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Title: The Babes in the Wood: A Chief Inspector Wexford Mystery by RUTH RENDELL ISBN: 1-4000-4930-X Publisher: Crown Pub. Date: 21 October, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.21 (19 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: a quick read, unusual for Rendell
Comment: Ruth Rendell's latest, "The Babes in the Woods", will delight devoted readers with her usual blend of psychological insight and murder mystery. Unlike some of her earlier, lengthier works, this book moves quickly, as Chief Inspector Wexford deals with the disappearance of two local teenagers and their babysitter. On his own home front, he is puzzled and worried over his adult daughter's choice of boyfriends; this counterplot is woven seamlessly into the main plot, in prime Rendell style.
Rain and more rain falls; a deluge comes upon the area, complicating the investigation and darkening the moods of even the hardiest characters. In true British fashion, they weather the storm; the sun returns, the mystery is solved, and the reader closes the book with a satisfied sigh. "The Babes in the Woods" is a good introduction to new Rendell readers, and is highly recommended to those who already have been enjoying her skillful plotting and agile prose.
Rating: 4
Summary: A babysitter and her two charges mysteriously disappear.
Comment: Ruth Rendell's new Inspector Wexford mystery is "The Babes in the Wood," the story of three mysterious disappearances. A babysitter, Joanna Troy, has gone missing with the two adolescents, Giles and Sophie Dade, who were in her care. The neighborhood is flooded after torrential rains and Katrina Dade, Giles's and Sophie's hysterical mother, comes to the tearful conclusion that her children have somehow drowned. Wexford is skeptical about this theory, and he begins his usual thorough investigation.
I have always liked Inspector Wexford. He is a devoted family man who adores his two adult daughters, although he is not blind to their flaws. He is bright, well-read, compassionate, bitingly funny, and tremendously intuitive. Wexford has an uncanny knack for recognizing liars. Since "The Babes in the Wood" is filled with liars, Wexford has many occasions to test his skill at separating truth from fiction.
Rendell does her usual workmanlike and competent job of setting up her complicated plot, and the characters are a varied and lively bunch. The biggest problem with this novel is that the pace is, at times, a bit static. For large portions of the book, Wexford interviews the relatives and acquaintances of the missing people. These interviews are not scintillating enough to keep the book moving at a fast clip.
However, the mystery has an unexpected and clever solution, and Wexford once again proves that he is a shrewd detective and an excellent judge of human nature. Rendell displays her marvelously mordant sense of humor and her jaded view of human nature. She is truly a misanthrope's delight. Most of the characters in "The Babes in the Wood" are selfish, disturbed, or manipulative. Although "The Babes in the Wood" is not Rendell's best work, it is entertaining enough. Devoted fans of the inimitable Inspector Wexford will find it a pleasure to observe the wheels turn as he slowly but surely gets to the bottom of a strange and perplexing case.
Rating: 5
Summary: None Better
Comment: Ruth Rendell is one of the best at her craft, and she is in
great form with this one.
Inspector Wexford has gotten a little older, and a bit more
philosophical, but he is still a good, persistent cop, and
he is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.
2 teen-age children, and their "sitter," a young woman who
used to be a school teacher and who now runs her own internet-tutoring business, disappear while the parents are on a trip to
Paris. The investigation is hampered by the wildly dysfunctional parents, and Wexford and his staff have to battle
the parents to get all the information they need.
But the investigation goes nowhere, and it is further delayed
by Wexford's superior who orders him to wait until the current
flood waters recede, thinking all 3 will be found dead in the
floodwaters.
But after the waters finally recede, and some valuable time has
been lost, Wexford is able to pursue the case properly, but the
lost time causes a lot of difficulty, and the people finally
contacted are an odd mix, and they largely seem uninterested
in being forthright and helping.
In addition to the family and friends, the police here have to
contend with some selfish, superior-acting people whose only
concern is not getting "involved" with the police, even to the
extent of giving them vital information, as well as a rather
odd group of people who have formed their own church, and whose
religious practices confound Wexford and staff.
Plus, of course, Wexford has some personal distractions, and
he has to address those at the same time.
But the real Plus of this story is author Rendell's particular
magic in presenting her characters and moving the story along.
This writer is as good as they come in this genre, and it is
such a pleasure to read her story, nearly everyone will enjoy
it. The true fan won't be able to put it down. An absolute
"must" for the mystery reader.
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Title: The Murder Room by P.D. JAMES ISBN: 1400041414 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 18 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Now May You Weep: A Novel by Deborah Crombie ISBN: 0060525231 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 07 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: A Place of Hiding by ELIZABETH GEORGE ISBN: 0553801309 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 29 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: Playing with Fire : A Novel of Suspense by Peter Robinson ISBN: 006019877X Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 20 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: A Question of Blood: An Inspector Rebus Novel by Ian Rankin ISBN: 0316095648 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: February, 2004 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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