A New Lease of Death

Inspector Wexford #2

by Ruth Rendell

It's impossible to forget the violent bludgeoning to death of an elderly lady in her home. Even more so when it's your first murder case.

Wexford believed he'd solved Mrs. Primero's murder fifteen years ago. It was no real mystery. Everyone knew Painter, her odd-job man, had done it. There had never been any doubt in anyone's mind. Until now.

Henry Archery's son is engaged to Painter's daughter. Only Archery can't let the past remain buried. He wants to prove Wexford wrong and in probing into the lives of the witnesses questioned all those years ago, he stirs up more than old ghosts.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Detective, British Literature, Audiobook, Thriller

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

A.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.

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 1 out of 5]

DAME AGATHA CHRISTIE AND HER PEERS
BOOK 53 - 1967 - (Previously published as "A New Lease of Death".)
Readers may be on pins and needles to find out if this book has a return of the BRILLIANTLY GAY LIPSTICK SALESMAN (found in "From Doon With Death", Wexford #1) or does this book center on a member of the clergy...or just a regular father?
CAST - 1 star: Alas, the main character is a clergyman, Archery, a rather unkind man trying to ensure his son, Charles, doesn't marry Tess as Tess may have inherited DNA leading her to the murder of a regular father...or, heaven forbid, a Father. Born at the foot of the cross, Archery is gonna make sure his wishes are obeyed, even when he goes out dancing with a former model, his wife at home probably knitting his socks (she'd make better use of her time concocting poisonous tea, if you ask me). But Archery doesn't much care about his son: he admits his concern is what his congregation may think about a long-ago, almost forgotten about murder. Son Charles a great love Tess neither have the minimum strength to just go get married anyway. Herbert Arthur Painter is the convicted murderer. No one here is interesting or likable or sensible. I really liked Olive and Dove...oh,never mind, that's a pub. This I found interesting: "...Russians call anti-social people "unpersons"..." which Rendell uses just right to describe this cast. Oh, and readers learn that Wexford's face looks like 'furrowed pachydermatous skin." Sounds so handsome! And I was falling for him! Then again, all those wrinkled suits, even on non-rainy days, could be irritating.
ATMOSPHERE - 2 star: The author opens with a weather report (the #1 "No" in any writing manual.) On page one, the sky is 'hard blue' then shortly 'the peculiar greenish tint of aquamarine." I'd been fine with 'aquamarine': let's get to the story! There is a creepy, run down house called "Victor's Piece" that's sorts "Ghost and Mr. Chicken" creepy and even has a bloody raincoat that appears and disappears, so that's good enough for a second star.
CRIME- 1 star: Herbert Painter beats a 90 y/o woman to death with an axe for 2oo pounds. Why not just steal the money? It's not good enough for Rendell to let go with the beating: after Painter takes the money, he returns to the dead woman to slam the axe into her heart. Rendell, please, you aren't Nesbo and this genre isn't ABOUT violence. This is a puzzle genre, you don't need to go gonzo grizzly. 1 star: pointless motive for murder, and pointless grizzlement (I think that's a character from the film version of 'Cats'). And no originality for the crime itself, other than it was pointless.
INVESTIGATION - 1 star. Also pointless. Archery just wants to find out if there is ANY
possibility that his son's fiance has a tendency to murder. There is no genetic marker for this tendency, of course (and no genetic marker for race, that's an artificial construct, but that argument doesn't belong in this review) and Archery only cares about what his congregation may think about something they probably don't remember. Besides, odds are likely that IF there is a murder in the future, it's going to be 1) the fiance killing Archery cause he's just despicable or 2) Archery's wife killing him with a cuppa at high tea. And no jury would convict either.
RESOLUTION - 2: Characters are introduced along the way out of nowhere: the poet John Grace, the model Imogene. Why they are in the story is explained, and the already dead John Grace has a really nice backstory as he has written a volume of poetry that Rendell should have included as a coda (okay, there really isn't a volume of poetry, but it woulda been a nice touch. After all, if it was about weather, Rendell could have churned it out in, say, 10 minutes.) AND!!! the moving, bloody raincoat has an explanation. G-Rated Cozy Creepy.
SUMMARY - A generous 1.4 stars overall. It took me 4 days to wade through this: it's more of a character study of the clergyman and his own insecurities (nothing really interesting though like he had been the real murderer or that he was ALSO the model Imogene AND had a love affair with the poet) than the study of a crime, a solution, etc. But there is an unforgivable fault: there is no BRILLIANTLY GAY LIPSTICK SALESMAN pushing the lovely, trendy shade of Arctic Sable, not even into ex-model Imogene's purse. Rendell had best bring that character back!

