Put on by Cunning

This is the book that made me a devoted fan of Ruth Rendell, and for that alone it deserves five stars! The story is relatively simple as others have described it--the death of a famous musician brings suspicion onto the man's much younger fiancee, and his long lost daughter. Yet what made this book stand out was how Rendell handled the simplicity of the plot and still managed to deliver a couple of jaw dropping twists. I really did not know where it was going to end up! (And this was after having read all of Agatha Christie's novels!) Of all the Wexford titles, this one and "Shake Hands Forever" are the most Christie-like in their brevity and construction. Not a perfect book (as others have pointed out), but the most "fun" I've derived from a Rendell work.

Inspector Wexford finds that this is one of his most challenging cases. In "Death Notes," he is called to investigate the death of noted musician Sir Manuel Camarque, whose body has been found floating in the lake near his country house. Naturally, everyone wants it ruled "accidental death," but Wexford senses that something, indeed, is not right. Two suspects come immediately to his mind: the aging victim's young fiance and the other his daughter! Both, indeed, have struck discordant tones and the harmony of the of the work is most out of tune! Ruth Rendell, however, doesn't keep the investigation in Kingsmarkham for this one, as California and the south of France also play geographical roles as well. No matter. Rendell is at home whereever her setting and "Death Notes" is well-written and easily captures the reader's attention. Rendell is a master of the police procedural and with her indomitable inspector, this episode in a long running series is right on key! ([email protected])

I started this book in the afternoon and found, no matter how tired I got, I couldn't put it down. I loved it! I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries.

Although one of the most intriguing Wexford mysteries, DEATH NOTES remains, for the most part, a fairly typical Rendell novel. It has its flaws in some places, but overall it meets the high standards that Rendell, truly a storyteller of the highest order, demands.The story begins with the seemingly natural death of the great flutist (flautist, rather) Sir Manuel Camargue. When his daughter Natalie arrives to collect her inheritance, suspicion concerning her identity arises, leading Wexford to search for the truth about who she is, trekking through England, France, and California before the questions are finally resolved.Ultimately, the mystery surrounding Natalie's identity is much more interesting than that of Camargue's death. For the better part of the book, the whole murder plot takes a back seat to the other, more intriguing question. The revelation of Natalie's identity is absolutely ingenious, the type of clever plot twist you'd expect from Agatha Christie. Unfortunately, Rendell doesn't seem to have put her heart into the whodunit aspect of the novel as much.But other than that, this is a well-constructed mystery, as readable as only Rendell can be. Her prose manages to be simple and conversational, yet also sophisticated and literate. Rendell demonstrates once again her wry, razor-sharp wit in her character descriptions. This may be either intended humor or mere social observation; whatever the case, it makes for a highly entertaining read.

I USUALLY DON'T FOLLOW EVEN MODERATELY COMPLICATED PLOTS, BUT IN THIS BOOK I SEEM TO HAVE DONE SO. BRAVO FOR HER ABILITY TO COMPLICATE YET SIMPLIFY. THIS IS RARE ANYWHERE. A MODERN MYSTERY THAT ALSO HAPPENS TO BE VERY GOOD. RARE TOO, THAT.