)
BRC: Emma's saga is a unique blend of mystery
and coming-of-age stories with equal emphasis
on each. Did you begin with the idea of
combining both of these elements, or did that
just evolve as you were writing?
MG: I never have any idea when I begin a book, so I
certainly had no intention to make this either a
mystery (it isn't, incidentally) or (shudder, shudder)
a "coming-of-age" story.
BRC: The parent-child relationship in COLD
FLAT JUNCTION is an important element on
many levels. In Emma's case, her mother is
barely involved in her life, yet Emma expresses
more emotion at the rift in her friendship with
Sam than her mother's lack of attention. Is her
need for a symbolic father more important? Or
is her anger toward Ree-Jane, the pampered
daughter of her mother's partner, actually
subconscious jealousy and hurt?
MG: Well, shucks, if I'd ever known the Sheriff, I'd
sure would have been more distressed over losing
him as a friend than I would over my mother's
indifference. Emma's adoration --- it's almost
religious --- her mother's cooking is her way of
expressing her feelings for her mother; the
expression of feelings is not encouraged in this
place, which is pretty clear. Yes, I'd say Sam (and
Ben) are symbolic fathers, just as Maud is very much
a mother. As for Ree-Jane, I don't think the jealousy
and hurt are subconscious. I think she's fairly well
aware of them.
BRC: On your website you state that, except for
the murders, Emma's tale is "the story of my
12-year-old life." Aside from your brother Will,
are the characters in these novels based on
people you've actually known? What are the
parallels between life at the Hotel Paradise and
the summers you spent at your mother's hotel?
MG: Yes, many of the characters are based on real
people and were just as I've described them. It
surprised me that certain characters (such as Walter)
got such big roles in the story. Yes, there was even a
Miss Bertha. Will's friend Mill is real enough that the
model for this kid recognized himself immediately,
50 years later, and it's been that long since I saw
him. The only characters that aren't based on real
ones are the nice ones: Sam, Maud, Dwayne, etc.
BRC: With few distractions other than the local
movie theater, Emma role plays with entire
scenarios she creates like her imaginary trip to
Florida. Her brother and his friends perform
amateur productions in the barn. Do you think
children of earlier generations were more
creative by having to rely on their own
imagination?
MG: Yes. And because of this, I think we were
luckier.
BRC: Cold Flat Junction is a rather dreary
whistle-stop town forming part of the
triangular locale for HOTEL PARADISE and
COLD FLAT JUNCTION. Your descriptions of the
actual train station and its atmosphere are
reminiscent of the setting for your recent
novella, THE TRAIN NOW DEPARTING. Was
there a conscious link between the two
settings? Was the woman from the novella in
any way a reflection of a grown-up Emma?
MG: This is an interesting question to raise about
THE TRAIN NOW DEPARTING. There is no conscious
link between this town and COLD FLAT JUNCTION.
But I am apparently very much taken by railroad
stations. I have no idea where this comes from. And
the protagonist of TRAIN does, perhaps, reflect
something of Emma's imaginative quality.
BRC: Although COLD FLAT JUNCTION is a
sequel, it's actually the third novel you've
written involving the people from the La Porte
area. THE END OF THE PIER, the first of these,
featured both Sheriff Sam DeGheyn, Maud
Chadwick and others that appeared in
subsequent books. Will we hopefully see even
more novels revolving around others in this
marvelous cast of characters?
MG: Yes, there'll be others.
BRC: The use of Edward Hopper's "Hotel Lobby"
and "Railroad Sunset" as jacket covers is so
wonderfully appropriate for these novels. Were
his haunting paintings part of the spark that
resulted in the writing of Emma's saga?
MG: No, I chose his paintings because I thought they
reflected the subject matter of the books.
BRC: You've also written another novel outside
of your British mystery series featuring two
teenage heroines. BITING THE MOON is a
mystery, but the real focus is on animal cruelty
with some pretty grisly imagery. Have fans
reacted to this book as positively as you'd
hoped they would?
MG: The readers I've heard from reacted very
positively. Of course, some wouldn't get through it
because people don't want to know about animal
cruelty. One reader wrote that she liked the book,
but "skipped those parts" as they were too tough to
take. This book is the first in what I mean to make a
series. And, again, I don't consider BITING THE
MOON a mystery. It's extremely disconcerting to me
that I'm not "allowed" to write anything but
mysteries.
BRC: Your highly successful Richard Jury
series, fondly known as the pub series, is
somewhat of an anomaly in the traditional
sense --- British mysteries with an American
overtone. Why did you originally choose
England as your setting? Have you actually
been to each of these English pubs? How do the
English people react when they find out you
intend to use their local pub in a murder
mystery?
MG: I chose England simply because I liked it. I've
been in most of these pubs. Ordinarily, I don't say
anything about using the pub as a setting. I did do
that once: I asked the owner of the Old Silent if he
minded my setting the book there. His answer
(shrugging), "Suit yourself."
BRC: Your novels always contain a seductive
mystery, but it's the characters that really
command the spotlight. How do you approach
writing a new novel? Does the premise
surrounding the murder come first or the
characters?
MG: Here we go with "mystery" again. What I begin
with is an image, not an idea. I don't write outlines
or summaries. I just begin with the little I have.
BRC: At the end of HOTEL PARADISE Emma
said, "However much I want to believe the
story has a neat ending, I guess it doesn't.
Turn the page, another story; another page,
another story." Does this more or less
summarize your philosophy of writing?
MG: Emma says that because that's the way it
appears to her. This isn't the way it appears to me. I
don't have a philosophy.
BRC: When you were Emma's age, what
authors inspired you?
MG: I didn't do any writing when I was Emma's age.
I read somewhat, but I'm not aware of being
inspired by any particular authors.
BRC: Many writers state they don't read in their
own genre because it might complicate their
own creativity. Do you read books by other
mystery writers? Who do you read for
enjoyment?
MG: If any writer ever said that to me I'd throw up.
But I suppose some do say things like that. I like to
read novels of psychological suspense, but not books
that feature a "sleuth" (such as R. Jury). I like Jane
Austen, Henry James, Joyce Porter (the only series I
really like, and, perhaps the only writer who has
consciously influenced me).
BRC: HOTEL PARADISE and COLD FLAT
JUNCTION would seem to be ideal for a movie
adaptation. Would you ever consider letting
your novels be adapted into screenplays? Have
you ever wanted to write one?
MG: Sure, I'd like to see the books adapted. I'm
currently hoping that the Jury books will be taken on
as a series by a British TV producer.
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