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Inspector Wexford #14
The Veiled One
Chief Inspector Wexford, injured in a car bombing, must rely on Detective Mike Burden to catch a killer in what appears to be a murder without motive
Chief Inspector Wexford couldn’t know that the bundle of rags in the parking garage concealed a body. He’d just been doing a bit of light shopping, after all, not looking for dead housewives. Wexford won’t be on the case for long; a car bomb sends him to the hospital, and Inspector Mike Burden must match wits with a would-be murderer. But just how close to the edge of madness must Burden go to catch a killer?
With rich characterization Rendell plumbs the depths of human character, revealing the secrets that lie hidden in the most ordinary lives.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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About the author
Ruth Rendell
457 books1,626 followersA.K.A. Barbara Vine
Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, who also wrote under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, was an acclaimed English crime writer, known for her many psychological thrillers and murder mysteries and above all for Inspector Wexford.
Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, who also wrote under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, was an acclaimed English crime writer, known for her many psychological thrillers and murder mysteries and above all for Inspector Wexford.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
December 15, 2018
Another in the Inspector Wexford series by Ruth Rendell. I absolutely loved this, one of her best.
In this one the good inspector is nearly blown up (early in the story, no spoilers here) and is rendered more than little under the weather, so his partner/sidekick fills in, Mike Burden.
The mystery here isn't really who tried to kill the good inspector, but who killed a middle-aged woman found dead in a parking garage. There's a slew of potential leads and suspects, as well as red herrings and false leads galore. There's also one of the most diabolically perfect, richly fleshed-out characters in any of Rendell's books. (If you read this one you'll know exactly what I mean.) All I can say is 'Olive Kitteridge to the tenth power.' (If you've read Olive Kitteridge you'll really know what I mean. :D )
The settings are garish, groteseque, intriguing, fully drawn out. Who knew a dirty old cement parking garage could be so interesting? Or a house in which most of the furniture is stored upstairs? Or that numerous minor characters could be so entertaining, so vividly realized? Burden is pushed to the edge, psychologically; Reg Wexford is pushed to a different sort of edge in a sub-plot involving his TV-actress daughter. I re-read some passages over again, the writing was simply so spot-on and things as simple as a line of trees against a horizon so impeccably described.
Five stars.
In this one the good inspector is nearly blown up (early in the story, no spoilers here) and is rendered more than little under the weather, so his partner/sidekick fills in, Mike Burden.
The mystery here isn't really who tried to kill the good inspector, but who killed a middle-aged woman found dead in a parking garage. There's a slew of potential leads and suspects, as well as red herrings and false leads galore. There's also one of the most diabolically perfect, richly fleshed-out characters in any of Rendell's books. (If you read this one you'll know exactly what I mean.) All I can say is 'Olive Kitteridge to the tenth power.' (If you've read Olive Kitteridge you'll really know what I mean. :D )
The settings are garish, groteseque, intriguing, fully drawn out. Who knew a dirty old cement parking garage could be so interesting? Or a house in which most of the furniture is stored upstairs? Or that numerous minor characters could be so entertaining, so vividly realized? Burden is pushed to the edge, psychologically; Reg Wexford is pushed to a different sort of edge in a sub-plot involving his TV-actress daughter. I re-read some passages over again, the writing was simply so spot-on and things as simple as a line of trees against a horizon so impeccably described.
Five stars.
April 25, 2023
Wexford’s Paradox + Wexford's Third Law
Review of the Arrow Books/Cornerstone Digital Kindle eBook edition (2010) of the original Hutchinson (UK) hardcover (1988).
I didn't enjoy this Wexford as much as the others as the Chief Inspector is off the page for much of the book when he is distracted by his daughter Sheila's activism and then becomes injured during a botched bombing attempt. This puts Mike Burden in charge for much of the investigation which becomes a lot of tiresome re-interviews of the same characters. One of those suspects forms a bizarre attachment to Burden and begins to stalk him.
The case itself involves a murdered woman found in a shopping mall parking garage whose body has been covered with a curtain. Various witnesses become suspects as we discover that they and the victim have hidden secrets and issues. Due to Wexford's absence for much of the book we don't get as much of the usual banter and quotes from classical literature which are my favourite moments in the series.
The Veiled One continues my 2023 binge read / re-read of Ruth Rendell and this is the 14th of the Inspector Wexford series. I am mostly reading the Wexfords in chronological order, but had already re-read the 13th An Unkindness of Ravens (1985) last year through the discovery of an old paperback in a storage locker cleanout.
Cover image for the original Hutchinson (UK) hardcover edition from 1988. Image sourced from Wikipedia By http://pictures.abebooks.com/BIGGMAXX/692300592.jpg, Fair use, Link.
Wexford's Laws
These are little quirky thoughts that Wexford occasionally has. I've realized that I should have noted the earlier ones, as there are going to be several more yet. Now I'm not sure if I'll be able to find the First and the Second.
Other Reviews
Review at Publishers Weekly, 1988.
Trivia and Links
Although the ASIN of my Kindle eBook edition is attached to this rather dull cover in Goodreads, the actual Cornerstone Digital cover is the more mysterious one associated with the Arrow paperback.
The Veiled One was adapted for television as part of the Ruth Rendell / Inspector Wexford Mysteries TV series (1987-2000) as a single extended Season 3 Episode 7 in 1989 with actor George Baker as Inspector Wexford. You can watch the entire episode on YouTube here.
