Shake Hands Forever by Ruth Rendell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ruth Rendell is not one of my favorite authors or one of my favorite British authors. I have most of her library and hope eventually get through it all. Here’s the latest read.

This is an odd book. Wexford is solving a case through part of the book and then not through the rest. The reasons why make no sense. He had more than probable cause to continue the investigation. The reaction of his higher ups were more along the lines of reason for arrest. Adding to an other wise contrived plotting, which is what I seem to find in the Wexford series.

It’s the second half of his lone wolf efforts that get improbable as Wexford finds other methods to investigate, that logically he could have done himself. The arrangement of this is goofy and, again, makes little sense. Especially qwhen he takes vacation time with his wife and basically abandons her with others.

The resolution isn’t satisfying as it’s obvious Wexford had all of the pieces to begin with. That would be fine if Wexford was a cook or writer or cupcake maker. But Rendell has him as an officer of the law. At a higher level than a rookie. Seems to me he couldn’t have missed the obvious. What it seems to me is Rendell was trying to present a story with a bundle of twists and went way too far.

The writing is good and the characters distinctively portrayed. Rendell just blew it with convoluted plotting.

Bottom line: i don’t recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.

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