Perfect Pairing Reading Guide For The Red Queen
The Red Queen
by Martha Grimes
A sudden murder in an English village pub sets off the twenty-sixth novel in the bestselling series starring superintendent Richard Jury, from bestselling author Martha Grimes, still "one of the most fascinating mystery writers today" (Houston Chronicle)
One calm night in Twickenham, a businessman named Tom Treadnor is shot off his barstool at The Queen pub. Superintendent Richard Jury is called in to investigate, and quickly realizes that everyone in Treadnor's life - from his widow, Alice, to the staff at his manor, to his business partner had differing opinions of him. And to complicate things further, Jury has just happened upon a photo in a newspaper of a man in the United States, who is a dead ringer for Treadnor.
Meanwhile, Wiggins, Jury's partner at New Scotland Yard, becomes sidetracked by an investigation of his own: His sister, missing for years and presumed dead, has just sent a postcard to their mother. When Wiggins takes off in search of his sister, the two investigations begin to converge.
Funny, eccentric, and fueled by Richard Jury's talent for seeing clues in the most unlikely places, The Red Queen is a welcome return to a classic character and an exciting addition to a series that has been called "delightful, surprising, even magical" (Washington Post).
Discussion Questions
- This is Martha Grimes first book in six years. How do you think it compares to some of the other books in her Jury series? Or, how does it compare to more recently published mysteries?
- Did you feel that the secondary plot, Wiggin’s investigation, took away from the main plot? When did you see the connections between the two investigations start to connect?
Drink
Classic Highball
The origin of the Highball cocktail might not be a mystery but according to lore, it was created in an English pub. An American visiting the UK asked for “scotch and soda.” He was served English whiskey and club soda and the Highball was born. That American then brought the drink back to the states and shared it with whiskey lovers, turning it into the classic cocktail of today.
Ingredients
2 oz English, Scottish, or Irish whiskey
4 to 6 oz Ginger ale or Club soda
Ice
Instructions
Fill highball glass with ice
Add 2 oz English, Scottish, or Irish Whiskey
Top with ginger ale or club soda
Stir gently and serve
Non-Alcoholic Drink
Elderflower Presse
Popular in the summer, the British Elderflower Presse is a traditional drink that offers a light floral taste, refreshing bubbles, and a hint of citrus. While this drink is usually purchased to enjoy during an English picnic or a summer gathering, you can actually make this drink at home.
Ingredients
20 - 25 elderflower heads
1 quart cold water
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Sugar to taste
Instructions
Remove the stalks and stems from the flowers. Ensure the flower heads are clean and free from debris and add clean flowers to a large bowl.
Peel the lemon and add strips to the bowl and squeeze all the juice into the bowl.
Add the cold water.
Strain through cloth or sieve in a large saucepan.
Slowly warm the water. Sweeten to taste.
Cork and seal in a bottle to store in the fridge for a week or serve on ice with seltzer water.
Food
Pub Kitchen: The Ultimate Modern British Food Bible: The Sunday Times Bestseller
by Tom Kerridge
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A feast of recipes that bring elevated pub food into the home kitchen . . . Tom Kerridge has gone back to his heartland with over 100 recipes that celebrate modern British cooking
English Bangers and Mash
Ingredients
8 Lincolnshire sausages
Vegetable Oil
2 lbs of potatoes
1 ¾ oz butter
4fl oz milk or cream
8 pring onions
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Onion Gravey
1 ½ oz butter
1 chopped onion
1 chopped carrot
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 tsp plain flour
4 bay leaves
Few sprigs of thyme
12 fl oz red wine
16 fl oz beef stock
Bit of port (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
A Companion for Classic Whodunits
Martha Grimes and her superintendent Richard Jury may be solving the case today, but this type of serial mystery novel exploded in popularity with Agatha Christie’s famous novels featuring Hercule Poirot. What made Christie’s murders so unique were the creative ways they were killed. Former chemist Kathryn Harkup takes a look at the real poisons and fictional ways Christie used them.
V Is for Venom: Agatha Christie's Chemicals of Death
by Kathryn Harkup
Award Winning MysterY
If you are looking for another great mystery novel, then check out the 2025 Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel, The In Crowd, by Charlotte Vassell. Similar to Grime’s new Jury novel, this is a book in Vassell’s Beauchamp crime procedural series.
The in Crowd
by Charlotte Vassell