Review of the Arrow Books/Cornerstone Digital Kindle eBook edition (2010) of the original Hutchinson (UK) hardcover (1988).
‘Have you ever heard of the Fallacy of Enkekalymmenos?’
‘The what?’
‘It means “the veiled one” and it goes something like this. “Can you recognize your mother?” “Yes.” “Can you recognize this veiled one?” “No.” “This veiled one is your mother. Hence you can recognize your mother and not recognize her.” - Wexford cites one of the 7 paradoxes of the philosopher Eubulides (4th Century BCE).
I didn't enjoy this Wexford as much as the others as the Chief Inspector is off the page for much of the book when he is distracted by his daughter Sheila's activism and then becomes injured during a botched bombing attempt. This puts Mike Burden in charge for much of the investigation which becomes a lot of tiresome re-interviews of the same characters. One of those suspects forms a bizarre attachment to Burden and begins to stalk him.
The case itself involves a murdered woman found in a shopping mall parking garage whose body has been covered with a curtain. Various witnesses become suspects as we discover that they and the victim have hidden secrets and issues. Due to Wexford's absence for much of the book we don't get as much of the usual banter and quotes from classical literature which are my favourite moments in the series.
The Veiled One continues my 2023 binge read / re-read of Ruth Rendell and this is the 14th of the Inspector Wexford series. I am mostly reading the Wexfords in chronological order, but had already re-read the 13th An Unkindness of Ravens (1985) last year through the discovery of an old paperback in a storage locker cleanout.
Cover image for the original Hutchinson (UK) hardcover edition from 1988. Image sourced from Wikipedia By http://pictures.abebooks.com/BIGGMAXX/692300592.jpg, Fair use, Link.
Wexford's Laws
These are little quirky thoughts that Wexford occasionally has. I've realized that I should have noted the earlier ones, as there are going to be several more yet. Now I'm not sure if I'll be able to find the First and the Second.
Wexford’s Third Law, he thought, ought to be: always live at the foot of a hill, then you’ll be fresh for climbing it in the morning.
Other Reviews
Review at Publishers Weekly, 1988.
Trivia and Links
Although the ASIN of my Kindle eBook edition is attached to this rather dull cover in Goodreads, the actual Cornerstone Digital cover is the more mysterious one associated with the Arrow paperback.
The Veiled One was adapted for television as part of the Ruth Rendell / Inspector Wexford Mysteries TV series (1987-2000) as a single extended Season 3 Episode 7 in 1989 with actor George Baker as Inspector Wexford. You can watch the entire episode on YouTube here.
December 17, 2022
Another good entry in the Inspector Wexford series. In this story, Wexford's assistant, Mike Burdon, takes center stage as Wexford is injured in a murder attempt. Burdon approaches his job very differently from his boss and tends to have prejudices that affect his judgement.
A woman is strangled in a housing estate.....a woman who appears to be the salt of the earth, helpful, loving, etc. Burdon immediately has his eye on a young man who is a neighbor of the dead women. He has behavioral problems,has no friends, and continues to live with his mother. The mother is a strange woman who totally controls her son and is not forthcoming with any information. Burdon is convinced that the son is the guilty party and begins to build a case against him. But there are surprises to come which may indicate that Burdon is very wrong. Or is he?
Wexford recovers from his injuries and comes back late into the investigation. He is not so sure about Burdon's decisions and things get even more interesting........twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. I'm a fan of Rendell and this book does not disappoint.
A woman is strangled in a housing estate.....a woman who appears to be the salt of the earth, helpful, loving, etc. Burdon immediately has his eye on a young man who is a neighbor of the dead women. He has behavioral problems,has no friends, and continues to live with his mother. The mother is a strange woman who totally controls her son and is not forthcoming with any information. Burdon is convinced that the son is the guilty party and begins to build a case against him. But there are surprises to come which may indicate that Burdon is very wrong. Or is he?
Wexford recovers from his injuries and comes back late into the investigation. He is not so sure about Burdon's decisions and things get even more interesting........twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. I'm a fan of Rendell and this book does not disappoint.
May 22, 2020
Always a reliable author of classic English detective stories. She likes the psychological angles—the behaviors of the characters, not just the action. I found in slow in getting started but ultimately satisfying.
March 5, 2012
See what happens when you close shopping centers at funny hours, like 6 pm? Dead bodies pop up in the parking lot. It's the frustation of not being able to get dinner.
This is the first Wexford book I read, and I enjoyed it very much. It is what Miss Marple and Jessica Flecther should be.
This is the first Wexford book I read, and I enjoyed it very much. It is what Miss Marple and Jessica Flecther should be.
September 13, 2015
Read by.................. Robin Bailey
Total Runtime......... 9 Hrs 2 Mins
Description: One November evening, Wexford drives him from Barringdean Shopping Centre, noticing nothing amiss. He is preoccupied with family matters. precisely, his daughter Sheila who, in protest, has damaged Ministry of Defence Property, the wire fence surrounding a nuclear weapons facility. An actress, her face is automatically splashed across the papers.
