investigated funny so British and innovative

With "The Bad Subject" Martha Grimes succeeds the mixture between the classic detective story (that of Agatha Christie, Patricia Wentworth, ...) and contemporary investigative novel.
Point of deception, the reader knows immediately who will be plunged into the XXI century England, but in an atmosphere worthy of the past century. The survey itself is well built: with a "conventional" investigator Richard Jury and his sidekick "so British" Melrose Plant. The only downside I would note is the thread which is sometimes a little crooked.

In addition to history, gait Martha Grimes really seems original and innovative. Throughout the "Bad Subject", it shows that the detective story could be enriched in many ways:
- Favor the sidekick to the investigator himself (it becomes a sort of jester)
- Integrate current mores (stereotype of women "girl" instead of "fragile woman")
- Borrow the register of the comic (actually hilarious dialogues and comparisons)
- Deride the character "Agatha" (which becomes a little American awake)
In conclusion, the author could well become the queen of the crime of the century thanks to these cunningly devised techniques (brilliantly already integrated in the novel).