Rating: 
Summary: Insider's Wonderful Satire on Publishing
Review: If you have ever worked in or around publishing or have ever been published you will laugh your way through Grimes' new novel.Although there are a few rough edges, this book is impossibly hilarious, clever, depressing and hopeful, all at the same time.
Rating: 
Summary: What a romp!
Review: It's not part of her long-running Richard Jury mystery series, but this droll and sparkling satire has so many facets, it's sort of difficult to write a coherent review of it. Let's do it by character: There's Paul Giverney, a best-selling author with a guaranteed million-copy sell-through -- but actually not a bad writer for all that -- and he's thinking about going with a new publisher. But before coming aboard Mackenzie-Hack, he has some conditions that involve Ned Isaly, and that's what gets everybody else's balls rolling. Ned, a writer very highly regarded by the critics, is also incredibly naive about the nuts and bolts of big-money publishing. He lives inside his current work so completely, he'd wander into traffic if his friends didn't keep an eye on him. Saul Prouil, independently wealthy and Ned's neighbor and close friend, published only one novel, a decade ago, because he just can't make himself quite finish all the books he has written since then. But that may finally change. The third writer in the trio is Jamie, a successful writer of genre fiction (any genre) who cranks out two and somethimes three novels a year. She's not "literary" but she's probably the hardest working of the three. And then there's the people on the publishing side, especially Bobby Mackenzie, a shark with no morals or ethics, who hires a couple of hit men to (he thinks) carry out Paul's wishes regarding Ned. And there's Clive Esterhaus, a senior editor at M-H with minimal talent but at least a conscience, and also Tom Kidd, the house's best literary editor -- the best in New York, maybe -- who can do whatever he wants because all the prize-winning authors would follow him unquestioningly to whatever publisher he chose to work for. And Sally, Tom Kidd's assistant, who has kind of a thing for Ned. And not to forget Candy and Karl, the aforementioned hit men, who have to research and approve the subject of any contract before they'll carry it out. And Mort Durban, top author's agent and general jerk, and Sammy Giancarlo, mob figure and author (now in the witness protection program in Chelsea), and even more. Even Swill's and The Old Hotel make great characters. This is simply a marvelous book which, with the right screenwriter, could also be a terrific film. Especially the clown-car antics in Pittsburgh!
Rating:
Summary: A real writer gets fresh
Review: Just when Martha Grimes' Richard Jury mysteries were starting to go flat, she comes up with something so completely different that it shoots her into another category altogether. Literate, funny, and suspenseful, Foul Matter will please her current fans and should find her lots of happy new ones. Paul Giverney writes good, extremely popular novels, and he's shopping for a new publisher. He likes Mackenzie-Haake, but before he makes a final decision, he makes a demand of acquisitions editor Clive Esterhaus--the publishing house must drop Ned Isaly, one of its most respected literary authors. Clive takes this proposal to Bobby Mackenzie, the Mackenzie of Mackenzie-Haake, who decides that since they have absolutely no reason to drop Ned--and imagine the lawsuit!--it will be more cost effective to hire someone to knock him off. Suddenly Clive is meeting with people in the Witness Protection Program on deserted New York piers, bribing mobsters with book contracts, and hiring the two best hitmen in the business. These guys are so successful that they only whack people they don't like, which means that they have to get to know Ned before they accept the job. They want two weeks to become acquainted with their mark, an unassuming fellow who is happily surrounded by writer friends. How Candy and Karl, with their unstructured Versace suits (perfect for concealing large weapons without losing their line) and scary manners are going to infiltrate that crowd Clive cannot imagine, but he agrees. The characters are a trip, and placing the book in New York and Pittsburgh (some of the most memorable scenes take place in Pittsburgh) suits Grimes well. One of the topics discussed by Foul Matter's characters is how to classify fiction, which is obviously something this novel brings up. Here's Paul, who has written a book that goes beyond his usual genre, lumped in the with same stuff he usually writes. There's Jamie, who writes readable books within the rigid confines of genre fiction. And there's Martha Grimes, who with this novel should probably move off the mystery shelf. But where should Foul Matter go? Will the fact that book stores won't immediately know how to categorize it effect its sales? What's happening to publishing and to readers who need to have books tucked neatly into categories in order to know what to read? I hope Martha Grimes sticks to her new path. With this novel she shows she is a writer who cannot be categorized. Foul Matter is fresh and funny not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: The Mystery of the Laughter, Chuckles and Chills
Review: Martha Grimes brings us laughter, chuckles and chills in almost every page of this novel. It is a mystery of sorts. This is a send-up of the publishing world, and Martha Grimes seems to know it well. The outlandish character names, the spoof of the mafia,and the tale of evil and greediness. As someone said "I only hope she made it all up!".