Later, at home, Burden phones through with the news: a garotted body has been founding in the Shopping Centre Car Park, hidden between two cars. She is identified as Gwen Robson, a home-help of late middle-age, who lives in Kingsmarkham with her arthritic husband. However, before Wexford himself can do much investigating, he too faces death, in the form of a politically motivated car-bomb inteded for his daughter Sheila. So, Mike Burden forges ahead on his own, quickly narrowing in on a suspect, the son of the woman who found the body. But are his intuitions right?
Knitting and bombs feature in this episode.3* From Doon With Death (Inspector Wexford, #1)
3* A New Lease of Death (Inspector Wexford, #2)
3* Wolf to the Slaughter (Inspector Wexford, #3)
2* The Best Man to Die (Inspector Wexford, #4)
3* A Guilty Thing Suprised #5
3* No More Dying Then (Inspector Wexford, #6)
3* Murder Being Once Done (Inspector Wexford, #7)
3* Some Lie and Some Die (Inspector Wexford, #8)
3* Shake Hands Forever (Inspector Wexford, #9)
3* A Sleeping Life (Inspector Wexford, #10)
3* Put on by Cunning (Inspector Wexford #11)
1* Speaker of Mandarin (Inspector Wexford, #12)
3* An Unkindness of Ravens (Inspector Wexford, #13)
3* The Veiled One (Inspector Wexford, #14)
3* Not in the Flesh (Inspector Wexford, #21)
2* The Vault (Inspector Wexford, #23)
November 14, 2020
This story had me guessing from beginning to end. I loved some of the dark and damaged characters in this story, most of whom would have been good candidates for the murderer.
July 7, 2022
In een parkeergarage wordt een vermoorde vrouw gevonden. Er is een gordijn over haar gelegd. Ze werd gevonden door een vrouw die in paniek op de gesloten hekken staat te bonzen, omdat ze niet aan de telefooncel kan die net buiten de hekken staat.
Het is aan inspecteur Wexford en zijn partner Mike Burden om de zaak op te lossen.
Personages: Gwen Robson, de vermoorde vrouw
Dorothy Sanders, de vrouw die haar vond
Clifford Sanders, de zoon van Dorothy
Ralph Robson, de man van Gwen, die een slechte heup heeft
Helen Brook, een hoogzwangere vrouw
Stephen Brook, haar man
Linda Naseem, een cassière
Lesley Arbel, het nichtje van de Robsons, die voor een tijdschrift werkt
Serge Olson, de psycholoog van Clifford
Margaret Carroll, buurvrouw van Sanders
Mijnheer Carroll, haar man
Dita Jago, een andere buurvrouw, die een concentratiekamp overleefd heeft. Verwoed breister
Nina Quincy, haar nicht
Ik vond het verhaal eigenlijk wel goed, en zeker naar het einde toe, als Wexford met een theorie over verschillende mogelijke daders komt opzetten. Wie was het nu écht? Spannend tot het einde!
Het is aan inspecteur Wexford en zijn partner Mike Burden om de zaak op te lossen.
Personages: Gwen Robson, de vermoorde vrouw
Dorothy Sanders, de vrouw die haar vond
Clifford Sanders, de zoon van Dorothy
Ralph Robson, de man van Gwen, die een slechte heup heeft
Helen Brook, een hoogzwangere vrouw
Stephen Brook, haar man
Linda Naseem, een cassière
Lesley Arbel, het nichtje van de Robsons, die voor een tijdschrift werkt
Serge Olson, de psycholoog van Clifford
Margaret Carroll, buurvrouw van Sanders
Mijnheer Carroll, haar man
Dita Jago, een andere buurvrouw, die een concentratiekamp overleefd heeft. Verwoed breister
Nina Quincy, haar nicht
Ik vond het verhaal eigenlijk wel goed, en zeker naar het einde toe, als Wexford met een theorie over verschillende mogelijke daders komt opzetten. Wie was het nu écht? Spannend tot het einde!
September 1, 2014
Chief Inspector Wexford investigates the estrangement of a middle-age housewife at a car park of a supermarket. In the meantime, he takes over the case after the explosion of a bomb in his car which was addressed to his subversive daughter.
A lot of action in this book, as usual by any book written by Ruth Rendell.
A lot of action in this book, as usual by any book written by Ruth Rendell.
May 8, 2025
Great writing as always from Ruth Rendell but I thought the denouement was weak and extemely far-fetched. A very enjoyable read.
December 5, 2020
Better than halfway, I described this as not being as dark as the novels I've read under her pseudonym, Barbara Vine, but there is a definite undercurrent. I might be wrong about that "not being as dark as" part. I have read just two of hers as Barbara Vine and I was surprised that this is my first as Rendell. I have several on my shelf and just assumed I'd read others. So, leaping into the middle of the series, I couldn't put it down. Several chapters end on cliff hangers. If I were a stay-up-late-to-read-into-the-late-hours person, I would be very bleary-eyed this morning. As it was, I had to read this morning several hours before my usual reading time, and read to the end.
Wexford, of course, is the detective who keeps looking for the logical solution. His associate latched on the one solution and was sure he was right. It's not fair to call this the formula of crime fiction, but it does seem to be somewhat standard. Early on, I couldn't help but think of Barnaby's Sergeant Troy, or even Poirot's Hastings. I came to think Mike Burden was a bit better than either Troy or Hastings, but we'll see if that opinion holds up as I read more of the series. I definitely will read more of the series!
