Dazzling psychological suspense. Razor-sharp dialogue. Plots that catch and hold like a noose. These are the hallmarks of crime legend Ruth Rendell...
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Mar 06, 2011
Charlotte (Buried in Books)
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Jun 24, 2011
Philip
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Re-reading the book that launched Ruth Rendell and her creation, Chief-Inspector Reginald Wexford.
6/24: Not much is revealed about Chief-Inspector Wexford in this novel; as it begins, it seems like Mike Burden will be the primary investigating officer, but sometime after Wexford's first appearance ("He was taller than Burden, thick-set without being fat, fifty-two years old, the very prototype of an actor playing a top-brass policeman. Born up the road in Pomfret, living most of More...
6/24: Not much is revealed about Chief-Inspector Wexford in this novel; as it begins, it seems like Mike Burden will be the primary investigating officer, but sometime after Wexford's first appearance ("He was taller than Burden, thick-set without being fat, fifty-two years old, the very prototype of an actor playing a top-brass policeman. Born up the road in Pomfret, living most of More...
May 07, 2011
Nancy
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I am a fan of classis murder mysteries yet was not familiar with Ruth Rendell's writing (nor have I seen Inspector Wexford on television). It seemed like it was time to get acquainted.
Since this was the initial novel featuring Inspector Wexford, I suspect that as her series expanded, her detective grew more interesting to readers. I generally feel that when I've read three or more books featuring one character I enjoy each successive book a little bit more. That is an unnecessarily c More...
Since this was the initial novel featuring Inspector Wexford, I suspect that as her series expanded, her detective grew more interesting to readers. I generally feel that when I've read three or more books featuring one character I enjoy each successive book a little bit more. That is an unnecessarily c More...
May 02, 2008
Corey
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I picked this up at the Book Thing and it was very good. I believe that Ruth Rendell is British as this book is set in England. Every now and then I had to re-read a few sentences to try and understand the British words. Other than that, it was a very quick read as it is only 200 some pages. It took me about 4 days to read. If you know me, you know that it's amazing I read a book in 4 days. It is a great murder mystery.
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May 07, 2011
Jenifer
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Audio. I've read reviews from my mystery-loving friends who love this series. I just can't stand to not start at the very beginning, so off I go!
The reason I like to start at the beginning is because I like the character development. I want to know the detective; his foibles and flaws as well as his heroic strengths, whatever they may be. I was a bit surprised and disappointed to find not much character development here in the persons of Wexford and Burden. No little idiosyncrasies, More...
The reason I like to start at the beginning is because I like the character development. I want to know the detective; his foibles and flaws as well as his heroic strengths, whatever they may be. I was a bit surprised and disappointed to find not much character development here in the persons of Wexford and Burden. No little idiosyncrasies, More...
Aug 29, 2011
Alexander
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This year Chief Inspector Reg Wexford celebrated his 23rd novel (The Vault), if one may put it that way for a fictional character; and he was "born" in Ruth Rendell's 1964 published From Doon With Death. It was also, more remarkably, Rendell's first novel which emerged full shaped, well plotted, with believable (and memorable) characters.
Margaret Parsons is the rather non-descript wife of a rather non-descript employee of a small English town hardware store who is barely ab More...
Margaret Parsons is the rather non-descript wife of a rather non-descript employee of a small English town hardware store who is barely ab More...
Dec 26, 2010
Brian
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Oct 16, 2011
Chana
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A very amateur effort from a prolific and gifted writer. I am wondering if maybe it was her 1st book.
A village woman has gone missing. She is found dead in a wooded area. Chief Inspector Wexford and Inspector Burden investigate.
I think that the author had just started her characterizations of Wexford and Burden in this book. Having read many Inspectors Wexford and Burden stories, this book almost comes off cartoonish in their characterizations.
The mystery itself was OK. I knew More...
A village woman has gone missing. She is found dead in a wooded area. Chief Inspector Wexford and Inspector Burden investigate.
I think that the author had just started her characterizations of Wexford and Burden in this book. Having read many Inspectors Wexford and Burden stories, this book almost comes off cartoonish in their characterizations.
The mystery itself was OK. I knew More...
