Best Man to Die (Chief Inspector Wexford Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Ruth Rendell (Author) "JACK PERTWEE was getting married in the morning and the Kingsmarkham and District Darts Club were in the Dragon to give him what George Carter..." (more)
Key Phrases: darts club, Charlie Hatton, Nurse Rose, Nora Fanshawe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Who could have suspected that the exciting stag party for the groom would be the prelude to the murder of his close friend Charlie Hatton? And Charlie's death was only the first in a string of puzzling murders involving small-time gangsters, cheating husbands, and loose women. Now Chief Inspector Wexford and his assistant join forces with the groom to track down a killer . . .


From the Inside Flap
Who could have suspected that the exciting stag party for the groom would be the prelude to the murder of his close friend Charlie Hatton? And Charlie's death was only the first in a string of puzzling murders involving small-time gangsters, cheating husbands, and loose women. Now Chief Inspector Wexford and his assistant join forces with the groom to track down a killer . . .

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (May 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345345304
• ISBN-13: 978-0345345301
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,946 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 4 in The Chief Inspector Wexford Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Inspector Wexfield, February 9, 2002

By	Nancy Trease (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This particular Rendell mystery is loveable for its credible character development and Rendell's unique ability to convey life in the English countryside. If, like me, you have followed every detail in the life of Wexford and his sidekick Burden you shouldn't miss this one. The plot is classic Rendell: complexity with credibility and writing as smooth as silk. She's so easy to read you may overlook her expertise. One of the best living authors and thankfully prolific!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Inspector Wexford Outing: Two Cases Intersect, August 13, 2007

By	John F. Rooney - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ruth Rendell has twenty Detective Chief Inspector Wexford crime novels in her arsenal, and this was number four in the series. Wexford is a big, heavy man, not particularly good looking, happily married, who has one plain Jane daughter and a stunning one who is a famous stage actress. Rendell never really brings the wife to life; she's just there. Wexford is a conventional guy, not a boozer like many British police detectives. He spars with his sidekick, the prosaic Inspector Burden.
This mystery is built around the intense friendship between two working class men. One of them is a dodgy little lorry driver who has too much money for a man in his pay grade. Two police cases intersect: one is a murder and the other a highway accident with fatalities. Wexford goes about the job of interviewing witnesses thinking, "If only they knew that to him their revelations were but bricks in the house he was trying to build, rungs on the ladder of discovery..."
If you're alert, you can figure out fairly early on who the murderer is and what the connection is between the two cases. It's a well-told tale with insights into British life and the class system. Rendell keeps your interest with some flinty characters, interesting details embedded in the story, and a vivid town setting. Her characters often are unlikable, but there is a feeling of reality that comes across. These aren't stick figures or stereotypes--now if only she could breathe life and personality into Wexford's spouse. Not the best of the Wexford series in subtlety and grace, but with a few flashes of humor, it does nicely as an introduction to the series.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twists of plot all over the place - excellent!, February 1, 2003

By	L. D. Lace "lisa_delace" (victoria, melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Not your usual predictable murder mystery. I usually don't like the Inspector Wexford stuff, but this one was outstanding, read it!