The writing is better than Christie and a few other Golden Age authors I have been reading of late. It isn't literature and I think I wouldn't want it to be. I think what sets this apart is the very excellent psychological theme and underpinnings. It isn't horror, and there is no violence. (It feels strange to say there is no violence when it's a murder mystery.) I will admit that there is one scene where many might feel squeamish.
Despite it's being unputdownable, it's not my rare 5-stars for the genre. Strong 4-stars though and I'll be glad to find myself in front of another.
Wexford, of course, is the detective who keeps looking for the logical solution. His associate latched on the one solution and was sure he was right. It's not fair to call this the formula of crime fiction, but it does seem to be somewhat standard. Early on, I couldn't help but think of Barnaby's Sergeant Troy, or even Poirot's Hastings. I came to think Mike Burden was a bit better than either Troy or Hastings, but we'll see if that opinion holds up as I read more of the series. I definitely will read more of the series!
The writing is better than Christie and a few other Golden Age authors I have been reading of late. It isn't literature and I think I wouldn't want it to be. I think what sets this apart is the very excellent psychological theme and underpinnings. It isn't horror, and there is no violence. (It feels strange to say there is no violence when it's a murder mystery.) I will admit that there is one scene where many might feel squeamish.
Despite it's being unputdownable, it's not my rare 5-stars for the genre. Strong 4-stars though and I'll be glad to find myself in front of another.
April 10, 2018
Not the most fascinating Wexford mystery qua mystery--although it comes with an ingenious murder weapon and some good old-fashioned alibi calculation checking--but thematically rich and one of the best for ongoing characterization.
April 5, 2023
Another good police procedural as a woman is found garroted in the underground car park of the shopping centre. Wexford is distracted by media coverage of his actress daughter and the possible consequences of her actions while Burden pushes the main suspect very hard.
July 10, 2020
So far my favorite of the Wexford novels—the first one that effortlessly combines unusual psychology, small city police work, real Agatha Christie plotting, life with the Wexfords, and general creepy fogginess. It’s not perfect—too much wandering around the mall at the end. But it is SO GOOD. Extra points for both Wexford daughters, the knitting shop, the Jungian analyst, and the concentration camp survivor.
June 5, 2013
In my opinion, very, very few writers do this genre better than Ruth Rendell. Every now and then, someone will compare another author to her, but, in my view, those comparisons have been dead wrong every time. I'm not a huge fan of Inspector Wexford. He used to be far too arrogant for my taste, but over the years as I read more of him, he grew on me. I'm almost up to "like". In this mystery he is not the main investigator on the case, and it's interesting to see how the case moves forward without his full time participation. The story concerns the murder of a middle-aged housewife found in a parking garage. No one seems to know why she was killed much less IF she was even killed in that garage. Ruth Rendell mixes up her magic immediately by tossing in details of psychological motives and nasty little secrets. That's another thing I like about her so much. I've always enjoyed her insights into why people do what they do. This one certainly delivered in that department.
January 27, 2016
The Veiled One has nothing to do with Muslim women in case you are wondering. In fact, I am still puzzled by the name. The cover illustration gives a lot of the plot away so I will not give out more information.
Rendell's characterizations are fabulous. Each of the leads, including the detectives and their families, the suspects and their families are fully realized so that you feel you would recognize them in a crowd and choose to spend an evening talking with some of them.
So why only three stars? I felt that the resolution of the plot was rushed and tagged on at the very end. Lots of explaining at the last minute which to me always means that the plot was not woven well enough throughout the story. And there were some parts, such as the side story with daughter Sheila, that seemed ragged...not connected well here and perhaps a gesture to other books in the series.
Rendell's characterizations are fabulous. Each of the leads, including the detectives and their families, the suspects and their families are fully realized so that you feel you would recognize them in a crowd and choose to spend an evening talking with some of them.
So why only three stars? I felt that the resolution of the plot was rushed and tagged on at the very end. Lots of explaining at the last minute which to me always means that the plot was not woven well enough throughout the story. And there were some parts, such as the side story with daughter Sheila, that seemed ragged...not connected well here and perhaps a gesture to other books in the series.
March 20, 2018
This is clever, as Rendell always is. So very many twists and turns. Sheila has been up to no good - protesting against nuclear whatsits with good old direct action aka vandalism. Wexford is not impressed with his wayward daughter and the embarrassment she causes. To add insult to injury, she just separated from her husband. Shock, horror!
There's a mentally ill suspect and the representation of him is somewhat sympathetic (considering the time, 1980s). He's receiving treatment, but no diagnosis. (I always expect too much.) Burden is his usual narrow-minded self. What did he expect to happen with his interrogation.
There's a mentally ill suspect and the representation of him is somewhat sympathetic (considering the time, 1980s). He's receiving treatment, but no diagnosis. (I always expect too much.) Burden is his usual narrow-minded self. What did he expect to happen with his interrogation.
February 6, 2018
I'm not doing a narrative. I've always enjoyed the Wexford series by Ruth Rendell and this is one of the best. It does involve the murder of a rather ordinary housewife and there is a car explosion which exits Wexford out of daughter's car.
oh, just read it. You can thank me later.
oh, just read it. You can thank me later.
April 7, 2018
Let me just say at the outset that this is one of the creepiest murder mysteries I’ve ever read.