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't really go wrong with Rendell. To be honest, series aren't my favorite and I much prefer her stand alones, but Wexford #1 was very good, so why not continue. This one is a much different book from its predecessor, yes there is also a mystery and Wexford is present, but only tangentially so. The actual protagonist is a Reverend set on revisiting Wexford's first murder case to see if the victim might have been wrongly convicted. The Reverend has a vested interest in the matter since his son is intent on marrying the murderer's daughter. And so the small town's or is it a village's secrets are being dragged into light. The general tone was very much that of a drama with a mystery subplot. The real star, as often is the case, is Rendell's writing, which I find extremely enjoyable. The complexity of her characters and motivations and so on. This isn't as deft of a psychological fiction as Rendell's written nor is it as dark or as complex as her novels can be, but it's still quite good and for a three hours invested, plenty entertaining. Quite possibly inferior to the first Wexford mystery, but then again a very different book and in its own right worth a read. Also, notably not as dated as one might expect of a 50 year old story.

[Alan (on December semi-hiatus) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Unorthodox 2nd Outing
Review of the Arrow Books paperback edition (1981) of the original Hutchinson hardcover (1967)

Ruth Rendell surprised me with A New Lease of Death, which is listed as No. 2 in her Inspector Wexford (1964-2013) series. What is shocking about this book, with a supposed series character, is that Inspector Wexford DOES ABSOLUTELY NO DETECTING OR INVESTIGATING IN IT!

Charles, the son of the Reverend Henry Archery, intends to marry Tess, whose father Painter was condemned for the brutal murder of an elderly widow 16 years ago. The then supposed open and shut case was the first murder ever investigated and solved by Wexford. The Reverend Archery now approaches him to investigate the possible innocence of the executed man, in order to remove the stigma of a cursed bloodline from his possible future descendants. Wexford is confident about the early conviction, but admits that he can't prevent Archery from talking to the surviving witnesses.

Archery proceeds with various lines of enquiry and proposes several alternative solutions to the crime. Wexford is still adamant that the correct murderer was caught and rightly convicted. There are several sub-plots which occur during the course of Archery's amateur efforts which do not appear at first to be related at all to the main plot. Everything becomes clear in the end though with a cleverly devised twist ending which satisfies everyone. Saying anything more would be a major spoiler.

I read A New Lease of Death due to the discovery of a hoard of my old 1980's mystery paperbacks while cleaning out a storage locker. I only have a few of the old Ruth Rendell paperbacks, so this isn't the start of one of my binge re-reads. Rendell is definitely one of the masters of the Silver Age of Crime though and I will certainly be re-reading several of her books.

Trivia and Links
A New Lease of Death was adapted for television in the long running series of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1987-2000), sometimes called 'The Inspector Wexford Mysteries'. It ran as Episodes 1 to 3 of Series 5 in 1991. The entire 3 Episodes can be viewed on YouTube here. The TV series stars actor George Baker as Inspector Wexford.

[Barbara K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This, the second volume in Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford series, was a bit of a disappointment for me. Wexford and Burden are somewhat marginalized, with most of the sleuthing left to Henry Archery, a man motivated to prove that Wexford incorrectly arrested a man for murder 16 years previously.

The plot and characters never really engaged me. This book had in common with the first Wexford, From Doon With Death, an explanation for a crime that was tied to the need to keep secrets because of the mores of the time. Unfortunately in this case it triggered only a yawn from me.

HOWEVER - what we find in this book for the first time is that insight into human nature, most often demonstrated through a character's interior monologues, that appears so often in Rendell's work. There is an authenticity to the personalities and motivations of her characters that has always resonated strongly with me, and it was rewarding to find it in this book, regardless of what I saw as its other flaws.

BTW, I felt the narration was pretty pedestrian; the reader is pretty ineffective at women's voices.

