I found it extremely tedious and dull. Softcover. From Doon with Death, now in a striking new paperback edition, is her classic debut novel—and the book that introduced one of the most popular sleuths of the twentieth century. Why in the world would any one go to the bother of killing and dumping a boring, plain woman like Margaret (Godfrey) Parsons? From what I can tell, this is not only the first book in Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford series, but also her first published novel. Softcover. However, no one would accuse a career as prolific as Rendell's as lazy and there is something very appealing about her work. EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2019, I didn't enjoy this book. We’d love your help. I want to see Rendell put a background in for Wexford, Dora, the girls, all the little touches to make him a human and recognizable, and to develop that relationship with Burden who is so different from him. From Doon With Death The First Inspector Wexford Novel (Book) : Rendell, Ruth : Dazzling psychological suspense. From Doon with Death (Wexford #1) by Ruth Rendell Audiobook. . Published by Ballantine Books (1985) ISBN 10: 0345324145 ISBN 13: 9780345324146. EMBED. From Doon with Death: Part Two. From Doon with Death, now in a striking new paperback edition, is her classic debut novel—and the book that introduced one of the most popular sleuths of the twentieth century. This is Ms Rendell's debut and shines brightly in the UK at a time when, it seems to me, the better novelists were ploughing the espionage furrow. Unable to add item to List. "From Doon With Death" is Ruth Rendell's first novel, and also marks the literary debuts of protagonists Chief Inspector Reg Wexford, and his partner in crime solving, Inspector Mike Burden. Ruth Rendell. 1), Kissing the Gunner's Daughter (Inspector Wexford), “One of the most remarkable novelists of her generation.”. But this was 1964 and not 2017. There is a strong sociological commentary throughout, in this book in particular as far as class differences and sexual politics go and author's attitude is stunningly, notably progressive for the time. I've just reread this novel again after six years, and while I wouldn't change my rating, I will say that it was definitely a pleasure to have taken it up again. Absolutely. The novel introduced her popular recurring character Inspector Wexford, who has since gone on … There's an art to writing a police procedural that is also a village mystery, and Rendell is the consummate artist. I was not able to discover the killer and the surprise ending left me totally unsatisfied. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Margaret Parsons, a fairly ordinary housewife who, with her water board official husband Ron, has recently moved to … Beaton that it's not even a contest. From Doon with Death, now in a striking new paperback edition, is her classic debut novel—and the book that introduced one of the most popular sleuths of the twentieth century. Though having read a lot of Patricia Highsmith, it shouldn't have surprised me that much. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2011. This is a VHS transfer. There is nothing extraordinary about Margaret Parsons, a timid housewife in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a woman devoted to her garden, her kitchen, her husband. Thank you. Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2014. I bought this book because it was on so many lists of "Authors to try if you love Agatha Christie." Predictable and charmless. The characters in FDWD certainly weren’t immune to the effects of the conclusion. Although Mr. Parsons is under the impression that he and his wife knew nobody in Kingsmarkham it turns out that Margaret had two school acquaintances in the town, Helen Missal and Fabia ... See full summary ». There is nothing extraordinary about Margaret Parsons, a timid housewife in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a woman devoted to her garden, her kitchen, her husband. There is nothing extraordinary about Margaret Parsons, a timid housewife in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a woman devoted to her garden, her kitchen, her husband. Well, detect.”. Well written book, captures the interest at once but then it never gets any better, characters aren't fleshed out, no interesting secondary characters and no real interaction between the police characters. Dazzling psychological suspense. 'Those were the only two sensational things that ever happened to Margaret Parsons. From Doon with Death is about a poor dull woman called Mrs. Parsons who gets murdered in a forest. I will definitely read more of the series. I am now on her fourth book in the series. Chapter Analysis of From Doon with Death ; Click on a plot link to find similar books! I didn't think that mystery novels had anything new for me to discover. The trampled grass led to the body of Margaret Parsons. But Wexford is scarcely here this time, Burden only sketchily. Answered Questions (1) Ruth Rendell has been one of my favorite authors for 40 years, but I've never been sure (or, more likely, have forgotten over time...) how to pronounce her surname. From Doon With Death. The police knew about Margaret Parsons's life, and by the look of it, it was dull. Not so. This is the 1st book in the Inspector Wexford series by author Ruth Rendell. Every now and then I had to re-read a few sentences to try and understand the British words. Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2019. I surmised the murderer early but it was still satisfying to hear the story unfold. When Marg. These are the hallmarks of crime legend Ruth Rendell. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. Plots that catch and hold like a noose. Info. Interestingly, Inspector Burden is the main detective here and Wexford is seen through his eyes and its a very different Wexford from the man who would later become such an avuncular, intelligent and - above all - well read, literary man! The first Inspector Wexford story, this story is a little dated as you'd expect as it's almost fifty years old. Rendell's England is less than quaint (despite the amounts of tea put away), her world is distinctly darker and its denizens are distinctly more immoral. