The award-winning author of Babes in the Woods and The Rottweiler brings us another gripping Inspector Wexford novel. A lump of concrete dropped deliberately from a little stone bridge over a relatively unfrequented road kills the wrong person. The driver behind is spared. But only for a while... One particular member of the local press is gunning for the Chief Inspector, distinctly unimpressed with what he regards as old-fashioned police methods. But Wexford, with his old friend and partner, Mike Burden, along with two new recruits to the Kingsmarkham team, pursue their inquiries with a diligence and humanity that make Ruth Rendell’s detective stories enthralling, exciting and very touching.
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"This one did really intrigue me from the beginning. Who would want to kill an 18 year old girl living at home with an illegitimate child? What does the offer of an apartment have to do with anything? Why are the murders committed with building materials? This one comes together nicely with some very interesting characters."
— Mary (4 out of 5 stars)
“Meticulous and coolly malicious…Flat-out brilliant.”
— New York Times Book Review“Within the flexible moral framework of Rendell’s world, all it takes is a murder to bring out the nastiness in everyone. She’s flat-out brilliant at using her quintessentially decent detective and his family, along with his colleagues on the Kingsmarkham police force, to test whatever issues happen to be upending the established order. While not as suspenseful as her non-series crime novels or as dark as the psychological thrillers she writes as Barbara Vine, this carefully plotted whodunit functions as both a subtle case study in the criminal aberrations of parental love and a sly object lesson in the evils of intolerance.”
— New York Times“Rendell casts a particularly wry eye at Wexford’s attempts to adapt to particulars of today’s world, from unwed mothers to global warming and quite a bit more. At the top of that list is Wexford’s extraordinarily politically correct subordinate, Hannah Goldsmith, ever on guard for displays of racism or sexism, who finds herself attracted to an Indian inspector whose courtship manners are strictly Old World. Goldsmith provides the mystery with humor, a touch of romance, and its inevitable hairsbreadth escape.”
— Washington Post“Once again Rendell provides a thoughtful mystery, persistent suspense, and a welcome return to Kingsmarkham.”
— Daily News (London)“Suspense and surprise…Rendell displays her incomparable skills to full effect.”
— Orlando Sentinel“An unpredictable denouement…Rendell is in top form here.”
— San Diego Union-Tribune“Against [a] sinister backdrop stands Wexford, who’s in lion-in-winter mode. He’s irked and perplexed by modern life, by the casual way young girls conceive babies, by the sprawl devouring the once-lush Sussex countryside, even by his own fractious family. But he never loses the anger and dedication that propel him to solve crimes and understand evil…Rendell fans…should be well satisfied.”
— Publishers Weekly“Plot twists abound for those into neck-snapping plots.”
— Bookmarks magazine“Wexford emerges from an intricate web of red herrings to identify a sadly amateurish scam and a surprising killer. Average for Rendell’s distinguished list of whodunits, which makes it just a whisker below state of the art.”
— Kirkus Reviews“Rendell’s serpentine plot and quirky characters are well served by Daniel Gerroll’s narration. His wry rendering of Wexford is a highlight, and he conveys the dispositions of all of the characters without apparent effort. He’s also adept at emphasizing the story’s grace notes of dark humor.”
— AudioFileRendell knows how to make your hair stand up straight on your head
— Maeve BinchyRendell’s eerie capacity to comprehend disturbed criminal minds continues to astonish
— The Times" Another Wexford mystery. OK but a lot of characters to keep up with. And in the end, I didn't really care 'who done it'. "
— Maura, 2/14/2014" It started slowly for me, but grew more interesting as the interwoven elements became more well-connected. Some aspects seemed a bit far-fetched. "
— Jim, 2/13/2014" The longing to have a baby can be so very strong. In this book it leads to two murders, one of a family member. There is also a sub plot going on of a surrogacy scam and some romance between two of the police investigators. In the end, Wexford figures it all out by interpreting a glance. "
— Carmen, 1/15/2014" A mystery to the very last page!! "
— Mary, 12/28/2013" A nice distraction, I'm glad there are so many of her books out there for me to read. "
— Joanne, 12/25/2013" Still good after about 40 years! "
— MaryAnn, 11/30/2013" Good who-dun-it. I enjoy her books. "
— Kevin, 10/31/2013" A great Inspector Wexford mystery as he tries to connect two seemingly unrelated murders of two young girls who thought they had found their golden egg in the underworld of surrogacy and women desperate for children of their own. "