It is with the promise of those splendidly human characters, and hopes of a plot that is driven by Wexford and Burden, that I look forward to the next volume in the series.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am rereading this for a buddy read on the English mystery group and loved it even more this time around. The older I get, the more I enjoy Wexford. Everyone is welcome to join the buddy read.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A New Lease of Death by Ruth Rendell is the second book in her Inspector Wexford mystery series. I enjoyed the story but I have to say that the Inspector plays a relatively peripheral role in the story.

Clergyman Henry Archery is coming to town to re-investigate Wexford's first ever murder case. Archery's son, Charles, is engaged to be married to one Tessa Kershaw, nee Painter. Tessa's father was found guilty, after Wexford's investigation, of the murder of Mrs Primero, who he worked for. Painter was executed for this murder. Archery hopes to investigate and discover evidence that Painter didn't do the murder but that someone else did. He has this feeling that if Painter was guilty, then maybe his daughter might not be such an acceptable candidate for marriage. (Probably much more nuanced than I've described)

Thus begins Archery's investigation. He will interview the family of Mrs. Primero, Tessa's mother and other witnesses to the crime. At the same time he will find himself head-over-heels attracted to a woman he meets at his hotel one evening. Archery's son will eventually arrive to help in the investigation and will be somewhat of a bull in a china shop.

Wexford hovers on the periphery. He is convinced his earlier investigation is sound. He is like a large bear prowling around and trying to do his day-to-day business with his right hand man, Inspector Burden.

It's a meandering sort of story. I guess in some ways it could be called a cozy mystery because there isn't any grim acts of violence, except for the original murder. But it's also more than that. The personalities involved, from Archery to every other character introduced. Well-written and with a fascinating build-up to the satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading the next story (3.5 stars)

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read by............... Nigel Anthony
Total Runtime......... 6 Hours 53 Mins

Description: It was a brutal, vicious crime -- sixteen years ago. A helpless old woman battered to death with an axe. Harry Painter hung for it, and Chief Inspector Wexford is certain they executed the right man. But Reverend Archery has doubts . . . because his son wants to marry the murderer's beautiful, brilliant daughter. He begins unravelling the past, only to discover that murder breeds murder -- and often conceals even deeper secrets . . .

AKA 'Sins of the Fathers'.



3* From Doon With Death (Inspector Wexford, #1)
CR A New Lease of Death (Inspector Wexford, #2)

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picking this early up after having read some of the later Rendells was a surprising disappointment.

Wexford was drawn with a heavy hand to be an odder, more extreme or off-putting character than the one I know from later novels. The story was adequate without being particularly compelling.

I could have skipped this one no matter what order, or lack of, that I read the series.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a pretty good premise (one that they couldn’t have today, at least in England, though still in America, unfortunately). An man was convicted and executed for a crime, and Inspector Wexford was one of the men who was caught him. Now, years later, the man’s daughter wants to prove he didn’t do it. Or rather, the father of the man she wants to marry comes knocking, hoping to prove that the woman his son loves isn’t descended from a mass murderer (this book has a retrograde notion of hereditary, though it could be just the character who is sort of an upper class ponce). Anyway, it causes Wexford to reconsider his own role in the ancient murder and in doing so to uncover other secrets that lead to other crimes...

A pretty good mystery, though its necessarily somewhat dated with its attitude to crime - the daughter is beautiful, kind and Oxford educated and still concedes that if her father is a criminal she isn’t good enough for the son. Barf-o-roo, but still its not a bad mystery. Rendell’s writing now is much more complex than Rendell then, but Rendell then was still pretty darn good, so this is a good read.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

From IMDb:
Wexford's first ever successful murder case comes back to haunt him when a vicar starts to rake up the past. Was the man hanged on Wexford's evidence actually innocent?

