I Am the Only Running Footman

Detective Superintendent Richard Jury, seeking a peaceful retreat, finds his holiday in the tranquil Lake District abruptly interrupted by the discovery of a peculiar murder. The investigation is complicated by the sole witness being an elderly woman whose ramblings about a "running footman" offer cryptic clues. As Jury, accompanied by his loyal Sergeant MacGregor, begins to unravel the case, he uncovers a tangled history involving a wealthy family and their ancestral estate, where long-buried secrets and old resentments are brought to the surface, suggesting a motive far more complex than initially meets the eye. Grimes masterfully constructs this mystery around a cast of wonderfully eccentric characters, each with their own hidden agendas and peculiar traits, creating a rich and often darkly humorous tapestry of human nature. The novel explores themes of the past’s enduring influence on the present, the unreliability of perception, and the difficulty of uncovering truth when obscured by deception and eccentricity. It proves compelling through Grimes's signature intricate plotting, atmospheric storytelling, and the depth of her characterizations, inviting readers to piece together a puzzle where the shadows of history loom large over a seemingly idyllic, yet deeply troubled, English countryside.

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