The Big Over Easy is the first of Jasper Fforde's Nursery Crime mysteries, a spin off from his arch, clever Thursday Next series. We are introduced to DI Jack Spratt and his new assistant Sergeant Mary Mary (and yes, she can be quite contrary) as they attempt to solve the murder of Humpty Dumpty, found smashed to bits at the base of his wall.

As in the original series, this one is enjoyable in large part because of its inside literary jokes and references, as well as its to-die-for overarching premise: a world in which the book is as important as real life and the story is everything. Often over the top but always enjoyable, Fforde has written another sly, fun mystery. ( )

Reviewed by Mrs. Foley
From library catalog - Detective Inspector Jack Spratt, head of the Nursery Crime Division of the Reading police force, teams up with his new partner Mary Mary to investigate the suspicious death of Humpty Dumpty, an ex-convict and former millionaire philanthropist who was found shattered to death in a bad part of town.

Jasper Fforde's books are a hoot...and this one is no exception. It is so interesting to see nursery characters come to life as common (and flawed) "real" people. There are a lot of references to literature to catch in his books and part of the fun is doing just that. ( )

Like The Eyre Affair, I felt that Fforde was trying to find his pace with this book. I liked the sequel better. ( )

The Big Over Easy is a delightful crime mystery. The tale is set mainly in a world of Mother Goose nursery rhymes with some mythological references. It is the first book in a Nursery Crime series from Jasper Fforde.

The main character is Jack Spratt, head detective of the Nursery Crime Division in the town of Reading. Jack is a hardworking detective who doesn't get any respect, not even from his own peers. Jack's self-absorbed arch-nemesis is fellow detective Freidland Chymes. Apparently, Chymes will stoop to any level to shine, especially at the expense of Jack Spratt. There is unpleasant old history between the two, which never stopped simmering.

The mystery surrounds the murder of Reading's philanthropist, Humpty Dumpty. This isn't your usual version of Humpty Dumpty. He is a wealthy ovoid with problems, including a drinking one, who never meant a woman he didn't love...literally. The hosts of possible suspects, friends, business associates, ex-wives and lovers read as the list of Who's Who of Mother Goose. I love how Jasper portrays the nursery characters as real people with real issues, but somehow he manages to keep a tone of the whimsical.

My only criticism of The Big Over Easy is that towards the end, the plot twists were too many and the plot line became a bit overdrawn. Nevertheless, I do plan to read The Fourth Bear, the second book in the Nursery Crime series. Jasper Fforde has developed an unique fantasy world which can only get better with time. I look forward to following how this incredible fun and funny series matures. ( )

There are dead end jobs and then there’s The Dead End Job. Years ago, the city of Reading’s Nursery Crime (yes, you read that right) Division was headed by the a more successful sleuth than Jack Spratt. Unfortunately, he’s just lost one case too many (it turns out that those three murderous pigs were a jury favorite while the vegetarian wolf failed to overcome public stereotyping) and it looks like, not only his job but his whole division, is headed for early retirement. It’s not that Jack is a terrible detective; it’s just that crime, like all things, is political and he’s been edged out of some high profile cases leaving his career wedged between a rock and a hard place.

His livelihood hangs in the balance of one last chance when aging playboy, Humpty Dumpty is found dead after a rowdy night on the social scene. When the whole town becomes suspect, Jack is sent, head spinning, down a rabbit hole of red herrings and literal goose chases, causing the public to seriously question whether he should be in the field at all. As the clock ticks down the minutes on Jack’s ailing career, the absurd becomes normal and normal becomes completely obsolete.

This is a fantastic spoof of the detective story. There is a lot of great, dry British humor throughout, recalling Monty Python at many a turn. The plot is fast paced from the get go and never loses momentum. At times, the nursery rhyme and kid-lit word plays are put on a bit thick but some of the more subtle allusions to Grimm and Potter are well worth the cheese. And you needn’t worry about the nursery rhyme theme watering down the adult content. There is plenty of sex, wine and violence to go around. This is most certainly the dark side of the cradle.

I can’t believe I haven’t read anything else by Jasper Fforde. He is definitely on my list of authors to explore more. I think that there is another NCD book and I hope he’s working on others. ( )

Thought this would be funnier. On the other hand, it is what it claims to be - a traditional 'hard boiled' detective story, with characters taken from the pages of Mother Goose. How can you resist the temptation to see how he carries it off? ( )

I, for one, was absolutely shocked that the publisher refrained from calling The Big Over Easy a "hard-boiled detective story" anywhere either on the cover or the synopsis. Too easy, I guess, and our detective isn't hard-boiled at all anyway. Jack Spratt is a kindly family man who works in the Nursery Crime Division of the police force, but his superiors have been threatening to shut down the division due to a lack of interest and Jack's abysmal court record (one successful case every 15 months). But Jack gets one last chance when Humpty Dumpty, known for being a shadowy womanizer, is found dead one morning. And he didn't fall - he was shot.

