Play Audiobook Sample
Harm Done (Abridged): An Inspector Wexford Mystery Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.01) - 1,092 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
On the day Lizzie came back from the dead, the police and her family and neighbors had already begun to search for her body. She had been missing for three days. Never an articulate child, between her confusion and amnesia she could not plausibly describe where she'd been or why she'd been away. Soon after, a convicted pedophile is released back into the community, adding to the already heightened fears of parents in the Muriel Campden Estate where he lives. Then the child of a wealthy executive disappears, and not long after, a suspect in the kidnapping is found stabbed to death. Chief Inspector Wexford is charged with solving the mysterious disappearances, protecting a pedophile, and catching a killer. As he searches for connections, he finds himself focusing on domestic violence. His daughter, Sylvia, a social worker, has come to work nearby in a refuge for battered women called The Hide. Her marriage is also strained, although her husband has never raised a hand to her. Others in Kingsmarkham are not so fortunate. As Wexford moves closer to the truth, he confronts the discomfiting lesson that when it comes to the inner life of families, justice is rarely as straightforward as the letter of the law.
Download and start listening now!
"Four and a half for this one. If you think you know where this is going with the first case, think again. There's a lot of good social commentary with very recognisable characters in the book, and for once in a book the parallel cases don't fall over each other or feel like a half forgotten add-on. All this is through the gentle meandering of a Wexford case, so it's something of a hidden gem. If you stand back at the end of the book and add up what's happened, you wouldn't think there was the room. Yet at the time you're reading it, it's all so logical and plausible, which is another good mark of quality writing. Very much enjoyed this."
— Alex (5 out of 5 stars)
Harm Done Listener Reviews
-
" There didn't seem to be a plot, and it was a meandering story. Boring. "
— Becky, 2/14/2014 -
" As I started listening, I realized I'd heard this book before. I kept at it because I couldn't remember all the book's many characters and subplots. I normally don't do this but found it much easier to follow while multi-tasking. This Inspector Wexford mystery was still enjoyable the second time around. It's always interesting to remember the many continuing characters and running plots in the Wexford books. I may re-read, that is, re-hear, more books now. "
— Edward, 2/8/2014 -
" One of Rendell's best--interweaving of all the folks in the public housing project--the illogical decisions, the grudge holding--all secondary to the main plot. Lots of characters, even minor ones well rounded. Closely seen detail minutely rendered. This is what good fiction writing is. "
— Martha, 1/30/2014 -
" Story was disjointed. She's always a worthwhile read, though. "
— Norvus, 1/22/2014 -
" There was a lot happening in this book, which slightly made up for the fact that the 'main mystery' was quite poor. It was unravelled as usual by Wexford and I found myself thinking, 'Eh? So that's it, is it?'. Other strands of the plot dealt with the (at the time) rather topical issue of vigilantes tracking down suspected paedophiles. The novel takes a good look at both sides of this issue, and whilst I had no children when I read this book, I have now and I suspect I would see things differently. A thought provoking read, not necessarily the best whodunnit. "
— Jayne, 1/14/2014 -
" Not a bad read, but not memorable "
— Geoff, 1/12/2014 -
" An interesting read.. I will read more of the same.. "
— Glynis, 1/5/2014 -
" I was somewhat disappointed with the book...although I rarely stop mid way through reading a book I found this Wexford novel tedious...which is strange as I'm normally a fan of the series. "
— Annalies, 12/31/2013 -
" Just finished reading this book . Over-all its good but it was rather slow in places . It had a good stoy line though and that is what kept me reading it . A safe easy to read book . "
— Melita, 12/28/2013 -
" This one didn't do it for me. Slow getting started - never grabbed me - except perhaps at the last few pages, but then probably because i just wanted to finish it and see how it turned out. I had difficulty keeping the characters straight - there were too many of them! "
— Marty, 12/14/2013 -
" I have not read many of Ruth Rendell's books because I have tended to find them depressing. This one was no exception. "
— Teresa, 11/16/2013
About Ruth Rendell
Ruth 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.