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Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable, but not Rendell's usual great work.
Review: . . . . . . . .. .. . .~ - * * * - ~
~ - ~ This was not one of Ruth Rendell's best. Her strength is usually in creating believable characters in almost un-imaginable situations. ~ - ~ In this story, the Lady of the Manor, Elizabeth Nightingale, is murdered in the forest right near her home. Most of the characters seem like stereotypes. There is the wealthy husband who doesn't really understand his wife. Upstairs lives the Au Pair - a young Dutch woman apparently only interested in her sex life. The housekeeper and gardener speak nothing but praise of their employer. The young under-gardener worships the "Lady of the House", and believes she's promised him help in his wish for a career as a DJ and a singer. Her brother is a neurotic scholarly writer who dislikes his sister. Her sister-in-law may benefit from the will. ~ - ~The book is entertaining, but not nearly as absorbing as Rendell's usual. You may be able to guess the killer and motive. The ending was a surprise to me, but not nearly as powerfully surprising as Ruth Rendell's usual twists and turns. Inspector Wexford hardly did any inspecting, mostly listening to a narrative from a friend of the family. Even just listening to the tale of the family's history seemed to take an inordinately long time- 3 or 4 days of conversations. ~ - ~ This book is entertaining, and easy to get interested in. However, for a sample of the best of Inspectors Wexford and Burden- I suggest two much more absorbing books: "Road Rage" and "No More Dying Then"
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but not Rendell's usual great work.
Review: . . . . . . . .. .. . .~ - * * * - ~
~ - ~ This was not one of Ruth Rendell's best. Her strength is usually in creating believable characters in almost un-imaginable situations. ~ - ~ In this story, the Lady of the Manor, Elizabeth Nightingale, is murdered in the forest right near her home. Most of the characters seem like stereotypes. There is the wealthy husband who doesn't really understand his wife. Upstairs lives the Au Pair - a young Dutch woman apparently only interested in her sex life. The housekeeper and gardener speak nothing but praise of their employer. The young under-gardener worships the "Lady of the House", and believes she's promised him help in his wish for a career as a DJ and a singer. Her brother is a neurotic scholarly writer who dislikes his sister. Her sister-in-law may benefit from the will. ~ - ~The book is entertaining, but not nearly as absorbing as Rendell's usual. You may be able to guess the killer and motive. The ending was a surprise to me, but not nearly as powerfully surprising as Ruth Rendell's usual twists and turns. Inspector Wexford hardly did any inspecting, mostly listening to a narrative from a friend of the family. Even just listening to the tale of the family's history seemed to take an inordinately long time- 3 or 4 days of conversations. ~ - ~ This book is entertaining, and easy to get interested in. However, for a sample of the best of Inspectors Wexford and Burden- I suggest two much more absorbing books: "Road Rage" and "No More Dying Then"
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but not Rendell's usual great work.
Review: . . . . . . . .. .. . .~ - * * * - ~
~ - ~ This was not one of Ruth Rendell's best. Her strength is usually in creating believable characters in almost un-imaginable situations. ~ - ~In this story, the Lady of the Manor, Elizabeth Nightingale, is murdered in the forest right near her home. Most of the characters seem like stereotypes. There is the wealthy husband who doesn't really understand his wife. Upstairs lives the Au Pair - a young Dutch woman apparently only interested in her sex life. The housekeeper and gardener speak nothing but praise of their employer. The young under-gardener worships the "Lady of the House", and believes she's promised him help in his wish for a career as a DJ and a singer. Her brother is a neurotic scholarly writer who dislikes his sister. Her sister-in-law may benefit from the will. ~ - ~The book is entertaining, but not nearly as absorbing as Rendell's usual. You may be able to guess the killer and motive. The ending was a surprise to me, but not nearly as powerfully surprising as Ruth Rendell's usual twists and turns. Inspector Wexford hardly did any inspecting, mostly listening to a narrative from a friend of the family. Even just listening to the tale of the family's history seemed to take an inordinately long time- 3 or 4 days of conversations. ~ - ~This book is entertaining, and easy to get interested in. However, for a sample of the best of Inspectors Wexford and Burden- I suggest two much more absorbing books: "Road Rage" and "No More Dying Then"
Rating: 
Summary: "I wear the ashes in my heart."
Review: In Ruth Rendall's excellent mystery novel, "A Guilty Thing Surprised," Elizabeth, the wife of wealthy Quentin Nightingale is found bludgeoned to death. She went for a solitary walk late one evening in the forest bordering her family estate, and there she is brutally murdered. Chief Inspector Wexford is called in to solve the case.
Most of the drama occurs in Mycroft Manor, and in spite of the wealth and splendour of the place, the Nightingale home has a "cold sepulchral air." According to the loyal housekeeper, Mrs. Cantrip, Elizabeth Nightingale was a paragon of virtue--loved by all who knew her. Elizabeth's husband seems devastated by her death, and the servants are in various states of mourning. Denys Villiers, Elizabeth's brother, author of numerous books on Wordsworth says, "women on their own in lonely places get murdered." He isn't exactly grieving over his sister's death, but he has a deep friendship with his brother-in-law.
Detective Inspector Michael Burden aids Chief Inspector Wexford's investigation. The two men have different approaches to the psychological background of the crime, and age--one of the novel's sub themes--plays a large role in their different attitudes. These attitudes are especially divided when it comes to questioning witnesses/suspects. Burden, for example, is appalled at the behaviour of Katje--the nubile, Dutch au pair-- whose generosity with her body causes Wexford to regret the loss of his youth. Burden, however, sees Katje in an entirely different light. Packed with fascinating characters, the novel's sub themes of aging and education create a marvelously rich story--rife with social and moral commentary--displacedhuman
Rating:
Summary: Excellent murder mystery
Review: Terrific vintage Rendell, one of the best Chief Inspector Wexford mysteries. The wealthy and beautiful Elizabeth Nightingale is murdered one night in the woods, and it is up to the intelligent, cantankerous Wexford and his sidekick Burden to solve the crime. This appears at first to be a fairly ordinary mystery; the leisurely pace and sharp humor may fool the reader into thinking that this is a peaceful, quiet novel. The final revelation, however, is disturbing and shocking, one of the author's most gripping and powerful conclusions. Otherwise, a fairly light, literate, entertaining mystery, written in Rendell's irresistably readable prose style, filled with ingenious plot twists and numerous red herrings. A bravura performance; even this comparatively minor work shows that Rendell can easily outwrite the vast majority of her contemporaries.
Rating:
Summary: A completely unexpected outcome
Review: This was an enjoyable book because there were several possibilities presented, but the person who was responsible for murdering the victim was unexpected. I had no idea of where the case was headed and was surprised at the end. An excellent read. Ins. Wexford is a favorite.
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