- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Dell Publishing Company; Reprint edition (Sep 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0440222028
- ISBN-13: 978-0440222026
- Product Dimensions: 25.4 x 2 x 17.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,832,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Simisola (Inspector Wexford)
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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 an alternate Paperback edition.Product Description
In the quiet Sussex country town of Kingsmarkham, the daughter of Nigerian physician Raymond Akande is missing. "It's probably nothing, " says Dr. Akande to his friend and client Chief Inspector Wexford, whose help he enlists.
But the days that follow prove the doctor dreadfully wrong. A young woman is found murdered not Melanie, but the last person to have seen and spoken to her. A second woman's body is discovered, again not Melanie's, but like her, young and black. A third woman turns up beaten and unconscious; like the others, she is of Nigerian origin. As Inspector Wexford's investigation stretches from days into weeks, it becomes his unhappy obligation to counter the hopes of the doctor and his wife. In Wexford's professional opinion, Melanie, like the other young women, has become the victim of a serial killer with a horrifyingly singular objective.
But the days that follow prove the doctor dreadfully wrong. A young woman is found murdered not Melanie, but the last person to have seen and spoken to her. A second woman's body is discovered, again not Melanie's, but like her, young and black. A third woman turns up beaten and unconscious; like the others, she is of Nigerian origin. As Inspector Wexford's investigation stretches from days into weeks, it becomes his unhappy obligation to counter the hopes of the doctor and his wife. In Wexford's professional opinion, Melanie, like the other young women, has become the victim of a serial killer with a horrifyingly singular objective.
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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
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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.
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