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Holistic Guidance - Not in the Flesh: A Wexford Novel (Inspector Wexford Mystery)
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List Price: $25.95
Our Price: $17.13
Your Save: $ 8.82 ( 34% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Crown
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780307406811
ISBN: 0307406814
Label: Crown
Manufacturer: Crown
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 320
Publication Date: 2008-06-10
Publisher: Crown
Release Date: 2008-06-10
Studio: Crown
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Editorial Reviews:
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A new Chief Inspector Wexford mystery from the author who Time magazine has called “the best mystery writer in the English-speaking world.”
When the truffle-hunting dog starts to dig furiously, his master’s first reaction is delight at the size of the clump the dog has unearthed: at the going rate, this one truffle might be worth several hundred pounds. Then the dirt falls away to reveal not a precious mushroom but the bones and tendons of what is clearly a human hand.
In Not in the Flesh, Chief Inspector Wexford tries to piece together events that took place eleven years earlier, a time when someone was secretly interred in a secluded patch of English countryside. Now Wexford and his team will need to interrogate everyone who lives nearby to see if they can turn up a match for the dead man among the eighty-five people in this part of England who have disappeared over the past decade. Then, when a second body is discovered nearby, Wexford experiences a feeling that’s become a rarity for the veteran policeman: surprise.
As Wexford painstakingly moves to resolve these multiple mysteries, long-buried secrets are brought to daylight, and Ruth Rendell once again proves why she has been hailed as our greatest living mystery writer.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Comment: I was happy to find a new Inspector Wexford book and had read a few chapters before I looked at reviews here.
Once I read about the subplot, if you call it that, of female circumcision among the African women I was disappointed. I don't see how that has anything to do with the main story so when the topic came up, I skipped those paragraphs and went on with the main story.
During the investigation, I was surprised at how the people could have total recall of things that happened years ago. I don't think that they usually do, but this is a story after all.
The murders and solving were up to Ruth's usual good writing. Those parts I enjoyed!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not Her Best
Comment: I'm more a fan of her non-series books. That doesn't mean I won't read a Wexford novel. I will and I do--generally to my enjoyment.
Unfortunately, this was not one of her best. That said, it still beats the work of many of her contemporaries. Few have as much insight into human character, offer such a plethora of intriguing characters and devise such devilishly complex plots.
The story gets off to a good start when a truffle-hunting dog uncovers the skeletal remains of a man who obviously has been the victim of foul play. That brings Inspector Reg Wexford and his team into play. They're so familiar to us old fans we look forward to seeing them in action again.
Wexford's family gets more involved than usual in this novel. Daughters Sheila, an actress, and Sylvia, a social worker, involve Reg in efforts to save a young Somali girl from the mutilation of female circumcision. Even wife Dora has probably her biggest role since "Road Rage."
This novel is no exception from the norm in the matter of insight and eccentric characters. Perhaps it's the plotting that's a bit off. There's just a bit too much coincidence and--despite red herrings aplenty--it wasn't difficult to identify the culprits.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Back in the company of Inspector Wexford
Comment: I've been pretty hard on Ruth Rendell lately. I miss the startling acid observations in her earlier psychological thrillers and their wicked plot twists. I miss her writing as Barbara Vine, under which she produces her best work. After spending several decades in her company, I think I've gotten greedy and for that I'm sorry.
The worst Ruth Rendell is better than the best of many of her contemporaries (P.D. James excepted) and this above-average Wexford mystery is a very nicely done book. It has a Christie-ish feel to it and that's not a bad thing. In fact, English country murders are a wonderful tradition and I'm glad to see this one come along. It starts and ends with a truffle-sniffing dog, which is an education unto itself, and progresses along a path that takes us into the company and homes of some of the best and worst people you can expect in an English country village. Two bodies, two murders, possibly related but possibly years apart are at the heart of the book and there is an especially tough subplot where Wexford becomes acquainted with female genital mutilation as a cultural practice carried over by African immigrants.
Rendell has done her homework here and does not flinch as she takes on this most difficult of subjects. This isn't a wonderful Rendell but it is a very good read and a genuine education in the process. Sometimes that is plenty enough. And oh, by the way, I just found out that a Barbara Vine book entitled The Birthday Present is due out later this year. Can't wait!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A tired Wexford
Comment: This is not the best Wexford novel by any means but a mediocre Rendell book is far better than most out there. Wexford seems tired and I wish Rendell would retire him and focus on her other novels which I much more entertaining. This one especially seems cluttered with characters and the story line is often confusing. A sub-plot about female mutilation is totally unrelated to the main story and I honestly don't see why it is included. I also find characters who recall what they were doing on a certain date over ten years ago to be irritating and this book is full of them. I'm ready for another Barbara Vine novel!
Customer Rating:
Summary: $15 is too much for a kindle book
Comment: I have all of Rendell's other books but I won't buy this one. $15 is too much for a Kindle book. They don't have to cover the cost of printing and shipping so I think the price shouldn't exceed $9.99. For $15 I want a hard copy book I can share with others. I hope others refuse to buy at this price point too so the publisher gets the message.
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