4* Going Wrong
4* The Keys to the Street
3* The Fever Tree and Other Stories
4* A Judgement in Stone
3* Fall of the Coin
4* People Don't Do Such Things
3* The Girl Next Door
2* To Fear a Painted Devil
3* Dark Corners
3* Live Flesh
4* The St. Zita Society

Inspector Wexford series:
3* From Doon With Death (Inspector Wexford, #1)
3* A New Lease of Death (Inspector Wexford, #2)
3* Some Lie and Some Die (Inspector Wexford, #8)
3* Shake Hands Forever (Inspector Wexford, #9)
3* A Sleeping Life (Inspector Wexford, #10)
3* The Veiled One (Inspector Wexford, #14)
4* Kissing the Gunner's Daughter (Inspector Wexford, #15)
3* Harm Done (Inspector Wexford, #18)
3* The Babes in the Wood (Inspector Wexford, #19)
3* End in Tears (Inspector Wexford, #20)
TR Wolf to the Slaughter (Inspector Wexford, #3)
TR The Best Man to Die (Inspector Wexford, #4)
TR A Guilty Thing Surprised (Inspector Wexford, #5)
TR No More Dying Then (Inspector Wexford, #6)
TR Murder Being Once Done (Inspector Wexford, #7)
TR Death Notes (Inspector Wexford, #11)
TR Speaker of Mandarin (Inspector Wexford, #12)
TR An Unkindness of Ravens (Inspector Wexford, #13)
TR Simisola (Inspector Wexford, #16)
TR Road Rage (Inspector Wexford, #17)
TR Not in the Flesh (Inspector Wexford, #21)
TR The Monster in the Box (Inspector Wexford, #22)
TR The Vault (Inspector Wexford, #23)
TR No Man's Nightingale (Inspector Wexford #24)

[Jim Teggelaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Ruth Rendell featuring Chief Inspector Wexford, one of the all-time great literary creations. Wexford is still being developed at this point, Rendell had a fuller character here than in her first, To Doon with Death. I have read 15 or so Wexford novels and this one is a bit of an odd man out for a couple reasons. First, Wexford, although far and away the most interesting character in the book, plays a crucial but also minor role. This was disappointing. Second, those familiar with Rendell might agree with this reader that the book feels more like Barbara Vine than Ruth Rendell. Those in the know will understand. Not her best, but still better than most everything happening today in crime fiction.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth Rendell is a mystery writer for readers that think they don't like mysteries. This is the second Wexford novel (couldn't find a copy of the first one just yet). Well drawn characters, and a fast moving plot combine to make a satisfying literary police procedural.
Her psychological thrillers, written under pen name Barbara Vine, are messed up - in the very best way.

[Charlotte (Buried in Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although billed as the second Inspector Wexford book, Wexford is really a bit player in this one. The story in the main belongs to the Reverend Henry Archery, who seeks out Wexford looking to re-open a case that was closed 16 years before.

Wexfords first solo murder case was apparently open and shut, when Bert Painter was hung for the murder of his elderly employer - Mrs Primero. A woman who was killed with an axe. Archery's interest in the case stems from the fact that his son is now engaged to Painters daughter, Tess - now 20, but the daughter wants to walk away because she doesn't feel she's good enough because of her background. Her mother insists that Tess's father isn't a murderer, but won't go into any further detail.

So the Rev turns private detective and become drawn into the lives of those effected by this terrible crime. Like the girl who discovered the body, only 5 at the time, haunted by the things she saw that night and tries to drown them out through drink or drugs.

This was another very quick read, very clever storywise (again considering when this was first published, some stigma might have been attached to it). Slightly dated, yes, especially in it's attitude to class.

But very interesting when it started to consider the effect of the parent on their children. How Tess, considering the fate of her father, was an intelligent woman, with a university education, compared to Lizzie, who had found the body.

I could have done without the condescending attitude of Archery's son. But otherwise this was a good read.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Wexford takes a backseat to Reverend Archery in this murder mystery.
The Reverend is concerned about having a daughter-in-law with a murderer for a father and tries to enlist the Inspector to help him prove that the father was innocent.

Honestly the whole premise behind looking into the murder was rather annoying. The Reverend comes across as a self righteous prat, which if that was the intent it worked really well but it rather ruined the book for me.

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m continuing my exploration into Rendell’s earlier works with Inspector Wexford #2, and I enjoyed it even more than From Doon With Death.

Here’s the premise: Sixteen years ago, a man named Albert Painter was executed for murdering an elderly woman. Painter had a wife and 5-year old daughter. Now Tess, the daughter, is almost 21, pretty and brilliant, having won a scholarship to Oxford. She and a fellow student, Charles Archery, have fallen in love, and she has met his parents. She told them that her mother has always told her that her father was not a murderer, and that she believes her mother.

