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bookish_tam's review
3.0
I had mixed opinions on this, hence the 3 stars.. I’d maybe stretch to 3.5 but I think that’d be too generous.
Yeah, I enjoyed this book, it was ok. But I do think there’s more gripping detective/crime books out there. Don’t get me wrong, in some parts this book had me hooked and I did fly through quite a bit of it in the beginning, but eventually I started to get a bit bored and I think it could’ve been shorter. It waffled a bit in the middle. I also hated the fact she kept introducing new characters, it was a bit too busy for me.
Who killed Devenish? I think we all seen that coming.. but I liked how the book ended and Rendell wrapped everything up at the end. I especially didn’t see the whole ‘Anne’ thing coming.
Rendell reveals how crime varies and how it doesn’t discriminate between classes. She highlights the scary reality of domestic abuse, what goes on behind closed doors and how society deals with its issues and in my opinion that’s why she wasn’t solely focused on providing a gripping detective/crime novel.
Would I read it again? Probably not. But I would recommend simply as a kind of ‘eye-opener’.
Yeah, I enjoyed this book, it was ok. But I do think there’s more gripping detective/crime books out there. Don’t get me wrong, in some parts this book had me hooked and I did fly through quite a bit of it in the beginning, but eventually I started to get a bit bored and I think it could’ve been shorter. It waffled a bit in the middle. I also hated the fact she kept introducing new characters, it was a bit too busy for me.
Who killed Devenish? I think we all seen that coming.. but I liked how the book ended and Rendell wrapped everything up at the end. I especially didn’t see the whole ‘Anne’ thing coming.
Rendell reveals how crime varies and how it doesn’t discriminate between classes. She highlights the scary reality of domestic abuse, what goes on behind closed doors and how society deals with its issues and in my opinion that’s why she wasn’t solely focused on providing a gripping detective/crime novel.
Would I read it again? Probably not. But I would recommend simply as a kind of ‘eye-opener’.
smartipants8's review
4.0
Always good to read procedural mysteries while traveling. This one was about domestic violence which was eerie since I was working on that issue in Manipur, India but still good. Insp Wexford's relationship with his daughter upsets me a bit.
yowlyy's review
It just didn't grip me at all. 100 pages and no change, so it's time to try another book.
ceeceerose's review
2.0
I definitely did not like this one as much of the other Wexford (Murder Being Once Done) I read. I like the beginning but it seemed to fall off some in the middle and a lot towards the end.
midnightsun337's review
3.0
This book was pretty exhausting for me to read. A lot of characters, most of whom were pretty objectively terrible people, and a lot of things going on at once. I had to put it down for a couple of days when I was about 60% through because all of the characters were irritating me, but I felt a bit better towards things getting towards the end. I think this book seems pretty dated in a lot of ways, and highlights how far we’ve come in 20 years on everything from domestic violence to use of technology, although it feels pretty uncomfortable to read now (more because of the phrasing of everything than anything else, I feel). I would say this book feels more like a slice of life story about Wexford than a story about any specific case, so if that floats your boat, it could be good for you. If you go in expecting something more focused on one specific case, it’s probably going to seem like it goes on unnecessarily quite a bit in parts.
lnatal's review
4.0
Another masterpiece of crime fiction written by the unforgettable Ruth Rendell.
4* Going Wrong
4* The Keys to the Street
3* The Fever Tree and Other Stories
4* A Judgement in Stone
3* Fall of the Coin
4* People Don't Do Such Things
3* The Girl Next Door
Inspector Wexford series
3* Shake Hands Forever (Inspector Wexford, #9)
3* The Veiled One (Inspector Wexford, #14)
4* Harm Done (Inspector Wexford, #18)
4* Going Wrong
4* The Keys to the Street
3* The Fever Tree and Other Stories
4* A Judgement in Stone
3* Fall of the Coin
4* People Don't Do Such Things
3* The Girl Next Door
Inspector Wexford series
3* Shake Hands Forever (Inspector Wexford, #9)
3* The Veiled One (Inspector Wexford, #14)
4* Harm Done (Inspector Wexford, #18)
More...