Jan 31, 2009
Pam
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Aug 18, 2011
Scott
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I wished I could say I like it but truth is it was a boring read. Being one who always gives everything more then one try, I imagine I'll read another of Rendell's books but will not be in a hurry to do so.
I could never really get into any of the characters especially Inspector Wexford. The ending was good but all the events leading to it never reached a level of suspense where it was hard to put down. In fact it was quite easy to put down and almost became a chore to finish. A short b More...
I could never really get into any of the characters especially Inspector Wexford. The ending was good but all the events leading to it never reached a level of suspense where it was hard to put down. In fact it was quite easy to put down and almost became a chore to finish. A short b More...
May 26, 2008
Cathy
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The first installment in my favorite detective series: Inspector Wexford! I read just about every one in the summer of 2000.
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Oct 02, 2010
Bibliophile
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The first of Ruth Rendell's long-running Inspector Wexford series, From Doon with Death is a bit formulaic and cursory, although there are glimpses of what will make her novels so addictive (at least to me.) The killer's motive is certainly interesting and although the setup is that of a "cozy" village mystery in the vein of those solved by Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, there are already hints of the realism and social conscience that Rendell will bring to later works.
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Sep 24, 2009
Scilla
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In this first Wexford mystery, he is investigating the murder of Margaret Parsons, a fussy housewife with no apparent other interests and not many friends. In searching her house, Wexford finds many literary books with hand written poetry inscribed to Minna from Doon. Her parents died when she was young and she was brought up by an aunt. She had lived and gone to school in Flagford. Wexford begins investigating her old school friends, trying to find who Doon is. Of course there are many clu
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Jun 08, 2009
Anna
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Ruth Rendell is one of my favorite authors. Her stories are usually set in a small village in England and are filled with complex characters with plenty of plot twists. This novel is no exception. One of her earlier novels,it is the story of a young wife who is gone missing from her home one day. Her body is discovered in a field miles from home. Few people in the village have motives which makes solving the case even more difficult. Enter Inspector Wexford who uncovers the mystery, finds and ar
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Mar 24, 2011
Stephen King says: "BEST SUSPENSE NOVELIST (WITH UNDERCURRENTS OF HORROR)
Ruth Rendell, who sometimes writes as Barbara Vine. The Chief Inspector Wexford novels are comfort food that doesn't insult one's intelligence (or upset the stomach); the stand-alones are often quiet masterpieces of terror guaranteed to leave the reader in a cold sweat at 2 a.m. The best example of recent vintage is probably A Sight for Sore Eyes (1999). But The Minotaur, penned under the Barbara Vine name, is al More...
Ruth Rendell, who sometimes writes as Barbara Vine. The Chief Inspector Wexford novels are comfort food that doesn't insult one's intelligence (or upset the stomach); the stand-alones are often quiet masterpieces of terror guaranteed to leave the reader in a cold sweat at 2 a.m. The best example of recent vintage is probably A Sight for Sore Eyes (1999). But The Minotaur, penned under the Barbara Vine name, is al More...
Sep 20, 2008
Mary
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A "librarian research" foray mystery genre, specifically British police procedurals. When proper housewife Margaret Parsons goes missing, her husband turns to his neighbor, Officer Burden, for help. Parsons is certain his wife would not have run out on him, and as an avid reader of crime fiction knows he would be the prime suspect if police find evidence of foul play. When her body is found, however, the facts do not point to her husband at all. Who could have wanted to kill Mrs. Parso
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Jan 05, 2009
Nancy
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There's a short section in the back of the edition of this book that I own which notes that Rendell did not follow along the Agatha Christie line and write mysteries based on characters of the upper class. Indeed, From Doon With Death, the first Wexford novel, focuses on the mystery of the death of a somewhat rather dowdy housewife who goes missing and then turns up dead. Margaret Parsons is the flip side of extraordinary; no enemies, lives in somewhat of a rut, and has no sordid qualities about
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Jul 28, 2009
Sally
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Despite reading lots and lots of Wexford mysteries over the years, I had never read the first in this series. I read this for a mystery book club. It's quite common for a first book in a long mystery series to be quite a bit shorter than the later ones (Ian Rankin's series is a good example). The character development usually comes along as the back story develops. This was a well-written mystery, but the solution was easy to spot, and this entry simply does not measure up to later ones.