Fforde gets to have his fun with allusions both to fairy tales and to the cliches of detective novels. Every chapter begins with a brief news article - "Butler Did Do It Shock" or "Red Herring Use to Be Controlled," for example - and those were my favorite parts. I think that Fforde's writing works best in tiny pieces, because the actual plot of the Big Over Easy often dragged, strangely joyless for such a delightful premise. Maybe it's my fault, I'm not much of a fan of mysteries, but the book didn't live up to the hopes I had for it as a whimsical fun read. ( )

This book takes place somewhat in the same England that Thursday Next lives in. However, in Reading, besides the normal crimes and normal police force, there are also "nursery crimes", investigated and solved by the Nursery Crimes Division, currently headed by Detective Inspector Jack Spratt. These are such things as the murder of Mr. Wolff by the three little pigs and a "spinning-straw-into-gold scam" perpetrated by Rumplestiltskin. These people all function in normal society but tend to fulfill their nursery-rhyme-foretold destinies. The main crime in this story is the death of Humperdinck "Humpty" Dumpty. Did he fall or was he pushed? Why was he amassing stock in a footcare products company? Why were the ladies so attracted to an egg? Okay, so that question isn't answered in this book but I wish it had been!

It took a few chapters to acclimate to Fforde's created world but the story was quite interesting and I'm rather glad I finally decided to read this one. I don't think this is a series for everyone because it's a bit far-fetched and silly but at the same time it's hilarious and imaginative. Just like the Thursday Next series, this is definitely something different than anything you've read before.

http://webereading.com/2009/07/it-was... ( )

first line: "It was the week following Easter in Reading, and no one could remember the last sunny day."

This is a tongue-in-cheek whodunnit by the author of the Thursday Next series (The Eyre Affair, et al.). Fforde's a funny-punny writer, but I find I have to be in the right mood for him. ( )

My first experience with Jasper Fforde. What an introduction! I really enjoyed the mystery, the characters of Sprat and Mary(Mary), and the surreal landscape of the story environment.

I love the juxtaposition of childhood figures and gritty-city crime. I loved the word play and the sly references to fairy tales an nursery rhymes outside the main story. ( )

A surreal book following DS Mary Mary and DI Jack Spratt in their investigations of the suspicious death of troubled egg Humperdinck 'Humpty' Van Dumpty. They work in the ailing Nursery Crime Division of the Oxford and Reading police force, a laughing stock to other officers. Now they must solve this eggy crime to keep the division from being disbanded and the sickeningly charming Friedland Chymes from taking all the glory yet again.

It sounds mad, and the strange appearance of nursery characters and aliens alongside the human characters does take a few chapters to get used to, but the strange thing is... this really works! It's like a combination of Shrek and CSI - a real murder mystery but with an intelligent and amusing strand of fairytale mockery woven through the whole thing. The three pigs have just been found not guilty of the murder of Mr Wolff (boiled to death when he came down their chimney), and an alien called Ashley (like us but blue) is working in the NCD trying to adjust to his strange human colleagues.

It's funny, it's very clever, and it's well worth a read. I'm looking forward to the Thursday Next novels now! ( )

I have to say I was very hesitant to read this book. I adore Fforde's Thursday Next world and couldn't imagine anything would compare. I have to say I was correct in the way that this is not the same. But different is good. Once again his odd wit tickled my funny bone. And I loved every last word. ( )

oh Jasper Fforde. you are a mad scientist of words. Nursery Crimes! but The Big Over Easy, while still full of all those wonderful plays on words, just wasn't what i wanted it to be- namely, The Eyre Affair. good try though. ( )

Enjoyable nonsense, with lots of good jokes (some of which have a very satisfying delayed-action quality) and a well-constructed plot, set in a strange, fantasy world where Reading has a dull climate and an impossible one-way system, where detectives are more interested in publicity than justice, and where it's not cool to drive an Austin Allegro.

Jasper Fforde is a very inventive, funny writer, but he never really quite manages to make his characters come alive - where there is a gap between jokes, the writing falls a bit flat. His new viewpoint character, Sergeant Mary Mary, just seems to be Thursday Next with a slightly different back-story. So this is probably a book you will laugh at a lot the first time you read it, but won't want to re-read very often: something to borrow rather than buy. ( )

Detective Jack Spratt and Sergeant Mary Mary must solve the murder of Humpty Dumpty, or the entire Nursery Crime Division will be disbanded. With references to almost all of the nursery rhymes inhabitants, this hilarious mystery is a rollicking read. All of Jack's identities are here: Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack Spratt who could eat no fat, and Jack the Giant Killer. Add the Guild of Detectives and its illustrious leader Friedland Chymes to the mix and it is a truly satisfying, laugh-out-loud read.

It was delightful and refreshing. My question: will teens think it is as funny as I and find it really fun?