Most of the story is told from the viewpoint of Charles’s father, the Reverend Henry Archery. The elder Archery is opposed to Charles marrying Tess because she is the offspring of a criminal. I understand this is off putting to modern readers, but having read a great deal of 19th century literature, I get it. It was commonly thought that criminal tendencies were passed genetically, much like blue eyes or a large nose. This belief persisted far into the 20th century; Archery is in his 50s and this book was published in 1967 so it’s very plausible for him to hold such a view.

Anyway, Tess says that since his father objects to their marriage, unless Charles can prove her that her father was innocent, she won’t marry him. Thus, Archery has promised Charles he will look into the crime, and he writes a letter to Inspector Wexford. Wexford was in charge of the investigation and it was, in fact, his first murder case.

Wexford has no doubts that Painter was guilty and he tells Archery so. But as Archery continues to go back over the old ground and talk to all the people involved, he discovers things that weren’t brought out at Painter’s trial. As he follows up all the little trails of information, Archery experiences a person adventure of his own aside from and still adjacent to murder.

Like I said, I really enjoyed this one, and I found the resolution quite satisfactory and satisfying.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

From The Spectator:

Rendell admits to altering her initial conception of Wexford once she realised his probable longevity: ‘If I was going to live with this man, I wanted him to be more literate, more liberal, kindlier, more sensitive.'

THAT explains it! Wexford starts this book as a bit of an unintellectual brute--hardly the Wexford of the later books. The whole book seems like a transition from one type of writing to another. The mystery is good (and the role of the police very clever), but all the characterizations don't gel all that well. Call it a problem novel.

Looking forward to continuing to get to know this series.

[Penny -Thecatladybooknook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a detective mystery with Inspector Wexlor.

It was fine.... it ended up being mostly "regular person" led vs detective led mystery trying to disprove a man convicted of murder.... because the regular person's son was going to marry the murderer's daughter.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am rereading the wonderful Wexford series.

A New Lease of Death is the second book in the cleverly crafted police procedural mystery written way back when. Rendell honed her craft on this series that went on to be a tv series. There is something for everyone who loves a good police mystery whodunnit.

Crime, murder, mystery, thriller of the old kind is just what is needed to escape for a while.

[Karl Marx S.T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This particular Rendell mystery I guess will be much better if it’s not the second Chief Inspector Wexford book. The story is about a sixteen year old brutal and vicious crime of an old woman whose battered to death with an axe by her helper. Harry Painter is hung for it and Chief Inspector Wexford is certain that they executed the right man. If one is not familiar with Rendell’s whydunits instead of the typical whodunit, readers might be disappointed to learn the identity of the killer which is revealed even at the back cover of the book. Readers might occasionally ask, what’s the point in reading?

As the Inspector being certain that they hung the right man for his crime, a Reverend suddenly appears unto the scene only to question the killer’s execution. For Reverend Archery’s son wants to marry the murderer’s beautiful and brilliant daughter. Desperate to find if murder breeds murder and whether his son is in jeopardy for his own decision.

As the case being sixteen years ago, Wexford is stubborn to take part on the Reverend’s investigation. With a second novel about Wexford, a reader is much interested to know more about his character but as his decision not to take part with the Reverend’s acquisition make the novel more about the minor character than much of Wexford himself. This is also one of her books that make me stop suddenly from further reading at the middle of the night, not because I find it getting boring but what I’ve read is creepy enough for me to continue and putting me to sleep will be a difficult task. To top it of, Rendell’s chilling prose here is top-notched even though this is one of her earlier works. The novel is formerly titled as A New Lease of Death and together with its current title, both just justifies the theme of the story.

It is still a good read especially coming from my favorite author although I didn’t really enjoy this one. As I’ve suggested before, try to read her latest works before consuming this particular title. Doing this might make you appreciate her body of work like I do.

Opening Sentence: It was five in the morning.

Ending Sentence: We must go soon,’ he said to his own. ‘It’s time we shared all this with your mother.’

