Simisola

As has been pointed out by other reviewers, Ruth Rendell's "Simisola" combines the whodunit with a discussion of social issues. Even though the plot of the former is slightly overworked - an impressive construction, lacking somewhat in credibility - the connection is realistic and effective. Wexford's rather endearing, if unsuccessful attempts at "colourblindness", add neat twists and turns in his (more successful) attempts at solving the criminal problem. Blacks are, for example, not the only group suffering from the effects of prejudice here. Even though a radical might criticize Rendell for mainly (but not exclusively) dealing with how whites do and should perceive blacks, Wexford's progress should be of interest to members of any race. And if non-British readers believe that the specific form of social evil at the heart of the story is limited to Britain, well, better take a closer look at your own society... Again, the plot is overworked. Not that the mystery is all that complicated or fantastic, but the number of cleverly misleading clues, likely suspects, and distracting detours is rather too much for me. Clever but slightly artificial. Still, a favourite with me.

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.

As a tireless fan of Ruth Rendell who is continually surprised by her ability to juxtapose the traditional British police procedural framework with sharply discerning social criticism, I think Simisola bests even her usually high standard. Rendell has a gift for fleshing out a character in a single line that no other mystery writer (save PD James) can equal, but her writing evinces a nonjudgmental compassion for humanity that is truly unique. While some readers might fault her treatment of race here as mawkish or self-conscious, I think it mirrors the realization that Inspector Wexford continually forces himself to confront -- that we are all complicit in racism. I also applaud her for writing about race in this single book from so many different and nuanced perspectives. This is not simply a book about black v. white but rather a book about the multiple gradations of class and ethnicity that intersect so confoundingly with race -- and this from a woman who has been writing mysteries since 1963! Finally, at a completely visceral level, I was stunned by the last line of the book, which I thought pulled together all that had gone before with the skill of a well-realized musical cadence. I must say that I'm shocked to read comments that people found it difficult to persevere to the end. I've only found one other Rendell novel tough going (The Best Man to Die, and I've sometimes wondered whether it was ghost-written by an inferior writer), but Simisola was absolutely gripping.

Just a terrific book, from beginning to end. Very vivid, and the last sentence hit me like a ton of bricks. My only complaint, and it's a small one, is that the "whodunnit" comes from out of almost nowhere; readers must keep track of all of the characters very carefully. Not only is this a good mystery, but Rendell writes about the tensions between black and white very adeptly.

In "Simisola" Rendell continues to delve beneath the outer layers of the human psyche, exposing attitudes and perceptions that both animate and lay bare her main characters. Her detectives, the thoughtful Chief Inspector Wexford and the pragmatic Detective Inspector Burden, provide two separate approaches to racial tension, and domestic violence, in our society. When a woman goes missing and two women are murdered issues of race and domestic abuse become the key to the mystery and each detective is forced to rexamine his own perceptions. Rendell moves swiftly to the heart how we often delude ourselves about our attitudes. On the surface this is a fast- paced, exciting puzzle with a surprise solution in the best tradition of the British mystery writers. Below the surface, "Simisola" is an piercing examination of the emotionally charged atmosphere surrounding the integration of immigrants into a small traditional community.