English Mysteries Club discussion

Here is the thread for reading the entire canon of stories about Inspector Wexford, written by Ruth Rendell. Susan will host this exciting monthly read, so over to her.

Edit: After August 2020, starting with the 5th book in the series, Barbara will post the monthly announcement of which book comes next.

Ooh Can we be the Wexeteers?!! (sorry Jean I couldn't resist!)

I love the name, Penny. Will you join us?

I would like to start May 1. The first book is From Doon With Death. I hope we can get some great people to join me.

I certainly hope to!

I might - it partly depends on my ability to get the books from the library.

I also might be in, depending on time availability. I haven't read all of them, but it's a great series.

I would be so happy if you joined in.

Susan wrote: "I would like to start May 1. The first book is From Doon With Death. I hope we can get some great people to join me."

I am very tempted to join you, however I'm currently doing a monthly read of Poirot, Maigret and also Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld, so adding another monthly read would probably over stretch my reading capacity, which is a shame as Wexford is amongst a crowd of Detectives I want to read (Morse, Lynley, Silver, Temple at the very least).

I found a copy of From Doon.. among my unread audiobooks (must have found it on sale) so I guess that’s a sign that I should join in.

Adrian, it does sound like you have your hands full with some very fine detectives. Anytime you want to dip in for a book here and there you are welcome.

Great news Barbara.

Barbara - I had exactly the same thought when I discovered From Doon With Death on my kindle!

Read from Doon with death about a year or so ago. Looking forward to following along with the discussion 😊

Susan wrote: "Adrian, it does sound like you have your hands full with some very fine detectives. Anytime you want to dip in for a book here and there you are welcome...."

Many thanks Susan, I'm sure I will really be tempted !!

Have you read any Inspector Wexford before, Adrian?

I will join in. I have read several before but I think only about 50% and a while ago.

Just got first 6 books in 2 omnibus editions for 1p each plus p&p. Just a heads up to look for omnibus edition if you want a cheaper option!

I am glad you are joining us, Penny. Good idea about the omnibus.

Happy Days.

Susan wrote: "Have you read any Inspector Wexford before, Adrian?"

No, never, but I did enjoy the TV series, so would like to try reading them.

Penny wrote: "Just got first 6 books in 2 omnibus editions for 1p each plus p&p. Just a heads up to look for omnibus edition if you want a cheaper option!"

Just in case I get an opportunity to join in, I've just ordered the same ha ha.

I had no idea there was a TV series.

Susan wrote: "I had no idea there was a TV series."

They were called The Ruth Rendell Mysteries and Starred George Baker as Wexford and Christopher Ravenscroft as his sidekick.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166458/

I found them on Amazon Prime. Thanks for the heads up. Season 1, episode 1 is not Inspector Wexford but a very young and cute Colin Firth. How can you go wrong with that? I watched all four of the first episodes and loved it. Thank good for social quarantine.

Oh my gosh! Good author! I've read the first three books, then #11, 12, 15, 16 and 20 ... opps, and The Vault, #23 and Wexford has retired, but not for long.

This is looking good :)

I must have watched them years ago! It's impossible to get them from the library at the moment here, but as this is a long-term challenge, it's definitely something I'll be looking at when life gets back to normal! Thanks for the info., Adrian.

I am on my second Inspector Wexford show, "Road Rage" and loving it. For one thing the actor playing Inspector Wexford is perfectly cast (unlike Tom Cruise laughingly playing Jack Reacher). One a lovely way to spend the evening.

So does this group read begin on May 1? Just trying to get my group read lans sorted out for the next few months.

Susan wrote: "I am on my second Inspector Wexford show, "Road Rage" and loving it. For one thing the actor playing Inspector Wexford is perfectly cast (unlike Tom Cruise laughingly playing Jack Reacher). One a l..."

Glad you're enjoying Susan, maybe it'll be Wexford when my wife and I have finished Lynley

Barbara wrote: "So does this group read begin on May 1? Just trying to get my group read lans sorted out for the next few months."

Yes, May 1. I hope you can join us, Barbara.

