Harm Done

Rating:
Summary: Not the Best, but not Bad!
Review: A friend who glanced at this book sniffed, "I don't know how you can read those English who-killed-the-vicar-in-the-library things, I don't have the patience", and I had to laugh because this is just about as opposite a novel as you can get. This book has three themes, the disappearance of two young women; an elderly pedophile released from prison; and a severely abused housewife. Ms. Rendell writes so well, detailing the hellish life of the housewife in stomach-roiling detail. She also includes some of her deliciously psychotic character studies, and of course all this is seen through the eyes of dear familiar Insp. Wexford. There is a trace of humor in this book involving the inhabitants of a lowish class housing development picketing the old reprobate's apartment, singing "Stand By Your Kids" to the tune of "Stand By Your Man", and similar silliness that would make Jerry Springer feel right at home! Sally Jesse, Maury Povich, and Jenny Jones would fit right into this modern day England, and not a vicar in sight! I am only giving it 4 stars because the stories do not tie together and they meander somewhat, this is not Ms. Rendell's usual top=notch work. Also, Ms. Rendell and Insp. Wexford are both getting up there in years, and I hope she goes on writing forever, but there are hints the refined and compassionate policeman may be getting weary of the crazy modern day world that is not only lived in England, but all over. I hope Ms. Rendell has many, many more novels in her yet and we will see her policeman back on top of the game. When she is great, words cannot express the deep emotional impact her novels have on my psyche. When she is merely good, as in "Harm Done", she is still sublime. Rather than 4 stars, let me give this a "9" on a one to ten scale. I look forward to her next books, both Wexford and non-Wexford.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't add up
Review: An imperfect Rendell novel is still better than 99% of the crime fiction available. That said, this one isn't perfect. It definitely pales in comparison with *Simisola*, which dealt with similar issues in a tighter and more devastating way.

I would have expected Rendell to weave together the 3 sub-plots (the abducted girls, the pedophile, and the kidnapped toddler) in a shocking, revelatory way, but she doesn't. The book feels more like 2 novellas and a short story, with Wexford as the common thread.

I appreciate the feminist consciousness that Rendell's been weaving into the Wexford novels; it makes a great counterpoint to her visions of female evil and criminality.

However, I found the presentation of the battered-woman plot strangely cold. Even the sympathetic "good man" Wexford remains an outside observer, unable to comprehend the horrible events he discovers, and so the reader does too. *Harm Done* falls short of the tragic power and immediacy of Roddy Doyle's *The Woman who Walked into Doors*.

Rating:
Summary: Not Rendell's best work.
Review: I love Inspector Wexford. He is down-to-earth and he has a dry sense of humor. Wexford is a person who knows that he is flawed, and he tries to improve himself, especially in his relationship to his daughters. I like how Rendell describes the Wexford family dynamics. Rendell always writes well, but in this novel, she resorts to cliches about domestic violence. We have read this type of story so many times, and it doesn't tell us anything new about domestic abuse. The story flags badly in the middle, and it doesn't pick up any steam until the very end. Rendell breaks no new ground here, and this book is tepid compared to "Simisola," one of her better works. However, her dialogue is always well-written and she is worth reading, even when her work is not excellent. She needs to work on plot development and make her mysteries more compelling. Her last work, "A Sight for Sore Eyes," was depressing but excellently written.

Rating:
Summary: I liked it
Review: I've seen so many reader reviews who say they're bored with Wexford. I find him very refreshing and down-to-earth compared with the psychos he's dealing with. He's no saint; he's just a regular guy. Many of Rendell's characters are SO creepy that I need a little normality in there.
This book, politically correct or not, was scarier than any of her others, because it's real and happens every day, everywhere. And it's practically invisible. Rendell gives this "P.C." novel her own Rendellesque twists, which makes it well worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: The biggest disappointment yet
Review: If there is ever a place where the political correctness does not belong, it's mystery. Ruth Rendell has sold out to the PC crowd - the book is bland and preachy. I think the damage is irreversible, at least for me. Mystery will never be the same.

Rating:
Summary: Skillful and complex
Review: In her 18th novel featuring Inspector Wexford Rendell weaves together multiple plots involving two missing teen-age girls, a convicted pedophile returning to his residence in Kingsmarkham and the mob violence his return touches off, and a little girl missing from an upper middle class home. Not all of these plots work well together, which is why I have given it only 4 stars.

However, the central plot about the missing little girl is what captured me. The story that Ruth Rendell tells of the effects of domestic violence on an entire family is chilling and heartbreaking. Not only does the wife and mother suffer extreme mental and physical abuse but the two children remaining in the home are clearly adversely affected. The effects of domestic violence will be felt in this family long after their escape from abuse. Rendell builds an atmosphere of suspense and dread that can only be a small reflection of the terror of living in such a situation, but the empathetic reader will be much affected. There can be no real happy ending to this story, at least not immediately. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys well drawn and believable characters, especially that of Inspector Wexford who is faced with a real moral dilemma.

Rating:
Summary: A workmanlike mystery but devoid of excitement.
Review: Rendell's Inspector Wexford is a wonderful character. He is not flashy, but he is thoughtful, witty and insightful. I always enjoy reading about him and his cases. This book deals with the abduction of two women and one little girl. It also explores the issues of domestic violence and its ramifications, and the problem of the mob mentality and its destructiveness. As you can see, the book is too busy. It has too many themes and they don't mesh well. The middle of the book flags, although it picks up some steam at the end. To Rendell's credit, she doesn't attempt to tie up every loose end, and she fleshes out most of the characters. She would do well to make the plot more focused, as it was in her last novel, "A Sight for Sore Eyes," a truly horrifying thriller.