Paul Giverney, a well published and powerful author, wants to leave his publishing house and move to another. He has mischief on his mind. Every publishing house is out to get him, but he chooses the less well known Mackenzie-Haack. Could this be a hint of things to come? His condition; Ned Islay, author that Mackenzie-Haack publishes, must be fired. The editor assigned to see him, Clive Esterhaus, is thunder-struck. Ned has an iron-clad contract- well, if he wanted Paul Giverney and his millions they would have to play. He goes to Bobby Mackenzie, the owner of the publishing house, and they discuss this issue. The iron-clad contract can not be changed, but another kind of contract can be made. Bobby hires two "hit" people to get rid of Ned Islay.
Ahh, now the fun begins. The hit people are a different type. They have to know everything about their contract. They also love books and publishing and authors. The funniest part of the book takes place in Pittsburgh with Ned Islay innocently making his rounds, and being followed just in case the "hit" can take place.
During all this time, what is Mr.Giverney really doing? Is he writing his next novel? Is he planning his next move? What of the editors and players within Mackenzie-Haack? What is really going on? Well, when the time comes you will laugh hysterically at the comings and goings and the fun and games and the life of a publishing house. Martha Grimes has done her best to keep us apprised of life inside the book publishing business. A quirky side of Maratha Grimes, or is this the real truth? Very much recommended. prisrob
Rating: 
Summary: Too bad it was boring
Review: Martha Grimes used to write excellent novels. Her Richard Jury novels are examples of meticulous and interesting plot and characters. I kept forcing myself to read the next chapter, wondering where it would get interesting. By Chapter 11, I decided I had much better things to do than hope that her previous novels had guaranteed her future novels to be worth reading. Quite a disappointment.
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Summary: Eclectic Genre Bender
Review: Martha Grimes' "Foul Matter" is a unique read. Ostensibly a mystery, it veers far afield, flirting with the literary fiction category and, incredibly, morphing into a madcap comedy. The result is a strange fictional brew that illuminates an even stranger book publishing industry, something that appears to be all underbelly. Fictional New York Times best-selling "commercial fiction" author Paul Giverney, coveted by all the top publishers, sets the plot in motion by approaching an unscrupulous New York publishing house and offering to sign with them under one odd condition: that they cut loose their number one literary fiction author, Ned Isaly. The editors there conclude that for various reasons their only option to meet Giverney's demand (which they're willing to do at any cost) is to kill Isaly. They hire hit men to do the deed. As the plot thickens and widens to include other players, and as suspicions, doubts, and recriminations begin, private investigators, bodyguards, and competing hit men are hired. But who, if anyone gets killed? And what was Giverney's motivation from the beginning? As the reader struggles with the preposterous plot, yet marvels at Grimes' ability to oscillate between commercial and literary writer herself, light is shown on a nasty industry where big money and bigger egos taint the highly revered "published word." Grimes exposes the cynical process by which manuscripts become books, best described as literary sausage making. I found "Foul Matter" difficult to get into. It has many characters to meet and remember, none of whom are heroic. The two most likable are the hired assassins, who are very funny. The plot is frustratingly ridiculous until you grasp the comedic parody behind it. Her distinct writing voice (choppy-stream-of-consciousness-descriptive-exploring-emotions-literary-chick stuff) is not my style (purely subjective). Yet she is a writer clearly at the top of the game, a publishing insider with the knowledge and credibility to pull off this tale, and the wake this book leaves is all positive. Her exposé confirms impressions of the book industry from my two-book experience, and strengthens my resolve to support mid-list writers. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of BIG ICE and WAKE UP DEAD.
Rating:
Summary: An amusing send up of book publishing
Review: Martha Grimes' latest takes an amusing swipe at the publishing industry and its inhabitants. While there are generous and delicious pokes at the industry itself, Grimes takes aim at all involved from editors to authors. It is an enjoyable romp. I had a bit of trouble keeping the cast of characters straight as more and more joined in the stalking of author Ned Islay, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment one bit. Hit men Candy and Karl are great characters. Actors will fight each other to play them if this makes it to film. Bravo, Martha!
Rating:
Summary: A satirical look at the publishing industry.
