The Monster In The Box Chief Inspector Wexford Bk 22, Ruth Rendell. 0091931495)

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The Monster In The Box - Chief Inspector Wexford, Bk 22
Author: Ruth Rendell

The Monster In The Box is the latest addition to Ruth Rendell's classic and beguiling Inspector Wexford series. In this enthralling new book, Rendell, "the best mystery writer in the English-speaking world" (Time), takes Inspector Wexford back to his days as a young policeman, and to the man he has long suspected of murder -- seria... more »l murder.

Outside the house where Wexford investigated his first murder case -- a woman found strangled in her bedroom -- he noticed a short, muscular man wearing a scarf and walking a dog. He gave Wexford an unnerving stare. Without any solid evidence, Wexford began to suspect that this man -- Eric Targo, he learned -- was the killer.

Over the years there are more unsolved, apparently motiveless murders in the town of Kingsmarkham, and Wexford continues to quietly suspect that the increasingly prosperous Targo -- van driver, property developer, kennel owner, and animal lover -- is behind them.

Now, half a lifetime later, Wexford spots Targo back in Kingsmarkham after a long absence. Wexford tells his longtime partner, Mike Burden, about his suspicions, but Burden dismisses them as fantasy. Meanwhile, Burden's wife, Jenny, has suspicions of her own. She believes that the Rahmans, a highly respectable immigrant family from Pakistan, may be forcing their daughter, Tamima, into an arranged marriage -- or worse.

In The Monster in the Box, the twenty-second book in the Inspector Wexford series, fans will be thrilled to meet the now-aging inspector in the robust early days of his career. For new readers, no introduction to this spectacular writer and her compelling protagonist could be finer.

Inspector Wexford returns in his most surprising case yet

"He had never told anyone. The strange relationship, if it could be called that, had gone on for years, decades, and he had never breathed a word about it. He had kept silent because he knew no one would believe him. None of it could be proved, not the stalking, not the stares or the conspiratorial smiles, not the killings, not any of the signs Targo had made because he knew Wexford knew and could do nothing about it."

Wexford had almost made up his mind that he would never again set eyes on Eric Targo's short, muscular figure. And yet there he was, back in Kingsmarkham, still with that cocky, strutting walk.

Years earlier, when Wexford was a young police officer, a woman called Elsie Carroll had been found strangled in her bedroom. Although many still had their suspicions that her husband was guilty, no one was convicted. Another woman was strangled shortly afterwards, and every personal and professional instinct told Wexford that the killer was still at large. And it was Eric Targo. A psychopath who would kill again...

As the Chief Inspector investigates a new case, Ruth Rendell looks back to the beginning of Wexford's career, even to his courtship of the woman who would become his wife. The past is a haunted place, with clues and passions that leave an indelible imprint on the here and now.

ISBN-13: 9780091931490
ISBN-10: 0091931495
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 279
Rating:

Currently 4.3/5 Stars.

4.3 stars, based on 2 ratings

Publisher: Century Hutchinson*
Book Type: Perfect Paperback
Other Versions: Paperback, Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
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Laura J. (LauraJ) - , reviewed The Monster In The Box (Chief Inspector Wexford, Bk 22) on 3/2/2011 + 35 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

An unusual mystery novel, in that not much really happens. However, the primary plot is still intriguing and held my interest. Unfortunately, the secondary plot about a Pakistani family and their teenage daughter was excruciating. I found myself speed-reading through those sections as the book progressed. Not one of Rendell's best works, but still worth reading if you are a fan of her Inspector Wexford series.

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Tica N. (purveyoroffinebooks) reviewed The Monster In The Box (Chief Inspector Wexford, Bk 22) on 2/5/2011 + 11 more book reviews

Too much hype doth disappointment make.
Gentle, slow tale. References to the way life used to be, especially in England, were enjoyable, as Wexford remembers days when people did not become media stars via crimes. Also, nice observations. But no grand pay-off for the reader, just a slow denouement.

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