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing story. Warning for audiobook listeners: Wexford and Burden's accents are not consistent with those used in other audiobook versions of Wexford novels. However, loved the story so much I soon forgot this problem. Little bit of a slow start but this gives way soon to an absolutely fascinating conundrum. New evidence (convincing to the reader if not Wexford) suggests the wrong man may have been hanged for murder. Sound like a trope? Not the way Rendell spins it, as she pulls the reader in.
***
The above comments were written when I had read approximately 30%. I finished this novel appreciating the layered plot and rich characterization but troubled by the main storyline. Maybe it is because I live in the South (You know...Guns, God and more Guns) but not marrying just because your intended has a murderer in the family seems strange and limiting. (In this story, the prospective groom's father, a clergyman, is concerned because his son wants to marry the daughter of an executed murderer. He investigates the murder in order to prove or disprove the guilt of the man who was executed.

In the South (US) it would become something you filed away to use in some future disagreement. "Oh yeah! Well your Daddy is an axe murderer!" Instead the main character agonizes throughout the whole novel. Almost everyone in Rendell's tale looks upon this as a deal breaker. The final resolution is only truly satisfying if you buy into this premise. Dated -maybe. Cultural or regional differences - probably. Also, I found the father's (clergyman) fixation on this problem annoying. Well told tale, otherwise.

[Eugene · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star, because I finished it mostly to find out “who done it,” but by the time I got there I didn’t give a damn - I just wanted it to be over.
I’d read a couple of Rendell’s later Inspector Wexford novels some years ago and while not completely to my taste, Rendell is so frequently mentioned as one of the “great” mystery writers that I thought I’d try the series…my mistake. Volume one was mediocre at best, but hey!, first in the series and all that. This second entry is nothing short of repellant. There is not a single character in the book (and there are many) who isn’t borderlineline or fullblown mentally ill; Inspector Wexford himself is a person anyone would want to avoid, having this guy as the linchpin of the series makes one wonder what the hell Rendell’s issues were!
Twisted, complex, psychologically revolting plot, so many people acting out badly it was like being trapped in a mental institution, and a denouement that was fairly well impossible to accept/figure out, and a HUGE exhalation of relief when finally the last page was turned has me wondering if I’ll be able to wade through the 1/2 dozen or so I’ve collected…
Do yourself a favor and find something else.
Postscript, November 2024: Well, I tried the 3rd in this series (Wolf To The Slaughter) and put it back down after one chapter. Rendell’s focus seems to be “miserable people leading miserable lives and doing miserable things to other people.” As such, I believe I’ve now had my fill of Ruth Rendell, Chief Inspector Wexford, and the town of Kingsmarkham….

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was first published in 1967, and is the second of the Wexford novels. His personality is developing (he seems perhaps a Tory). It's hard to say, as Wexford is a secondary character to Reverend Henry Archery, a poncy vicar come to Kingsmarkham to second guess Wexford's sixteen year old conviction of an axe murderer who was subsequently hanged. Said murderer's daughter is now improbably at Oxford reading Modern Greats and engaged to marry this vicar's son. Presumably the marriage just won't do (not that he'd be so vulgar as to come out and say so) unless Archery can prove that Wexford got it wrong. Presumably in 1967 and only two stories in, this was still a serious possibility.

The story suffers for having Archery as the lead. He's alternately dull and irritating, though infinitely preferable to his smug, condescending son who joins in the investigation. The two of them just happen to run into most of the primary witnesses to the crime including a hot mess of a mother and daughter act, a Stunning Beauty who inspires lust in Archery Senior's heart, and oodles of references to a local poet and playwright who died in the first flowering of youth. What do you know-this ties in, too!

It's easy to be joky about all of this nearly fifty years on. Obviously Ms Rendell grew as a writer after this, and there are many indications of her talent throughout Sins. It's worth a read if you're interested in the earliest works of a longstanding and brilliant series.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Wexford has returned, in the second of Ruth Rendell's series of mysteries, as a grumpy cop who sees the visit of a Rev. Archery a rehash of one of his first cases. Archery has come to Wexford to make sure that there is no second guessing the conviction and hanging of Harry Painter for the 16-year-old murder of an elderly woman, battered to death with an axe.

Archery's son has failed in love with Painter's daughter, who was only five at the time of the death, and while she is beautiful and smart, the minister can't see the match forward, afraid that she carries the same genes as her father. But if there is reason to believe that Painter didn't really kill her ....