Review: Martha Grimes's new book, "Foul Matter," is a funny and off-beat treatment of the corrupt, venal, and nasty side of the publishing industry. Paul Giverney is a best-selling author who can write his own ticket. He decides to change publishers, and he agrees to sign on with a house named Mackenzie-Haack on the condition that they drop a talented writer named Ned Isaly. Ned loves his craft and his characters live vividly in his head. He cares little about wealth and adulation. In short, he is the exact opposite of many of today's high-priced authors. Critics love Ned, but, alas, he does not command big publicity tours and his books are not displayed in the front window of major bookselling chains. Paul Giverney negotiates a deal with an ambitious Mackenzie-Haack editor named Clive Esterhaus, who knows that getting Giverney would be a major coup for his publishing house and for him personally. Esterhaus's boss, Bobby Mackenzie, has no scruples about doing whatever it takes to get this hot author. He can actually see the dollar signs dancing in front of his eyes. To what lengths will Bobby go to get Giverney? How will Bobby get rid of Ned, who is under contract? Grimes must know some reprehensible and unscrupulous publishing types, because her book is a scathing indictment of the business. Although the author is a bit heavy-handed in her distaste for the sordid aspects of publishing, she makes up for it with her deliciously deadpan humor and her amusingly eccentric characters. The two funniest individuals in the book are Karl and Candy, hit men with a conscience and an appreciation for a good book. There is a farcical interlude in which Ned Isaly travels to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a virtual posse of his friends, acquaintances, and the omnipresent hit men follow him. Although everyone is trying to be incognito, all of these characters practically fall over one another. Grimes's wacky and whimsical sense of humor makes "Foul Matter" delightfully entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: An Author's Revenge!
Review: Most people I know who write novels have little good to say about publishing companies, acquisition editors and the whole process of marketing their books. In fact, a fair amount of malice can seep out in these authors' comments. Foul Matter takes a slapstick approach to describing how low a publisher will stoop to gain an advantage over other publishers. In the process, the book will bring many chuckles with its satirical names (Mackenzie-Haack publishers, Grunge publishers, DreckSneed publishers and American Dreck), endless conniving over nothing (getting a dinner reservation at the Old Hotel), lack of morals (hiring Mobsters to do dirty deeds), and lack of interest in authors as people (being more concerned about potential profits). The story unwinds as a sort of mystery. Mega-best-selling author Paul Giverney demands that Mackenzie-Haack drop another author and assign that author's editor to Giverney's books. Giverney assumes that the legal team at Mackenzie-Haack will simply use obscure contract clauses to accomplish this . . . but the truth is chillingly more sinister. Why does Giverney want this result? It looks like ego . . . but could it be something else? If so, what? Most readers will see this book as being too exaggerated, and may grade it as a three star effort. Most writers who've had a bad a experience with a publisher will see this as hugely humorous and not so exaggerated. Many of them will grade the book at five stars. In a compromise I have chosen a four-star rating to reflect both potential viewpoints. Personally, I found the book to be the funniest novel about publishing I have ever read. As I finished the book, I was piqued by the ending to think of other ways that the human tendency to err can be used constructively.
Rating:
Summary: An Author's Revenge!
Review: Most people I know who write novels have little good to say about publishing companies, acquisition editors and the whole process of marketing their books. In fact, a fair amount of malice can seep out in these authors' comments. Foul Matter takes a slapstick approach to describing how low a publisher will stoop to gain an advantage over other publishers. In the process, the book will bring many chuckles with its satirical names (Mackenzie-Haack publishers, Grunge publishers, DreckSneed publishers and American Dreck), endless conniving over nothing (getting a dinner reservation at the Old Hotel), lack of morals (hiring Mobsters to do dirty deeds), and lack of interest in authors as people (being more concerned about potential profits). The story unwinds as a sort of mystery. Mega-best-selling author Paul Giverney demands that Mackenzie-Haack drop another author and assign that author's editor to Giverney's books. Giverney assumes that the legal team at Mackenzie-Haack will simply use obscure contract clauses to accomplish this . . . but the truth is chillingly more sinister. Why does Giverney want this result? It looks like ego . . . but could it be something else? If so, what? Most readers will see this book as being too exaggerated, and may grade it as a three star effort. Most writers who've had a bad a experience with a publisher will see this as hugely humorous and not so exaggerated. Many of them will grade the book at five stars. In a compromise I have chosen a four-star rating to reflect both potential viewpoints. Personally, I found the book to be the funniest novel about publishing I have ever read. As I finished the book, I was piqued by the ending to think of other ways that the human tendency to err can be used constructively.
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