A woman has been murdered in the car park connected to the medieval castle–themed shopping center in Kingsmarkham, her body covered with a piece of brown velvet material; we learn later that she had been attacked from behind, very likely with a thin long piece of wire. What unnerves Inspector Reginald Wexford nearly as much as the murder, is that he was in the car park at the same time—after doing a bit of shopping for his wife’s birthday—but saw nothing, really, except for a teenage girl driving past him too fast. He’d heard footsteps moving quickly down a stairwell, but had written that off as well.
Of course, a prime suspect presents himself almost immediately; Mike Burden—who’s working the case with Wexford, of course—is convinced that Clifford Sanders is the murderer and goes about spending a great deal of time trying to prove it. After all, Sanders was spotted in the car park at about the same time, and panic-stricken at that.
Wexford is just as certain that the young man did not commit the murder, but if not Sanders—who? And why does Sanders continue to, er, burden Mike with his life’s story? As we follow the investigation, we meet several other characters, from family members of the dead woman to her various neighbors, as well as Sanders’s psychoanalyst, a beautifully drawn character (as so many of Ruth Rendell’s are, both in this novel and so many others). It’s late autumn and many of the days are grey and cold and foggy, adding to the already chill atmosphere; as in many of the great murder mysteries (or at least the ones that I consider great), the weather is often treated as a distinct character.
I have to say that I was pleased with myself for guessing early on “whodunit”; I was not convinced because I couldn’t figure out why, but did have my suspicions. I also guessed a twist in the plot before it is disclosed, which also made me happy; this doesn’t happen too often. Neither of these suppositions made this less of a wonderful read, however; with Rendell, the pleasure is always in the journey.
But I was surprised by how unnerved—there’s that word again—I was while reading this novel, which reminded me more of one of Rendell’s books of psychological horror published under her alter ego, Barbara Vine’s name, than one of her Wexford procedurals. I kept slowing down, pacing myself, so that I wouldn’t miss a word, and found the story to be absolutely chilling for a couple of different reasons—not a typical reaction to a murder mystery.
The conclusion was as satisfying as Rendell’s books generally are; not everything in Wexford’s life is resolved—it never is—but it left me looking forward to the next installment in the series.
A woman has been murdered in the car park connected to the medieval castle–themed shopping center in Kingsmarkham, her body covered with a piece of brown velvet material; we learn later that she had been attacked from behind, very likely with a thin long piece of wire. What unnerves Inspector Reginald Wexford nearly as much as the murder, is that he was in the car park at the same time—after doing a bit of shopping for his wife’s birthday—but saw nothing, really, except for a teenage girl driving past him too fast. He’d heard footsteps moving quickly down a stairwell, but had written that off as well.
Of course, a prime suspect presents himself almost immediately; Mike Burden—who’s working the case with Wexford, of course—is convinced that Clifford Sanders is the murderer and goes about spending a great deal of time trying to prove it. After all, Sanders was spotted in the car park at about the same time, and panic-stricken at that.
Wexford is just as certain that the young man did not commit the murder, but if not Sanders—who? And why does Sanders continue to, er, burden Mike with his life’s story? As we follow the investigation, we meet several other characters, from family members of the dead woman to her various neighbors, as well as Sanders’s psychoanalyst, a beautifully drawn character (as so many of Ruth Rendell’s are, both in this novel and so many others). It’s late autumn and many of the days are grey and cold and foggy, adding to the already chill atmosphere; as in many of the great murder mysteries (or at least the ones that I consider great), the weather is often treated as a distinct character.
I have to say that I was pleased with myself for guessing early on “whodunit”; I was not convinced because I couldn’t figure out why, but did have my suspicions. I also guessed a twist in the plot before it is disclosed, which also made me happy; this doesn’t happen too often. Neither of these suppositions made this less of a wonderful read, however; with Rendell, the pleasure is always in the journey.
But I was surprised by how unnerved—there’s that word again—I was while reading this novel, which reminded me more of one of Rendell’s books of psychological horror published under her alter ego, Barbara Vine’s name, than one of her Wexford procedurals. I kept slowing down, pacing myself, so that I wouldn’t miss a word, and found the story to be absolutely chilling for a couple of different reasons—not a typical reaction to a murder mystery.
The conclusion was as satisfying as Rendell’s books generally are; not everything in Wexford’s life is resolved—it never is—but it left me looking forward to the next installment in the series.
April 1, 2020
Inspector Wexford mysteries are enjoyable!
Rendell gives considerable detail to the place characters find themselves and to use it to justify their actions. She does it with such credibility that one doesn’t notice when she’s takes liberty with the reader’s mindset.
Everything in The Veiled Ones arises out of character needs. They’re all stitched and hanging on the rack ready to wear. That is, until the reader finds they don’t conform to what they thought they knew.
I especially love the job she does creating characters so much alike that other characters become confused. Who did they see? Investigators rely on the theory that people are murdered mainly by acquaintances. Thus, it creates confusion for Inspector Burden but not so much for Chief Inspector Reg Wexford.
Wexford is an erudite policeman with breezy confidence. He knows when there is nothing beyond the chaff that the enemy has shot into the sky to fool the radar. He’s seen enough events and situations to read the truth in the current scene. He’s never one hundred percent correct but his batting average is high.
