The Best Man to Die (Inspector Wexford)

This was my first Ruth Rendell. (Of course, I've seen her work translated to TV.) I enjoyed the plot progression, the atmosphere she created, her descriptions of the landscape and the authenticity with which she drew her diverse characters. I especially appreciate that she tied together all the loose ends at the end. I'll be reading many more.

I enjoyed this book. It was puzzling. I could not figure it out. Dame Rendell's descriptive writing is outstanding, especially pertaining to nature. So far I've read 16 of her books (Wexford series and stand-alone novels) having just become aware of her two years ago. Some I love, some I like, one I hated. I always learn some new words and new facts.The attached photo is an oorery. I had never heard of them before. Another reviewer, Amazon Customer, July 2, 2021, said she wouldn't read another book by Rendell. Oh, you don't know what you're missing. If for some reason you reread the reviews and see this, I urge you to reconsider. Try Crocodile Bird, 1993. It's not a Wexford novel. The Best Man to Die was published in 1969, five years after her first book was published, so she was just getting started.

Ruth Randell is a great writer. She makes everything she writes come alive with her vivid and perceptive descriptions. This book is no exception, but the story is weak. It's a short story filled out with 150 pages of well-written description and observation that have nothing to do with the story. The plot is interesting, with two seemingly unconnected strands and the usual red herrings. But then it suddenly ends with Inspector Wexford solving the mystery with clairvoyant, Sherlock Holmes-like perception. Randell usually does a lot better.

This is a well written fun and exciting murder mystery set in England with the clever Detective Wexford. The best man for a wedding was murdered the night before the wedding of his best friend. There is also a car crash involving a mystery woman who is killed in the crash. Wexford’s daughter and her dog make for some fun in his family life. A good read!

While the Inspector Wexford novels are generally good, this one is a little dated. The references to money, with an indication that 120 pounds sterling was a large amount that made a man flush, needs to be taken in the context of the time and the country, i.e., the UK where pay scales may have been a quarter the amount in the US. The amount noted, at that time a little under $300 in US funds, would not have been exceptionally high by US standards even in 1969. I also had a bit of a problem with the writing style as the author tends to jump from one character and scene to another while going from one written sentence to the next. It would be nice to have a break indicating a change of scene, even a blank line on the page. This is an editorial problem which I blame on the publisher.The plot is complex, and initially starts out with a number of seemingly unrelated events. It involves marriages, mistresses, children, a dog, some amount of crime, of course a couple murders, people not cooperating with the police, and class distinctions with some working class people just trying to keep their heads above water.When the police investigate a man's murder, the investigation opens up various cans of worms. There are people making a little money on the side, women looking for rich men, men looking for rich women, married men chasing around, and the police trying to tie everything together. Overall an interesting plot of 201 pages in this edition.

One of Rendell's best early mysteries. Short but very richly laid out with great male and female characters. The plot is pretty intricate and there are many twists. The best part is her exploration of the relationship between two working class men who have an unspoken bond of love that they can't articulate. A tragic and wonderful tale.

"It was as though the clouds were not themselves mere vapour but impermeable sagging sacks, purposely constructed and hung to contain water."For imagery alone it is worth going back to 1969 when Inspector Wexford's life was simpler. He has time to observe the weather, the night sky, and, in one majestic passage, the fields of grain in all their sunlit glory. Beyond that, you may be disappointed if you are used to contemporary Kingsmarkam. Most obvious are the dated references to contraceptives and troublesome wives and daughters, not to mention the absurdly low value of currency at the time. ("She was an heiress and she had a hundred thousand pounds...") In this and presumably her other early novels now available for the Kindle, Rendell shows how clever she is in constructing her crimes, but her characters are more predictable (in a class-conscious Britain), and the scenes seem almost to have been made for the stage. "The lightning flared into his face and, covering his eyes with one hand, he said desperately..." The biggest surprise to me was that the Inspector was grumpier and fustier back then. He continually spouts from literature, as he is still wont to do, and he enjoys curmudgeonly sparring with the local doctor, but he doesn't yet carry the weight of societal change and family disappointments.I recommend reading THE BEST MAN TO DIE for social history and also to learn how writers evolve their series characters. I learned something by downloading what seemed like a bargain: On Kindle, the copyright will be the date the story was made into an e-book. The first date of publication was nowhere to be seen. Henceforth, I will check with one of several webs sites to get a chronological list of an author's novels before buying a book. In this case, the lower price is a tip-off.The St. Zita Society: A Novel

Excellent read

A fast read, but not very memorable.

A book for leisure with some interesting characters and scenes. But compared to Crombie or French less stunning and gripping.

Wexford series are always well written, as is anything by this author. Interesting storyline and characters.

This was the first book written by Ruth Rendell that I have read, although I have seen a few of the tv episodes. This was interesting and absorbing, but I am undecided whether I will read others.The story was interesting and the style different from other crime stories.