Archery's questions set Wexford on his heels and throughout the book, he is set that he got the right man. So for most of the book it is Archery -- and his son, Charles -- doing the digging, questioning and finding secrets that put a spin on everything that happened that night and afterwards. An interesting, almost psychological thriller that will keep you interested in what it all means.

[Randy Money · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any wannabe writer who wants to know how to write a brisk moving story while providing enough detail for setting and characters should read this and, I'm guessing, Rendell more generally. This is the first novel I've read by her.

The book isn't perfect. While prepared for early on, the ending is a bit too convenient and avoids a real resolution of the nature vs. nurture argument at it the book's core. Still, Vicar Henry Archery is an appealing character who seems a bit naive now but probably wasn't when this was published in the 1960s. Interestingly, her main series character, Chief Inspector Wexford and his assistant, Inspector Burden, are not really center stage, coming in occasionally to provide information or perspective while Archery struggles to solve the mystery. That makes it rather like the Sherlock Holmes novels rather than a police procedural.

On the whole, much recommended.

[Clare Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite different to other Wexford titles and very clever. As the second in the series, perhaps Rendell had yet to work out how she wanted to write Wexford and I prefer this style.

Similarly to her stand-alone titles, there are more points of view and one is partly second person. The reason is perfect and really made the story for me. I felt so much for Lizzie.

Reading Rendell alongside Agatha Christie adds to both. Christie loved her "murder is genetic." Rendell often questions this, but not so much in A New Lease of Death.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first in the series and I didn't enjoy nearly as much as I thought I would, considering it's Ruth Rendell.

I did, however, love the character of Reverend Archery. He was a great foil for Inspector Wexford who seemed to spend the entire book in a funk. (If he were a woman, he'd have been accused of being "on the rag".)

The mystery wasn't very enjoyable. The relationships between the characters seemed to be more important.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another wonderful Ruth Rendell story. This book is part two in the Wexford series. Number three will definitely be added to my settee side pile.

[Cameron Ivey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruth Rendell's "Sins of the Father" is a solid addition to her Inspector Wexford series. In her second installment of the series, Rendell effectively builds upon the foundation set in the first book, further developing the characters and giving hints to future plot lines.

One of the strengths of "Sins of the Father" is Rendell's ability to create a compelling and complex narrative that keeps readers guessing until the very end. The twists and turns in the story are expertly crafted, adding layers of suspense and intrigue that make it difficult to put the book down.

Additionally, Rendell's character development continues to shine in this book, with the main characters evolving and revealing new dimensions of their personalities. The flawed and relatable nature of the characters adds depth to the story, making it more engaging and immersive for readers even if you find their actions to be stupid (or foolish) at times it feels in character with the people Ruth Rendell has created.

While "Sins of the Father" may not reinvent the wheel in terms of the murder mystery genre, it is a well-executed and entertaining read again showcasing Rendell's talent as a storyteller. Readers who enjoy a good mystery with intricate plot twists and well-developed characters will find much to enjoy in this book.

This leaves it with a three out of five stars rating for me.

P.S. Percentage wise this book falls short of the 80% it would need to be four stars, but above the 60% implied by the three star rating. In reality I’d rate it 65% to 70%

[Sparrow .]

I never seem to “solve” any of these English mysteries – or U.S. mysteries either, for that matter. But I love them, if they are written with embattled savoir-faire. “Sins of the Fathers” is a toothsome, ambitious novel, starring an aging Anglican cleric with the absurd, but fitting, name Archery. Each chapter begins with a quotation from The Book of Common Prayer, all of which beam with gravitational beauty:

The laws of the Realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous offenses.

That was the first one. And here is the last (epigraph of Chapter 17):

I held my tongue and spake nothing; I kept silence, yea, even from good words; but it was pain and grief to me.

Do these two quotation suggests that the book is a spiritual journey, like “The Pilgrim’s Progress”? Well, I believe it is.

The question: how to serve a cold and silent God? The answer: with a cold and silent faith.

(Strange fact, interesting only to me: “Sins of the Fathers” was previously released as “A New Lease of Death,” and I discovered, to my surprise, the I OWN BOTH BOOKS – the latter a hardcover edition (which seems to be identical to the paperback.) Both copies I got somewhere for free.)