Rendell does a superb job of keeping the reader satisfied yet needy of the culprit’s identity. All manner of characters might be worthy of committing murder. It makes one wonder about people in real life!
There are many well-written roles in this story and that’s what gives it plausibility. It helps that the fictional events conform to the laws of human nature and are very believable.
Rendell gives considerable detail to the place characters find themselves and to use it to justify their actions. She does it with such credibility that one doesn’t notice when she’s takes liberty with the reader’s mindset.
Everything in The Veiled Ones arises out of character needs. They’re all stitched and hanging on the rack ready to wear. That is, until the reader finds they don’t conform to what they thought they knew.
I especially love the job she does creating characters so much alike that other characters become confused. Who did they see? Investigators rely on the theory that people are murdered mainly by acquaintances. Thus, it creates confusion for Inspector Burden but not so much for Chief Inspector Reg Wexford.
Wexford is an erudite policeman with breezy confidence. He knows when there is nothing beyond the chaff that the enemy has shot into the sky to fool the radar. He’s seen enough events and situations to read the truth in the current scene. He’s never one hundred percent correct but his batting average is high.
Rendell does a superb job of keeping the reader satisfied yet needy of the culprit’s identity. All manner of characters might be worthy of committing murder. It makes one wonder about people in real life!
There are many well-written roles in this story and that’s what gives it plausibility. It helps that the fictional events conform to the laws of human nature and are very believable.
January 14, 2017
A psychological mystery. Rendell gets deep into her characters minds in this novel. A disturbing study of what makes a murderer. wonderful.
The side plot is equally exciting.
4 stars
The side plot is equally exciting.
4 stars
February 28, 2025
Love a good Wexford. It’s nearly Xmas and someone has been garroted in the Kingsmarkham local mall underground carpark. Dorothy Sanders finds the body and her son Clifford is immediately suspected by Burden. In fact Burden becomes obsessed with proving Clifford who is an odd fish is the murderer.
Wexford is also almost killed when his daughter Shelia’s Porshe is blown up by a car bomb. He miraculously survives but his and Dora’s house is not so lucky. During his recovery the investigation into Gwen Robson uncovers that she was a blackmailer and the list of suspects increases.
An entertaining yarn in a foggy wet November Sussex.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Wexford works out who is the murderer after taking Burden through all the suspects one by one. The Concentration Camp survivor, Dorothy’s bad tempered neighboring farmer, Gwen’s narcissistic niece and eliminates them all. The murderer is not insane Clifford but rather his psychopathic mother Dorothy who Gwen was blackmailing over the murder of her husband and who also had killed her father in law and the neighbors wife! In the end Clifford kills his mother due to trying to get Burden’ attention.
Wexford is also almost killed when his daughter Shelia’s Porshe is blown up by a car bomb. He miraculously survives but his and Dora’s house is not so lucky. During his recovery the investigation into Gwen Robson uncovers that she was a blackmailer and the list of suspects increases.
An entertaining yarn in a foggy wet November Sussex.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Wexford works out who is the murderer after taking Burden through all the suspects one by one. The Concentration Camp survivor, Dorothy’s bad tempered neighboring farmer, Gwen’s narcissistic niece and eliminates them all. The murderer is not insane Clifford but rather his psychopathic mother Dorothy who Gwen was blackmailing over the murder of her husband and who also had killed her father in law and the neighbors wife! In the end Clifford kills his mother due to trying to get Burden’ attention.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2023
My first Ruth Rendell novel. I remember well the George Baker starring TV series of Chief Inspector Wexford from my childhood, and I was always charmed by the fact that the characters' surname is the same name as the county I was born in!
I picked this up on a local library box and took a punt on it. It was a great read, more a cerebral novel than I was expecting, which I found very interesting. Mike Burden, Wexford's second in command takes centre stage in this novel, and I found him to be an interesting character, dogged but also a little myopic too, which made him a perfect foil for Wexford.
Would I recommend it? Yes, absolutely.
I picked this up on a local library box and took a punt on it. It was a great read, more a cerebral novel than I was expecting, which I found very interesting. Mike Burden, Wexford's second in command takes centre stage in this novel, and I found him to be an interesting character, dogged but also a little myopic too, which made him a perfect foil for Wexford.
Would I recommend it? Yes, absolutely.
November 12, 2021
A dead woman's body is found in a parking garage. A car bomb goes off while Inspector Wexford is moving his daughter's Porsche. Sheila is arrested for vandalism while protesting nuclear arms. Burden endlessly interrogates his suspect and learns a lot from the suspect's counselor. Lots of psychobabble in this book ss well as more about Wexford's favorite daughter, Sheila, a famous actress and, frankly, a most unpleasant character.
October 6, 2017
I think I've finally read all the Insp. Wexford novels now and like all of them. This one is about an older woman found garrotted in a parking garage. The prime suspect is her son, a very odd young man, indeed. But she had secrets, of course, and the puzzle was fun to get through. Enjoyed it!
February 21, 2023
This was enjoyable. As with mysteries, characters were set up to look guilty and there were twists. The detectives were nicely developed. One part of the story line was just a bit hard for me to believe but I don’t feel I wasted time reading this.
April 17, 2017
Usual fine job. Love the sibling rivalry.