— Brenda, 9/15/2013" Not one of her best. And disturbingly misogynistic, come to think of it. Why did I give it three stars again? "
— Susie, 9/12/2013" A real British mystery. Rendell is a master. Even down to Chief Inspector explaining the whole thing to us at the end. "
— Cyndee, 5/10/2013" adequate English mystery "
— Mary, 3/14/2013" Rendell does it again. I LOVE the Inspector Wexford series. Good story, but I hated the new detective, Hannah Goldsmith, though. Her character was a distraction. Excellent read throughout (save for Goldsmith) due to the complex web of motives, possibilities, and wrong-turns. "
— Ronnie, 12/25/2012" Not Rendell's best. The concidences of family and murdered subjects are not credible. The ending is too pat. "
— Connie, 12/4/2012" Love everything by Rendell. This was good. Not best Wexford ever but still enjoyed. "
— Kristina, 7/9/2012" Ruth Rendell makes my beloved Agatha Christie seem hopelessly out of date and fusty! I'm very interested to read more. Though I didn't end up loving this book so much, I thought it was really well done. "
— Sonia, 4/18/2012" Like all good mystery stories, this had plenty of twists and turns, including a surprise at the end. A bit like Agatha Christie in that there was a long description of who did what to whom and how and why etc towards the end. A good read, but nothing special. "
— Heidi, 3/6/2012" I always enjoy a Wexford mystery. They are so English and always deal with a current topic of some kind. Very interesting, thought provoking and entertaining. "
— Pam, 12/10/2011" This was an excellent murder mystery. Had me guessing right up to the end. "
— Temple, 12/1/2011" She's good but it didn't knock my socks off like some of her other books have. "
— Alison, 5/27/2011" Another Wexford mystery. OK but a lot of characters to keep up with. And in the end, I didn't really care 'who done it'. "
— Maura, 5/16/2011" too many characters involved, getting confusing - didn't really gripped by it "
— The, 5/15/2011" Glad I gave this author/series another shot to 'read' on my commute. Did enjoy this title much better as it seemed more tightly woven then the previous one. Had a big reveal at the end with a surprise murderer so I just may try it again. <br/> "
— Jodi, 4/14/2011" Inspector Wexford explores the death of a girl who is involved in a surrogacy scam. The plot thickens when another girl, Megan, is also killed. "
— Carolynne, 4/13/2011" A mystery to the very last page!! "
— Mary, 4/12/2011" Having now read several of the Wexford series, this has been my favorite one so far. It was full of twists, unexpected happenings, and interesting personalities. "
— Jacque, 3/28/2011" Nice to see comfortable characters Wexford, Dora and Burden but the plot stretches credulity. "
— Lynn, 12/30/2010" not ruth's best, but certainly not bad "
— medi, 10/13/2010" definitely not one of her best. halfway through i actually forgot why i was interested in the first place. Do not let this book put you off other ruth rendell books however, because most are brilliant "
— Poppy, 10/9/2010" Ruth Rendell at her worst is better than most. This was middling for Rendell, which is to say, not a bad book. I found the ultra PC detective sargeant a bit annoying, and I didn't care for the way the multiple storylines all climaxed together, but overall enjoyed it. "
— Margie, 8/27/2010" I hadn't read a Ruth Rendell in many years, and this has been at Cynthia's forever. I finally picked it up to read at the lake cabin when I'd finished the two books I took with me. Gotta look for more Wexford mysteries! "
— Sallie, 8/15/2010" Amber Marshallson’s battered body leads Wexford & his colleagues to investigate surrogacy. "
— Kitty, 8/5/2010" Not Rendell's best. The concidences of family and murdered subjects are not credible. The ending is too pat. "
— Connie, 7/10/2010" The longing to have a baby can be so very strong. In this book it leads to two murders, one of a family member. There is also a sub plot going on of a surrogacy scam and some romance between two of the police investigators. In the end, Wexford figures it all out by interpreting a glance. "
— Carmen, 12/28/2009" I have read many mysteries by Ruth Rendell. Literate and very readable, she is one of the best of the mystery writers. I like British mysteries and really enjoyed this one. "
— Mary, 12/1/2009Ruth Rendell (1930–2015) wrote more than sixty novels in a career spanning fifty years. She won numerous awards for her writing, including three Edgars—the highest accolade from Mystery Writers of America—as well as four Gold Daggers and a Diamond Dagger for outstanding contribution to the genre from England’s prestigious Crime Writer’s Association. She was also the winner of the MWA Grand Master Award. A longtime member of the House of Lords, she lived in London.
Daniel Gerroll is an award-winning British actor who has many Broadway productions to his credit. He studied law and philosophy at Nottingham University and trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London and has won an Obie Award for sustained excellence in theater. He has also won five AudioFile Earphones Awards.