Reviews

No Man's Nightingale by Ruth Rendell

smusie's review against another edition

3.0

Not one of the better Wexfords. Some glaring editing errors. Wexford is walking somewhere and then magically gives someone a ride. Some clues were too obvious, e.g. there is one person mentioned as having a tattoo, and then later a criminal is sought who was masked but happens to have a tattoo on his hand! And a bit too much focus and what everyone is drinking all the time. Some characters seem unnecessarily doubled, making them hard to tell apart, Dennis Cuthbert and Duncan Crisp--why give them the same initials? But still, some interesting bits (such as the prodigal son) and I liked the inclusion of the Gibbon.

lavoiture's review against another edition

2.0

Oh dear. My first Ruth Rendell book and I was very disappointed. I found it boring and just silly. I can see how Inspector Wexford would be an interesting character, so I'm sorry I jumped in at #24.

amn028's review against another edition

1.0

I picked this book up in a book exchange library while travelling. If I had anything else available to read, I would have. I did not find the story engaging and really did not like any of the characters. I was more than happy to leave it behind

leemac027's review against another edition

2.0

This is the first time I have read a Ruth Rendell mystery. I had certainly heard much about her and of course the Inspector Wexford series so was keen to see what all of the hype was about.

Sadly it was not to my taste. I did find the narrative jumped around a bit too much and I could not relate to the characters at all.

I understand that millions of people around the world love her work, and that is fabulous. Sadly it is not something that engaged me or drew me into the plot. I did give it just over 100 pages but then decided, not for me.

cpalisa's review against another edition

4.0

Enjoyable book...I've never heard of the author and apparently she is quite prolific! There is an entire series with this character so I'll probably have to go pick up some of the old ones. I liked the setting (England) and it was a basic whodunit. There were some tricks along the way, it looked very much like it was pointing one way and that wasn't it at all, so it kept me engaged. I liked the characters, some of the subplots I could have lived without but on the whole it was a nice book. Not one I'll remember for long but it was fun while it lasted :-)

mimika9's review against another edition

4.0

Ruth Rendell is an excellent writer, both in style and content. I must say that she seems a title stuffy after reading the more down-to-earth Peter Robinson.

thecesspit's review against another edition

3.0

Inspector Wexford is better known to me through his TV portrayal, and I suspect known Ruth Rendell's character through the previous twenty three books makes this a more rewarding read. Wexford is retired, and seems to fill in his time between reading with more reading and avoiding the local gossip with his cleaner.

He gets involved in a local murder, and helps out his old sidekick with the investigation. It's a long drawn out affair, and most of the story is seen on the outside of the procedures, more about the people in the village effected by the death. He befriends potential witnesses and friends of the victim, and we get a series of portraits of them, and their lives tacked.

The whole book feels like a Swansong and is the last Wexford novel Ruth Rendell wrote. So may be better to start at the beginning than dropping in on old characters you don't really know.

bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition

2.0

The murder mystery was dull, the plot disjointed and the social commentary jarring. Maybe I'm missing something, not being a regular reader of the these mysteries, but this did not feel like a contemporary novel. So many weird references! For instance, a female character talks about buying condoms for her teenage son, and how the pharmacist must have thought she was a transvestite. Had to read that several times before I realized she meant that a woman shopping for condoms is unheard of.
Also, being black and/or gay is still a huge deal in Rendell's UK. And you do not want to be an overweight or ugly woman in a Wexford mystery. If you're a guy, you're fine.

hollykl's review against another edition

3.0

I have been a fan of Ruth Rendell and Inspector Wexford for many years now. This was an enjoyable read, one that kept me interested to the end. But not one of the best in the series. I wish Wexford had spent less time contemplating his retired state and the way it changed his involvement in the investigation. I expected to see some of that but there was more than necessary; after a while it no longer contributed much to the narrative. And I did get really tired of the Gibbon quotes. Overall, entertaining but not stellar.

tomhill's review against another edition

3.0

I really enjoy listening to the Inspector Wexford series, they're the audiobook version of easy listening. Whether working, gardening, getting ready for bed or socially isolating, this is the kind of book I like to listen to because it doesn't require too much concentration. That's meant as a compliment, because a lot of books are too complex to compliment daily activities. Even though they deal with murder, I always find the Wexford novels soothing and reassuring, even if the mystery in this case isn't that well-structured. There are some inconsistencies in the book as well that should have been easily corrected by a good editor. But this is Wexford's last case, so I'll overlook it! Rendell leaves things open for a subsequent book, but also offers a closing line that feels like a suitable end to the series, as if she wasn't quite sure whether she or Wexford would live longer.