From Doon With Death: A Wexford Case - 50th Anniversary Edition (Wexford, 1)

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Murder Being Once Done Wexford is drawn to the case of a young woman found murdered in a London cemetery vault. One of my strongest memories growing up was my mother’s stack of Ruth Rendell and Colin Dexter novels, one of which always seemed to be on hand for those sorts of occasions in which you were stuck in a waiting room. It seemed grimmer and more adult than the Christies and Chestertons I was used to, and the twist surprised me. Gilt a little dulled on spine, some very slight rubbing to boards, black ink mark to bottom edge of text block, an excellent copy with the jacket, bright and only a little rubbed at ends and corners.

However, I am very pleased to say that at the 50% mark this changed and I became nicely engaged in the story. Parsons led an extremely uneventful life, being a lay preacher, but Inspector Wexford is intrigued when he is looking through her belongings and fine a number of expensive antique books all inscribed 'From Doon to Minna'. Unusually, Rendell does not make any of the characters particularly sympathetic and that adds to the reality of the crime and suspects.Update, May 6, 2015: I am undertaking a Ruth Rendell "key" works project -- the books The Guardian recently noted as such the day of Ruth Rendell's death.

There is a strong sociological commentary throughout, in this book in particular as far as class differences and sexual politics go and author's attitude is stunningly, notably progressive for the time. Rendell says she modeled Wexford after her father and I realized that maybe that is why this series appeals to me so much.Wexford has only a few clues: a spent match on the ground, and inscriptions in some of Margaret's books that are signed "Doon. I dislike detective series, I find it to be lazy writing more often than not and generally stay away from them. When someone frames it as being of wider sociological interest to do the exact thing I already love, you know I cannot resist. The home life is completely absent and the character is not given to quoting Shakespeare or other classics.