Adrian wrote: "Susan wrote: "I am on my second Inspector Wexford show, "Road Rage" and loving it. For one thing the actor playing Inspector Wexford is perfectly cast (unlike Tom Cruise laughingly playing Jack Rea..."

There were only 2 Inspector Wexford movies available to me, Simola and Road Rage. The other Ruth Rendell movies featured other books. But I did see a young Idris Elba not to mention Colin Firth.

Yes, Susan, I plan to. May will be easier for me than April, as it happens. :-)

Good, me too.

I just finished From Doon With Death again and appreciated it even more this time. First of all it is amazing that it has really stood the test of time. It was written in 1964 so it's 45 years old but is still very readable.

One thing that shocked me was the subject matter. It was really a taboo subject at the time and I am not sure in my callow youth that I even picked up on it. It was done so tastefully and yet it must have been groundbreaking. I can't wait to talk about it.

I hope others are looking forward to this buddy read as much as I am.

So we start 1st May, yes?

Yes and I love the name, The Wexeters.

I've added it to the title :)

Please everyone, don't comment on the book itself until the read officially starts (1st May) and if you have to start reading it early, then keep everything under your hat! We'll all enjoy it more that way. Thanks!

Finished but keeping my hat firmly on til 1st May!!!

Thanks Penny :)

Susan?

Today is the first day of our buddy read of Inspector Wexford. It has been over 40 years since I read this so I got a copy from our used book store. It was quite funny. I ordered it on line and then my son went to the door and got it passed out to him through the door. It was almost like a drug deal.

I really liked this one better now. I had a section on the back that discussed how brave it was to feature homosexuality at that time. At the time of the book's publication homosexuality was still illegal in the UK.

I was actually shocked to read the murder victim had no refrigerator. I have literally never met anyone without a refrigerator. I am not sure if this was common at that time or not.

What did everyone else think of it? BTW, Jean there is a considerable time difference between the UK and Calif.

Susan wrote: "BTW, Jean there is a considerable time difference between the UK and Calif..."

Because of my bringing this thread to the top of the discussions, do you mean? Yes, we're 8 hours ahead of you, so I posted it at the beginning of your morning :)

Fridges? Well we never had a fridge when I was a child, and when I left home and lived in a bedsit, I didn't have a refrigerator either. I kept my milk and butter in the wardrobe! My first fridge was at the age of 24, and powered by gas. (I've never really understood that!)

Funny story about how you got your copy! We readers find ways of getting round the difficulties, don't we?

Happy reading all :)

George Baker will always be Inspector Wexford for me :)

The refrigerator still surprises me. It was written in the 1960's so I thought everybody had one by then. I love your refrigerator story though, Jean. We even had small refrigerators we took to college with us in 1971. I think everyone had one.

Since I went to the trouble of collecting most of this series I will join this group and read along. I am missing a few at the end but hopefully I can fill in by then.

Oh good. The more the better.

I don't remember starting at the beginning when I read the Inspector Wexford books many years ago, so I'm not entirely sure whether I'd read this one previously. Although the plot seemed somewhat familiar, the character of Wexford did not. In later books he seems much more "wise" than he did at any point in Doon up until the very end, less likely to go haring off after obvious, though incorrect, clues.

Although I don't feel this book matches the quality of later volumes in the series, I did enjoy it. I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts on a few questions: (view spoiler)[ Was Fabia mad from out outset, or did Minna's initial rejection drive her round the bend? If the story had taken place in today's more accepting world, would she have been better able to cope, to find love elsewhere? And along the same lines, would the outcome have been less obvious to readers in the 60's, who might have been less likely to anticipate a same-sex relationship? (hide spoiler)]

I agree, Barbara. He didn't seem as wise in this one but it is an introductory so he grows in character.

(view spoiler)[ I think her madness grew as she didn't have any outlet. She wasn't free to be who she was and that must be so hard. Pretending to be someone else must have just driven her crazy. (hide spoiler)]

Susan wrote: "Today is the first day of our buddy read of Inspector Wexford. It has been over 40 years since I read this so I got a copy from our used book store. It was quite funny. I ordered it on line and the..."

I had no fridge in the house growing up. Also no telephone and as a small child, no electricity, only gas. I did not live with a fridge until I moved to Canada in 1968.