The story goes by very quickly which is good, because the plot takes so many twists and turns the book gets rather drawn out. Also, the characters are all very flat - maybe that befits a book based on nursery tales, but it certainly meant that I never really connected on a deeper level with the story. Ford, though, is a great writer and he really knows how to choose his words carefully, making The Big Over Easy very readable and enjoyable.

http://archthinking.blogspot.com/2009... ( )

Loved this book. Seeing all the nursery rhyme characters in their "natural habitat" complete with their faults and foilbles was so much fun. Jack Sprat (yes THE Jack Sprat) is working in the Nursery Crimes division of the police department. He is investigating the death of Humperdink Dumpty. This book had me laughing out loud at many places. I highly recommend! ( )

Another genre-bending Fforde book that is primarily an allusion-laden mystery. Detective Jack Sprat (yes, that Jack Sprat) has to solve the murder of Humpty Dumpty. Like the other Fforde books, this is a dizzying romp through an alternate universe. This book is recommended for those who love reading and may have small children, so allusions are fresh for the reader. I have lent this book to a few kindergarten teachers who thought it was brilliant. ( )

So much fun!
This is the first book by Jasper Fford that I've ever read, although I've had many of his books on my "to read" list for a while. In any case, this is a very clever story. While it has all the ingredients of a good murder mystery, Fford integrates the zany element with his use of nursery rhyme characters, mythological figures, and fairytale icons that partake in the story as though it's the most normal thing in the world.
I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish!
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Suggested With: A good memory of your favorite childhood stories! ( )

I've been a big fan of the Thursday Next series, so I was interested to read what Fforde had to say about Jack Spratt. When I read it the first time, I wasn't impressed. It just didn't make me as excited. Upon reading it a second time, I began to appreciate this world for itself and not for the potential humor of crossing worlds with Thursday. ( )

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. But was it accident, suicide, or murder? Detective Inspector Spratt and Detective Sergeant Mary investigate along with the rest of Reading Police's Nursery Crimes Division.

I must admit I had my doubts at first. I found the relentless tide of nursery rhyme and fairy story allusions wearing rather than funny, but once I got used to the style I did enjoy it enough to go and buy the next one in the series. ( )

November 2007: http://www.3rsblog.com/2007/11/book-t... ( )

After thoroughly enjoying Fforde's Thursday Next book, and having been told that the events of The Big Over Easy take place in some of the locations used in The Well of Lost Plots I decided to make this my next Fforde book. I got the audio from the library, started listening and continued to alternate between the audio and the book itself.

This is indeed the book being proposed at the end of The Well of Lost Plots, but I never felt it was made clear if I, as the reader, was supposed to be reading it in my "real" universe, Thursday's universe or the universe established in the book itself. This left me a bit confused to begin with, and unfortunately that never really cleared up.

I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't like it nearly as much as the Thursday Next books. There's a certain witty sense to the Thursday books, but this was just too over the top for me. Fforde has tried to toss in too much - as many nursery rhymes and fairy tales as he can think of, whether they are needed or not. I also felt that this determined cleverness was to the detriment of the characterisation, meaning I never really cared about any of the characters. Jack was just "nice" without having any real depth, while Mary was really somewhat unpleasant. And why he needed to throw aliens into the mix as well, I really have no idea.

I was also frustrated with the way Fforde set up the solution of the mystery. Sure, the clues were all there, but every time it was announced that the murder had been solved, suddenly there was a new situation, new clues and it hadn't been after all. Each progressive solution got sillier and more complicated and by the end I found I didn't really care.

All the same, I kept reading. I did want to know how it ended and I did enjoy the read. Perhaps the book didn't stand a chance because I read it in the midst of the Thursday books, which I just love. But basically, there was just too much going on here and it ended up very messy.

An okay book, but I'm going back to Thursday now.

The Big Over Easy
Nursery Crime, Book 1
Jasper Fforde
7/10 ( )

While Fforde's prose may sometimes be somewhat flat and straight forward, one cannot fail to enjoy his books. They are simply so much fun. One cannot help but marvel at his imagination, and he always crams in a constant procession of weird and wonderful concepts, with a fun and diverting cast of characters.

This (along with SOMETHING ROTTEN) probably represents the most straight-forward and atmosphereless of Fforde's prose. The ideas are still great, and the plot is thoroughly entertaining, but this book isn't as clever or funny as his Thursday Next books by a long margin. One of the joys of TN books is the broad spectrum of references, whereas this book keeps it down to the narrower spectrum of (mainly) Nursery Rhyme characters. That said, there's still plenty of room for jokes based on Prometheus (who appears), the media's approach to crime, and the crime genre overall, and more besides.

If you haven't read Fforde before then go straight for THE EYRE AFFAIR. This book simply isn't as charming and enjoyable as the Thursday Next novels, but if you've read those and you're hungry for more Fforde, then you will enjoy this book.

Oh, and I find it startlingly clever how this book ties into THE WELL OF LOST PLOTS in such an original and mind-bending way. A careful and talented prose-writer Fforde may not be, but he is one of the most intelligent and imaginative plot-writers in fiction at present. ( )

http://thenovelworld.com/2008/08/07/t... ( )