December 8, 2021
Good to read an inspector Wexford novel which I don’t remember reading at the time. As always interesting characters and a dark side laced with humour.
June 13, 2020
This is a 1988 book by Ruth Rendell and is the fourteenth book in the Chief Inspector Wexford series. The setting is in 1980s in Kingsmarkham, a fictional English market town somewhere in Sussex. It is a police procedural book. The story is about the murder by strangulation of a Mrs. Gwen Robson in a shopping mall underground garage. What followed then are two separate but parallel investigations. One line of investigation is led by Wexford’s sidekick Michael Burden because Wexford has been slightly injured in a bomb attack the day after the murder and was out of commission for a few days. The other line of investigation is led by Wexford himself after his return because he disagreed with the course Burden took on the investigation.
I am quite disappointed in the book. It is a fine book from a psychological suspense perspective. However, it is totally inadequate as a detective mystery. A large part of the book is spent on Burden’s tunnel vision on the wrong suspect Clifford Sanders to the exclusion of others, based on just his misplaced gut feeling and not evidence. That part of the book was heavily focused on Burden’s interrogation and the psychology of a disturbed mind of suspect Clifford Sanders as well as modern psychoanalysis technics.
Wexford ultimately solved the case. However, Rendell spent very little time in developing Wexford’s investigation or giving readers any clues along the way. It is only at the very end of the book (after the murderer is herself dead so everything is moot) when Wexford simply pronounced his conclusions, based on some speculations and assumptions he made instead of facts and detection. I think the book is well written and it is an engaging read for the most part, except that it just feels hurried and totally falls apart in the end.
The story started out with Mrs. Gwen Robson being garroted at closing time in the underground parking garage of Barringdean Centre, a shopping complex in Kingsmarkham. It turns out Mrs. Robson is a blackmailer. Her niece Lesley Arbel works in London for a popular magazine called Kim. The magazine has an agony column for people to write in with their problems and to seek advice. Arbel thought her aunt Mrs. Robson would be interested in reading some of the more obscene, indecent, scandalous or colorful letters so she secretly copied those and gave them to Robson to read. One of those letters was from a Mrs. Margaret Carroll in Kingsmarkham. Mrs. Carroll wrote to the magazine to say she has evidence of somebody having committed murder 20 years ago and wants to know what she should do. Mrs. Robson got hold of a copy of the letter through Arbel. She was able to figure out by local knowledge as well as reading between the lines that Mrs. Carroll must have witnessed the murder of a Charles Sanders by his wife Dorothy Sanders, although people all believe it was a missing person case all these years. Mrs. Robson then started blackmailing Mrs. Sanders, who is herself a ruthless killer who in fact did kill both her husband and her father-in-law although nobody ever suspected those are both murders. On that fateful date, Mrs. Sanders ran into Mrs. Robson in the underground garage and strangled her by using a plastic-coated knitting needle. At that end of the story, after Clifford Sanders (son of Dorothy Sanders) has been eliminated as a suspect by Wexford through some alibi checking that Burden totally failed to do, Clifford’s emotionally disturbed mind caused him to murder his mother, thereby eliminating any chance for the police to bring Dorothy Sanders to justice for the murders.
I am quite disappointed in the book. It is a fine book from a psychological suspense perspective. However, it is totally inadequate as a detective mystery. A large part of the book is spent on Burden’s tunnel vision on the wrong suspect Clifford Sanders to the exclusion of others, based on just his misplaced gut feeling and not evidence. That part of the book was heavily focused on Burden’s interrogation and the psychology of a disturbed mind of suspect Clifford Sanders as well as modern psychoanalysis technics.
Wexford ultimately solved the case. However, Rendell spent very little time in developing Wexford’s investigation or giving readers any clues along the way. It is only at the very end of the book (after the murderer is herself dead so everything is moot) when Wexford simply pronounced his conclusions, based on some speculations and assumptions he made instead of facts and detection. I think the book is well written and it is an engaging read for the most part, except that it just feels hurried and totally falls apart in the end.
The story started out with Mrs. Gwen Robson being garroted at closing time in the underground parking garage of Barringdean Centre, a shopping complex in Kingsmarkham. It turns out Mrs. Robson is a blackmailer. Her niece Lesley Arbel works in London for a popular magazine called Kim. The magazine has an agony column for people to write in with their problems and to seek advice. Arbel thought her aunt Mrs. Robson would be interested in reading some of the more obscene, indecent, scandalous or colorful letters so she secretly copied those and gave them to Robson to read. One of those letters was from a Mrs. Margaret Carroll in Kingsmarkham. Mrs. Carroll wrote to the magazine to say she has evidence of somebody having committed murder 20 years ago and wants to know what she should do. Mrs. Robson got hold of a copy of the letter through Arbel. She was able to figure out by local knowledge as well as reading between the lines that Mrs. Carroll must have witnessed the murder of a Charles Sanders by his wife Dorothy Sanders, although people all believe it was a missing person case all these years. Mrs. Robson then started blackmailing Mrs. Sanders, who is herself a ruthless killer who in fact did kill both her husband and her father-in-law although nobody ever suspected those are both murders. On that fateful date, Mrs. Sanders ran into Mrs. Robson in the underground garage and strangled her by using a plastic-coated knitting needle. At that end of the story, after Clifford Sanders (son of Dorothy Sanders) has been eliminated as a suspect by Wexford through some alibi checking that Burden totally failed to do, Clifford’s emotionally disturbed mind caused him to murder his mother, thereby eliminating any chance for the police to bring Dorothy Sanders to justice for the murders.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2019
"I'll meet you in the parking garage."
