Wolf To The Slaughter by Ruth Rendell

This is the third Inspector Wexford mystery from Ruth Rendell. Its dense, complex plot is a real treat for mystery fans. Playing out more as a detection procedural, Rendell expertly lead me far down the garden path, causing me to forget some important facts freely given right from the start.

Wexford is alarmed to hear a young woman named Anita has vanished, having just received a note telling him it would happen, how, and by whom. The free-wheeling beauty was last seen at a party flashing her money around. The anonymous note said she was killed by a small dark man named Geoff Smith, and the mission is set to find him.

Oddly, there is no sign of a crime and no body, no sign of the car, and no one of that name. Wexford's second-in-command Mike Burden is on the case to interview her flighty artist brother, the owner of a local rooming house, the family at the local newsagents, and anyone else who may have seen a black car in the area that night.

Introducing a wider group of policemen on Wexford's team than previous cases, Rendell has time to follow one young cop through his obsession with a beautiful young girl, a suspect even. It takes the combine expertise of Wexford and Burden to uncover the truth.

This was a twisted mystery, with quite a bit of wit and humour that I was not expecting. This is all about the case, the clues, and the events that took place. While the characters are well drawn, the size of role pretty even - it is heavier on the detection than many I have read. There were so many fully developed threads, I got a little tangled before the finale and was looking in the wrong place for my solution (which is the point and the fun of a mystery). When it was over, I re-read a few pages to appreciate how well it was indeed done.

Applause.

1967 / Tradeback / 216 pages