Veiled One

Rendell usually has a reason for the titles of her books, although some are really weird. For this one, she creates a saying that one's closest relation is both veiled to us and yet is also at times unveiled. The saying is not altogether apt, but in this Chief Inspector Wexford mystery he and his associate Burden peel back layers of a woman's psyche slowly but thoroughly to reveal the killer behind her facade of chilling disinterest.

For those interested, this book is available as part of a two book package, ISBN # 0 09 187009 7, which combines the present novel with "Lake of Darkness" at a bargain price: both books are good, and I preferred "Lake of Darkness." This is not a long novel, but it is a compelling read and it is hard to put down. Overall it is well balanced to a point, but becomes a bit complicated in the second half. It has good characters, a good plot, and it has mystery. The book came out in 1988. The story involves a murder at a shopping center, and the murder is solved by detective Wexford. So, overall the story is good but there are a number of complications as we reach the end. Because of that, I thought it was a bit too complicated and some comments were slightly extraneous. But, it is an excellent read, and it is both compelling and entertaining. Recommend: 4 stars.

This a most satisfying Wexford and Burden tale of detection, and all the better for not being an overtly "psychological" novel, with which it should not be compared. If you are more interested in the process of the detection of the crime, and in the characters who detect, rather than in the warped mind of its perpetrator, you will enjoy this as much as any other in the series. Ruth Rendell made her name with Wexford and Burden, and she still writes at her best when she returns to the genre which first brought her success. This is no exception.

The Veiled One was the first Ruth Rendell novel and I am delighted to report that I was thoroughly captivated and entertained. Rendell writes fluid prose with interesting characters and acute observations about human nature and behavior. I particularly liked the main character Wexford and his naturally dry and mostly sarcastic wit. The mystery is well plotted and wraps up neatly. To be honest, the ending did occur to me, but by the time I got to the end I was impressed enough by the whole effort that I didn't care about that at all. The ending is quite satisfying... the type that makes sense while still surprising enough. I look forward to many more enjoyable evenings with Ruth Rendell and Chief Inspector Wexford.

I don't find Ruth Rendell's Wexford mysteries as engrossing as her psychological novels, but anything by Rendell is nevertheless entertaining and well worth reading. This one finds Wexford and his partner, Mike Burden, investigating the death of an older woman found strangled in a parking garage at a shopping mall. Numerous suspects abound in the woman's neighborhood but Wexford is soon incapacitated, however, by a car bomb (meant for someone else). Burden takes the lead by pursuing a withdrawn young man who lives with his domineering mother. Burden's intuition fails him though and it is Wexford who eventually identifies the killer by subtly noting the habits and motivations of the suspects and even the items they purchased in the shopping mall. The book is a little overlong for a Wexford mystery and gets sluggish a little in the middle but picks back up toward the end. Every character seems like a likely culprit (the victim was a blackmailer) and it is hard to see what is coming until close to the last chapter. If you are just beginning with Ruth Rendell, don't let this one detract you from her - she is one of the best writers in the world today.