Most helpful customer reviews
|
|
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable, but I was not as impressed as the other reviewers, Nov 8 2001
Ruth Rendell's writing has changed over the years, her older novels being more concerned with plot and her more recent work focussing more on social issues and the psychology of her characters.This book was first published in 1975 and has a clever and convoluted plot. That is not to say she neglects the characters; we are privy to Wexford's thoughts and feelings (and she does an admirable job of conveying his personality and his internal struggles this way) and the personalities of some of the other characters play a pivotal role in the story. One thing I especially enjoyed was that the story stretched over more than a year, with the official police investigation over long before the mystery is solved. And it's only solved through Wexford's stubborn refusal to accept his superior's analysis of the situation. One reviewer described the book as "unguessable and brilliant" but in fact a significant clue is shared with the reader - unfortunately it doesn't look significant at the time and I had forgotten all about it by the time I reached the end of the book. So I was certainly surprised by the twist in the tail. I found that Rendell's story-telling was not up to its usual high standard and the wrap-up at the end seemed a bit clumsy. But perhaps this is a reflection of how clumsy, untidy and frustrating a real-life murder investigation would be, rather than the neat, tidy, no-loose-ends packages authors often present to us. Although not her best work, this is nonetheless an enjoyable read, great for a rainy day or a long trip.
|
|
|
5.0 out of 5 stars
An outstanding Wexford mystery, Aug 22 2000
Back in the days before Ruth Rendell acquired those irritating literary pretensions, she wrote mysteries like this one--ingeniously plotted, quickly paced, and best of all, under 200 pages. SHAKE HANDS FOREVER is a perfect example of the author at her effortless best, and of all the Wexford novels I've read, it's both the most absorbing and the most rewarding. Everything about Rendell's work that readers like myself have come to cherish--her terrific, often hilarious prose, her sharp dialogue, her firmly drawn characters, her deference to human psychology--can be found in this novel.Angela Hathall is found murdered in a house utterly devoid of clues, except for a single scarred fingerprint on the side of a bathtub. Chief Inspector Wexford's instinct tells him that the murderer is the victim's shifty-eyed husband, and as usual, his instinct is half-right--but there is much more to this case than meets the eye, for both Wexford and the reader. From first page to last, this beautifully written story is a delight. Rendell seldom takes a traditional approach to storytelling, and this particular case manages to both uphold and flout the conventions of the classic English detective story, leading to one of the author's most genuinely surprising denouements. As the best mysteries do, this one literally caused me to fall out of my seat, so clever (and yet so logical) is the resolution. If you love mysteries (and if you love Rendell), SHAKE HANDS FOREVER is one pleasure you owe yourself.
|
|
|
|