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! There is nothing extraordinary about Margaret Parsons, a timid housewife in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a woman devoted to her garden, her kitchen, her husband. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Ruth Rendell has been one of my favorite authors for 40 years, but I've never been sure (or, more likely, have forgotten over time...) how to pronounce her surname. I think this book was a terrific example of it. Metacritic TV Episode Reviews, From Doon with Death, Part One, Respectable housewife Margaret Parsons is reported missing and is later found strangled in a … This was my first Inspector Wexford. First published in 1964, this is the first Chief Inspector Wexford mystery. Plenty of twists and very well written indeed. For some reason I had never read the Wexford novels before and it is a good beginning to the series. Back then, in the early 1990s, I was a novice mystery writer eager to learn from a master. Razor-sharp dialogue. The story begins when Inspector Mike Burdon is alerted by a neighbour that his wife is missing. The novel introduced her popular recurring character Inspector Wexford, who went on to feature in 24 of her novels. Plots that catch and hold like a noose. Add him to my list of preferred readers, pleasantly British, expressive, with good variation between different characters. Thank goodness I purchased it off the Barnes & Noble sales table. DOWNLOAD NOW » Author: Ruth Rendell. Plot & Themes Composition of Book descript. Now, I've written quite a few mysteries myself and I know what to look for. These are the hallmarks of crime legend Ruth Rendell, the best mystery writer in the English-speaking world ( Time magazine). Is it REN-dyl or Ren-DELL? The town of Kingsmarkham (Midhurst in Sussex) has a murder of a seemingly ordinary person. I read, now, for deeper glimpses into Rendell's craft, and I'm not disappointed. This is a reread for me in preparation for our first Ruth Rendell buddy read in the English Mysteries book club starting May 1. Razor-sharp dialogue. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, No Import Fees Deposit & $9.98 Shipping to Greece. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Her groundbreaking debut novel, From Doon With Death, was first published in 1964 and introduced the reader to her enduring and popular detective, Inspector Reginald Wexford, who went on to feature in twenty-four of her subsequent novels. No_Favorite. Her characters--even the good-guy cops--. From Doon with Death, now in a striking new paperback edition, is her classic debut novel—and the book that introduced one of the most popular sleuths of the twentieth century. Update, May 6, 2015: I am undertaking a Ruth Rendell "key" works project -- the books The Guardian recently noted as such the day of Ruth Rendell's death. It's far from the best of Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford novels, but it is an interesting introduction of the characters. It took me about 4 days to read. Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2018. The crux of the story is who is Doon? Watch later. From: Simply Read Books (Boat Of Garten, United Kingdom) Seller Rating: Add to Basket US$ 13.37. FROM DOON WITH DEATH. “You’re supposed to be a detective. Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2020. The prose and epigraphs were good, which is why I’m giving this book a second star. Ronald Parsons almost prides himself on his dull and respectable life. June 26th 2007 He claims it is totally out of character for his wife, Margaret, to disappear without word. This was my first Ruth Rendell and I started it with high expectations but was quite disappointed. It is being reissued with an introduction by Ian Rankin, who describes her as “probably the greatest living crime writer in the world”. Well worth reading, for its own sake, and for its historic significance. There is nothing extraordinary about Margaret Parsons, a timid housewife in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a woman devoted to her garden, her kitchen, her husband. I am a big fan of Ruth Rendell and have read and enjoyed many of her books, both stand alones and the Wexford series. Seemingly a classic British murder mystery, much like Christie, whom Rendell apparently disliked and strived to get away from comparisons to, and yet in retrospect very different. I have finally given myself the gift of Ruth Rendell's classic Rexford mysteries, because I got the 1st one for a good price on Audible, read by Terrence Hardiman. Please try again. I won't read other books by this author because of this thoroughly milktoast example. I was about 2/3 through, thinking it was well written, interesting, but not yet sensing it was truly special. From Doon with Death Would you listen to From Doon with Death again? This book definitely meets my requirements. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I'm years behind,and have read other books by Ruth Rendell. Her characters--even the good-guy cops--are conflicted, flawed, stubborn, and utterly human, and her genre fiction is the best of its kind. However as a good author she does this in later books, Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2015. Actually I've read nearly all Wexford books already a while ago, but I read at random and now I'm curious to see him develop, book by book. From Doon with death Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. A perfectly serviceable Wexford, this novel betrays itself as the first of this notable and prolific series. Ruth Rendell was an exceptional crime writer, and will be remembered as a legend in her own lifetime. Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019. One of my strongest memories growing up was my mother's stack of Ruth Rendell and Colin Dexter novels, one of which always seemed to… I have read other Wexford books and enjoyed them. From Doon With Death The First Inspector Wexford Novel (Book) : Rendell, Ruth : 'Love and death, ' said Chief Inspector Wexford. Includes three mysteries - From Doon With Death; A New Lease of Death; and, The Best Man to Die. She's a dowdy housewife and her demise can't be explained by regular motives. From 1964, when her country copper, Reg Wexford, first stepped before the reading public in From Doon With Death, she wrote more than 50 crime novels and seven books of short stories. For a story published in 1964 it must have been quite shocking to readers. From Doon with Death, now in a striking new paperback edition, is her classic debut novel—and the book that introduced one of the most popular sleuths of the twentieth century. This early entry in the Inspector Wexford mystery series shows the author developing her characters and demonstrating the psychological insights into crime that she would later perfect. of violence and chases 20% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 30% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 30% How society works & physical descript. And so, for a non quaint, psychological mystery that relies on neither sex nor violence, this is a very good read. