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Review
As usual, Rendell mirrors aspects of the case in the leading characters' personal lives and her cleverly understated writing bathes them and their actions in a glow of reality that sets her writing above that of her many imitators. --Time Out
As always with Ruth Rendell's intricately thought-out novels, nothing is as simple as it seems. --Sunday Express
Superb plotting and psychological insight make this another Rendell gripper --Woman & Home
Utterly absorbing --Sunday Telegraph
Book Description
The nineteenth in the Chief Inspector Wexford series.
Two teenagers disappear. Their mother believes the worst. But Wexford has faith in his investigative abilities, even when the odds seem stacked against him.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
the usual good read from Ruth Rendell,
This review is from: The Babes In The Wood (Chief Inspector Wexford mystery) (Paperback)
Ruth Rendell's book grips the imagination from the beginning. Once you have reached the end, and reflect upon the events described, some of the events appear a little unlikely, but this is a novel and is not to be confused with real life. As always, Ruth Rendell interweaves the plotlines skillfully and maintains the reader's interest - I could not put it down.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
agreed, not her best, but again unique,
By Tiresias (London, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Babes In The Wood (Chief Inspector Wexford mystery) (Paperback)
true, this isn't really the best of Rendell's books, but it's still great. The story is interesting, and Wexford is becoming even more fascinating as he ages and feels increasingly adrift in a world that's largely moved on. There are some incredibly compelling sections which DO show Rendel writing at absolutely top form (e.g. the discovery of the car. I can't say more for spoilers) even if some aspects of the mystery are not QUITE of her normal quality. The Babes in the Wood is packed with symbolism, which makes it a very thoughtful read indeed. In some of the early books, also, Wexford is not a very developed character, merely a vessel through which the mystery could be solved. In her later novels, he has grown and expanded and shown himself to be one of the most fascinating protagonists the genre has to offer. A sort of Old-Father-Time of the crime world. His presence in this story alone makes it worth reading. The Babes in the Wood is still a five-star read, better than almost all other crime fiction. As well as an intriguing mystery, she crams in interesting social observation and wonderful character development, too. True, her characters may not always be likeable, but the view that unlikeable characters a good book does not make holds absolutely no water with me at all. Rendell shows us real people, all the time, not always in their best light, and they are always fascinating. If you want comfortable fiction, Rendell probably isn't always for you. If you want a strong and fascinating crime novel, she is.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best Wexford tales.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Babes in the Wood (Inspector Wexford) (Hardcover)
This has got to be one of the best Wexford tales RR has written yet. It is brilliantly written, as always, and there is a wonderful cast of characters, all of whom we almost invariably either like or despise. Wexford is on fine form, and he is fascinating as ever. His wry observations of life, and his opinions (while we may not agree with them always) make him seem very human, and he is a very interesting characters for us to see the story through the eyes of. Once again, Burden tags along, and provides an edge of distinct grey in his character. However, this time he doesnt get quite as much of a role as he has in the past. The plot is original and absolutely fascinating. The way it unfolds is unfalteringly engrossing, and even though this is no thriller, its still a huge pageturner and its intriguing, exciting, and Ruth Rendell builds layer upon layer of nice plot turns into the story. In the beginning, we are presented with an almost inexplicable set of human behaviours, and, through the events of her plot, Rendell excellently explains why people sometimes act in such strange ways, which is part of the reason why this book is so fascinating. the mystery contains many more levels than just the "who?" or "how?", but she delves deep into the character's psyche's, giving reason to every single characters often strange actions. Finding out "why" people do such strange things is almost as compelling as the mystery itself. Along the way, we are also presented with some more brilliant story from wexford's own family life. Topping the book off is the fact that Kingsmarkham is flooding, which gives the story an extra layer of originality and interest, and also allowing her plot to go down different, more unconventional avenues. The final conclusion is unexpected and satisfying. I can't wait for what she has to offer us next year. Ruth Rendell's crown is showing absolutely no signs of tarnishing, even after all the many, many years she's been wearing it.
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