Murder Being Once Done [Paperback]

Ruth Rendell's "Murder Being Once Done," which was written in the seventies, is a flawed mystery with a few nice touches that redeem it slightly.

Inspector Wexford has not been feeling well, and he has been farmed out to his nephew's house to rest, eat right, and exercise. Wexford is supposed to avoid thinking about police work. However, there are two problems. One, Wexford is bored out of his mind. Two, his nephew is a police superintendent investigating a juicy murder. How can Wexford fail to get involved in the case?

The victim is a young woman who was found murdered in Kenbourne Vale Cemetery. Who is she and why was she killed? This woman, it turns out, was living quietly in poverty under a false name. No one knows where she came from. Wexford starts informally investigating on his own, interviewing anyone who may know something about the identity of the dead woman.

The investigation turns out to be a puzzle that challenges even Wexford's experienced and incisive mind, and he makes several wrong turns before reaching the correct conclusion. He experiences a period of self-doubt and shame when he realizes that his powers of detection may be waning somewhat. He even considers the possibility that it may be time to step aside and let the younger generation take over. Wexford is a wonderful character--intelligent, charming and compassionate. It is always a pleasure to be in his company.

Unfortunately, the mystery turns out to be less involving. While looking into the case, Wexford meets a variety of people, all of whom contribute to his understanding of what happened to the dead woman. Unfortunately, the characters are not fleshed out very well and the mystery itself turns out to be too convoluted and far-fetched to be completely satisfying. On the plus side, Rendell's description of settings is detailed and vivid and she beautifully captures Wexford's torment as he tries to deal with his mortality and his imperfections. "Murder Being Once Done" is not a great mystery, but it is a good study of an policeman who is desperately trying to prove that he still has what it takes to break a case.

Rendell in her Wexford series seems to be operating from a definite formula. Wexford and others follow red herrings and goose chases and then well towards the end the real solution is hurriedly put on the table and consumed by the hapless reader before you really know what you have eaten. This novel has quotes from Thomas Moore's Utopia before every chapter and this theme is nicely worked into the novel by Rendell. She does
write intelligently. Her red herrings are more fleshed out than the actual solution and thats not my cup of tea.

As always, Reg Wexford, an older police Chief Inspector from rural England, will manage to take your breath away through his amazing ability to overcome weakness and always come out on top of the case at hand. Ruth Rendell is brilliant, introducing her readers to new characters while intertwining the old, steady ones. Inspector Wexford, one of Rendell's regulars, is visiting his nephew Howard, a Detective Superintendent in London, when a tragic murder case arises. While exploring the dark, dirty streets of London and avoiding the prestigious flower arrangements of his niece, Reg manages to overcome his illness. In the course of helping his nephew solve this murder mystery, Reg must contend with Howard's other inspectors and struggle to prove his knowledge and expertise in the field of character analysis. Filled with unwed mothers, poverty, and adoption, this novel is constantly twisting and turning through Reg's inner thoughts. Through all this, he is pulled between two opposing forces. His wife, Dora, pleads with him to rest, in accordance with the doctor's wishes. On the other hand is his burning desire to solve the young girl's murder. In the end, he manages to stay on top of the case but ignores his doctor's wishes for him to eat only bread and water. By the end of his stay in London, though, Reg is back to his beef. Once I picked this book up, I was unable to put it down. It is full of intriguing surprises and, mingled with the unpredictable new characters, comes the story of a cult with a long, uncertain past of family deceit and runaway brides. All in all, this book tickled me into giving it the rating of 4 out of 5 stars.