A recurring theme in Rendall's books is the eerie way that seemingly unconnected lives cross, sometimes with dramatic results. This story centers around two dull middle-aged women. Their lives are limited by lack of money and education. They're like millions of ageing women all over the world and they're virtually invisible in a society that values youth and good looks and success. No one really notices them until one of them is strangled to death with a cord in a public parking lot and the other one finds the body.
Barringdean Shopping Centre is a typical modern mall. There's a large grocery store, a health food store, a knitting supply store, and several trendy clothing botiques. It attracts the rich and the poor. The prominent and the nobodies. And they all have cars in the huge underground parking garage.
Gwen Robson is a retired home health aide who looks after her disabled husband and occasionally helps out neighbors for extra money. Her husband and niece insist that she was a generous, kind-hearted soul who loved to help others. Her neighbors say that she was a grasping opportunist who took advantage of lonely, elderly people. Who's right? Was she the random victim of a madman or did she know something that made her dangerous?
Dorothy Sanders is a widow who lives in an isolated old house inherited from her late husband's family. She discovers the body because she's been grocery-shopping in the mall and has arranged to meet her son in the parking garage. Both Dorothy and her grown son Clifford react strangely to finding the body, but then they're strange people. Only after Clifford comes under suspicion for the murder do the Kingsmarkman police find out exactly HOW strange.
Meanwhile Inspector Reg Wexford has problems at home. His beautiful actress daughter takes part in a public demonstration against nuclear weapons and faces both prosecution from the government and (apparently) persecution from someone who's angry about her political views. A visit to her parents puts Wexford in the middle and then into a hospital bed.
Detective Mike Burden continues to investigate Gwen Robson's murder and he's convinced that Clifford Saunders is the guilty party. In the absence of evidence, he has no choice but to question Clifford repeatedly in hopes of getting a confession from him. He doesn't count on Clifford's desperation to talk about himself. That desperation creates a bizarre bond between the two men that ends in a second, shocking death.
As always, Rendell creates characters who are so realistic you can almost taste them. Who hasn't known a Gwen Robson or a Dorothy Sanders or a Clifford Sanders? They're the eccentric people we meet and then try to avoid. They have a kink that sets them apart from the rest of us, but we don't know how to help them and it's not our problem, anyway. Nobody wants to know them except those who are desperate for friends or who are paid to deal with "difficult" people. They are unwanted and unwelcome and by the end of the book we find out why.
Rendell's talent set her apart from the herd. Her books continue to be as dark and compelling as when she wrote them.
A recurring theme in Rendall's books is the eerie way that seemingly unconnected lives cross, sometimes with dramatic results. This story centers around two dull middle-aged women. Their lives are limited by lack of money and education. They're like millions of ageing women all over the world and they're virtually invisible in a society that values youth and good looks and success. No one really notices them until one of them is strangled to death with a cord in a public parking lot and the other one finds the body.
Barringdean Shopping Centre is a typical modern mall. There's a large grocery store, a health food store, a knitting supply store, and several trendy clothing botiques. It attracts the rich and the poor. The prominent and the nobodies. And they all have cars in the huge underground parking garage.
Gwen Robson is a retired home health aide who looks after her disabled husband and occasionally helps out neighbors for extra money. Her husband and niece insist that she was a generous, kind-hearted soul who loved to help others. Her neighbors say that she was a grasping opportunist who took advantage of lonely, elderly people. Who's right? Was she the random victim of a madman or did she know something that made her dangerous?
Dorothy Sanders is a widow who lives in an isolated old house inherited from her late husband's family. She discovers the body because she's been grocery-shopping in the mall and has arranged to meet her son in the parking garage. Both Dorothy and her grown son Clifford react strangely to finding the body, but then they're strange people. Only after Clifford comes under suspicion for the murder do the Kingsmarkman police find out exactly HOW strange.
Meanwhile Inspector Reg Wexford has problems at home. His beautiful actress daughter takes part in a public demonstration against nuclear weapons and faces both prosecution from the government and (apparently) persecution from someone who's angry about her political views. A visit to her parents puts Wexford in the middle and then into a hospital bed.
Detective Mike Burden continues to investigate Gwen Robson's murder and he's convinced that Clifford Saunders is the guilty party. In the absence of evidence, he has no choice but to question Clifford repeatedly in hopes of getting a confession from him. He doesn't count on Clifford's desperation to talk about himself. That desperation creates a bizarre bond between the two men that ends in a second, shocking death.
As always, Rendell creates characters who are so realistic you can almost taste them. Who hasn't known a Gwen Robson or a Dorothy Sanders or a Clifford Sanders? They're the eccentric people we meet and then try to avoid. They have a kink that sets them apart from the rest of us, but we don't know how to help them and it's not our problem, anyway. Nobody wants to know them except those who are desperate for friends or who are paid to deal with "difficult" people. They are unwanted and unwelcome and by the end of the book we find out why.
Rendell's talent set her apart from the herd. Her books continue to be as dark and compelling as when she wrote them.
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