Jun 06, 2011
Larry
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First Book of the series. An enjoyable read. I will try others in the series.
Still prefer R.D. Wingfield - Frost At Christmas where multiple story lines congeal at the end. If these are half as good as the Frost series they will be Good.
Still prefer R.D. Wingfield - Frost At Christmas where multiple story lines congeal at the end. If these are half as good as the Frost series they will be Good.
Apr 06, 2010
Crushi
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When Margaret Parsons disappears, Inspector Burden tries to reassure her frantic husband that she will be back by morning. Privately, though, he is certain Margaret has run off with another man. But then the missing woman's body is found, strangled and abandoned in a nearby wood. And when Mr. Parsons lets the police into his home, a startling discovery leads everyone to question just who Margaret Parsons really was . . .
Jan 26, 2010
Cara
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This is the author's first book and I didn't love it. I actually thought it was really dull. However, I did read about her and learned that her books are rather monumental. Apparently, she was rather iconic in terms of social change and true testament of "the times." Even though I didn't care for this one (and she slammed Agatha Christie), I do think I might test out a later novel of hers eventually.
Apr 18, 2010
Joy
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From Doon With Death is the first book in Ruth Rendell's long-running Inspector Wexford mystery series. I've read several of the later books, so I thought I'd go back and see how it all started. And I was pleased to see that it all started excellently. Everything is here: the intriguing characters and settings, the wry and sometimes macabre humor, and an ingenious and absorbing plot. And I think the book has aged relatively well – given that, by today's standards, a lot of the more "shockin
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Sep 03, 2007
Karschtl
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dt. "Alles Liebe vom Tod"
This is the first case (at least the first that was written down) for Inspector Wexford, and he competently solves it. It takes places (and was written in) the 1960s, but that didn't bother me. I kinda liked this old-fashioned-investigation, where the police searches in a phonebook instead of the internet. And they can determine who bought a certain lipstick in their small town. I'm not sure if this would still be that easy today.
The li More...
This is the first case (at least the first that was written down) for Inspector Wexford, and he competently solves it. It takes places (and was written in) the 1960s, but that didn't bother me. I kinda liked this old-fashioned-investigation, where the police searches in a phonebook instead of the internet. And they can determine who bought a certain lipstick in their small town. I'm not sure if this would still be that easy today.
The li More...
Dec 26, 2009
Mary
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The first of the Inspector Wexford series, and a good mystery. Rendell has a wonderful way of laying out things for you at the start then turning what you though you knew on its head. It is possible to out-guess the detectives, but usually only by a hair. And even then it is difficult to get the motives. The characters are always interesting (and very often not what they seem).
Sep 16, 2010
Janet
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Aug 30, 2011
Fans of Elizabeth George often enjoy Ruth Rendell’s complex crime novels. This is the first Inspector Wexford novel.
Ruth Rendell is an author worth trying if you like reading mysteries with complex characters and rich settings. You could try her Inspector Wexford series (which starts with From Doon with Death ) or a standalone, such as The Rottweiler.
Ruth Rendell is an author worth trying if you like reading mysteries with complex characters and rich settings. You could try her Inspector Wexford series (which starts with From Doon with Death ) or a standalone, such as The Rottweiler.
Aug 09, 2011
Kyrie
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Rendell's first Inspector Wexford surprised me. I think I like the character of Burden better in this one than I have in any other.
It's very much detective work, not so much psychology as some of Rendell's books are. The end surprised me. I like that in a mystery.
It's very much detective work, not so much psychology as some of Rendell's books are. The end surprised me. I like that in a mystery.
Nov 06, 2011
AmmarMajali
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192 pages read in one day... just few hours.. at work.. I was bored.. Ruth didn't focus on Wexford much.. she focused more on his Sergeant Burden. Interesting tale in a village in Sussex.. past haunting the present.. do we really escape the past??
Aug 01, 2011
Jayne
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Ruth Rendell's first Inspector Wexford novel, if I'm not much mistaken. Spoiled a little for me by the fact that I worked out the twist very early on, and was able to narrow down the suspects. Perhaps I should just be impressed that enough clues were dropped early enough in the story to make this possible.
Nov 06, 2011
Sergey
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