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. This time through I've noticed much more than I did the first time -- back then I think I was looking much more for plot and storyline, where now I'm tending to focus more on people and what makes them do what they do. A very enjoyable cosy mystery - the first in the Inspector Wexford series. From Doon With Death is Ruth Rendell's first novel, and also marks the literary debuts of protagonists Chief Inspector Reg Wexford, and his partner in crime-solving, Inspector Mike Burden. Shopping. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Wexford doesn't really make a strong impression as a leading character (in fact quite a good amount of the investigating falls to his partner, the aptly named Inspector Burden), but he shows much potential, intellectual and emotional astuteness and solid detecting skills. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. I've just reread this novel again after six years, and while I wouldn't change my rating, I will say that it was definitely a pleasure to have taken it up again. From Doon with Death, now in a striking new paperback edition, is her classic debut novel—and the book that introduced one of the most popular sleuths of the twentieth century. He claims it is totally out of character for his wife, Margaret, to disappear without word. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? The characters are interesting and I very much like the contrast between the three principal women; Mrs Parsons (dull, ordinary, respectable), Mrs Missal (flamboyant, self centred) and Mrs Quadrant (classy, sensitive). Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. This was no "surprise ending" to me as I knew what was going on half way through the book. First published in 1964, this is the first Chief Inspector Wexford mystery. Razor-sharp dialogue. Who doesn’t love the emotional response “I didn’t expect that”. Much easier to figure out than her later works, but I suspect that my 21st Century perspective made the issues of sexuality easier to see before the detectives AND no where near as shocking. Privately, though, he is certain Margaret has run off with another man. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. There is nothing extraordinary about Margaret Parsons, a timid housewife in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a woman devoted to her garden, her kitchen, her husband. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Although a fairly short novel, it is filled with intrigue as Wexford and Burden investigate the murder of a seemingly friendless, quiet wife named Margaret Parsons. From Doon With Death (Inspector Wexford, #1), Update, May 6, 2015: I am undertaking a Ruth Rendell "key" works project -- the books The Guardian recently noted as such the day of Ruth Rendell's death. There is nothing extraordinary about Margaret Parsons, a timid housewife in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a woman devoted to her garden, her kitchen, her husband. Another classic Inspector Wexford staring George Baker and Christoper Ravenscroft. Cover Her Face (Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries, No. This was the first in the Wexford series, and if it had been the first Rendell book I read, I would not have read another. From Doon With Death HIJIAO Silicone Protective Cover for Samsung T7 Touch Portable SSD 500GB/1TB /2TB External Solid State Drives (Black) $ 8.81 Seriallink SLK-E900 Industrial 4g Cellular Router,4G LTE Modem Supported AT&T Carrier $ 169.01 There is nothing extraordinary about Margaret Parsons, a timid housewife in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a woman devoted to her garden, her kitchen, her husband. From Doon with Death, now in a striking new paperback edition, is her classic debut novel—and the book that introduced one of the most popular sleuths of the twentieth century. I've been listening to the Currently Reading podcast quite a bit these days. A good solid mystery with a very satisfying conclusion. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! of violence and chases 20% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 30% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 30% How society works & physical descript. And when Mr. Parsons lets the police into his home, a startling discovery leads everyone to question just who Margaret Parsons really was . Burdon tends to agree and contacts the police station. This is the first book by Ruth Rendell I've read (I know, shame on me). I know I'll appreciate Wexford more now, because he has grown so in the subsequent books about him. This time through I've noticed much more than I did the first time -- back then I think I was looking much more for plot and storyline, wh. Both were first published in the 60s and seem a bit dated, especially the moral issue at the heart of this story, which probably seemed terribly shocking in 1964 but not so much fifty years later. Quantity available: 1. Pretty standard mystery fare, including the resolution, though apparently the resolution was Very Shocking at the time. An extraordinary death. My feeling, however, was that I should wait to see how she resolved it before reaching a conclusion. Plot & Themes Composition of Book descript. To see what your friends thought of this book. It is a great murder mystery. As reviewer 'jaybe' remarked, the characters 'seemed a bit strange'. 16 Responses to FFB: From Doon With Death by Ruth Rendell. Dazzling psychological suspense. It seemed like it was time to get acquainted. The story begins when Inspector Mike Burdon is alerted by a neighbour that his wife is missing.