- Hardcover: 348 pages
- Publisher: Hutchinson; First edition (29 Sep 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0091791618
- ISBN-13: 978-0091791612
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.2 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,441,285 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Simisola (Inspector Wexford)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
The sixteenth in the Chief Inspector Wexford series.
When a young, black woman disappears in Kingsmarkham, Wexford must respond to a test not only of his powers of deduction, but of his basic beliefs and prejudices
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.Product Description
Only 18 black people live in Kingsmarkham. One is Wexford's new doctor. When the doctor's daughter goes missing, the Chief Inspector takes more than just a professional interest in the case, which tests not only his powers of deduction, but his beliefs and prejudices about racial equality.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
There were four people besides himself in the waiting room and none of them looked ill. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
There were four people besides himself in the waiting room and none of them looked ill. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My reading of Simisola was admittedly different to my reading of most of Rendell's other books in that Simisola was televised in a 3 part drama of which I frustratingly missed and forgot to video part 3! I was unable to find anyone else who'd videoed it, or could give me a coherent explanation of the denouement, so what left but to read the book?! Simisola deals with racial attitudes and prejudices - in a village with only 18 black inhabitants, one of them goes missing, maybe murdered.....?
It would be difficult if not impossible to give any more information about the plot without giving too much away, but it's a brilliantly written and observed book, and will leave you thinking about the issues of race, violence and slavery which unseen and unwelcome, lurk behind the beautifully deceptive middle class society of Kingsmarkham, and ultimately behind the society we live in. This is definitely one of Rendell's successes, and it will keep you guessing to the end. Enjoy!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mystery novels are not a particular interest of mine, so i was surprised when someone virtually thrust this book into my hand. Having watched some of this series on the Goggle Box, i was only mildly interested in starting SIMISOLA. What a pleasant experience this book proved to be. The characters are superbly drawn, Wexford particularly so, but the Akande family was portrayed exquisitely. A sympathetic view into another culture is always welcome, since we ofays rarely have a proper glimpse into other worlds. This book strongly reflects the issues facing the UK's race relations today, the Stephen Lawrence murder case being a vivid example. Wexford's self confrontations are the highlights of this book. One hopes it's not a racist comment to request that someone from the Black community read and comment on this book for its accuracy.
This book, having led me to other Rendall works, led me to wonder just what the story behind its writing might be. SIMISOLA is so far superior to any of the other works i read that i can't help question who might have co-authored it. Rendall has a high reputation, which i can't judge having so little experience with the genre. No matter, this is an outstanding read and a fine addition to any bookshelf. The mystery is almost a minor matter set against some stunning revelations about race relations anywhere in the English speaking world. Buy, read and reflect on this book. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Normally Rendell's books are pleasent but well-written light reading. In Simisola, unfortunately, Rendell decides to tackle the issue of race which she does with about as much subtly as a bull in a china shop. Plenty of race stereotypes are wheeled out, and every single minor detail and train of thought in the plot seems to be related to skin colour often in a somewhat painfully-forced fashion.
I found this book extremely cringing to read and not particularly interesting. Coupled with a impossible-to-predict end, I would say this is one of Rendell's poorer works.
I found this book extremely cringing to read and not particularly interesting. Coupled with a impossible-to-predict end, I would say this is one of Rendell's poorer works.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
