Customer Reviews

Road Rage (Paragon Softcover Large Print Books)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When selecting a book I look for author first and then read the opening section of the first chapter. I have always found that Ruth Rendell's opening lines make me want to read more. Her characters are well crafted and you can get a sense of realism that many authors fail to achieve. This time though the book concentrates more on the feelings of Inspector Wexford and less on character & plot development. The side plots did not blend together into a seamless whole and it was hard to link the different plots together. There are times when the book is very tense but mostly it lacked the energy to keep you enthralled. I felt I wanted to get to the end of the book to see how it all fitted together but was left with a disappointing "Oh is that it?"

Very bad effort from a MASTER. For someone else, this would be good, but from the Queen of SUSpense, Psychology, and Mystery? Pedestrian story of greenpeace like group of malcontents, making protest, environmental issues, etc. but Rendell never does get beneath the surface headlines. Please try her other books, she is the best mystery/suspence/psychology novelist.

Rendell has done it again! This is a masterful mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Wexford's beloved Kingsmarkham is a village divided. A new bypass is scheduled to be constructed, and protesters descend on the quiet little town, causing havoc everywhere. Dora Wexford is kidnapped on the way to the train station. Within hours, it becomes apparent that four other people have been kidnapped as well, and what seemed like innocent protests take on a sinister cast.

Despite his personal involvement, Wexford is placed in charge of the investigation. Seemingly stymied, he still manages to pull off a grand unveiling of perpetrators in true Rendell style. Endless plot twists and larger-than-life characters have definitely made this my favourite of the Wexford novels.

Fans of Rendell's style of writing will be thrilled with this relatively recent effort, and if you're not yet a fan, this wouldn't be a bad place to start. I totally lost myself in this one, and I'm sorry it's over.

I'm not usually a reader of the "murder mystery" genre of fiction, but I picked this book up the other day when I was desperate for something to read on the train trip to work. Luckily, it was quite a good book, and engaged my attention to the point that I was almost sorry when my trip came to an end. The story was original and made me want to keep reading to find out how it would end.

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~ * ~ This wasn't my abspolute favorite Ruth Rendell, but it is still a very good Inspector Wexford mystery. It is not necessary to be familiar with Wexford and his assistant, Burden... this book may be a good introduction to the series for many.
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This book is more interesting and suspenseful, because Wexford's own wife is kidnapped. Naturally his worries about her safety make it difficult to head up the investigation. Without giving away the plot, it's ok to say that he will need to rely on his wife as a witness, and her memory of small details becomes critical.
~ * ~ As always, the ending is surprising. Ruth Rendell is a master of plot twists and turns that keep us guessing.
~ * ~ My personal favorite of the Wexford and Burden series is " No More Dying Then", which focuses more on Mike Burden's problems after the death of his wife.
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However "Road Rage" is definitely an enjoyable and suspenseful read, and a great sample of Inspector Wexford. I recommend it highly for mystery lovers.

I read this book (or rather listened to it on audiobook) just because it was written by my newest favorite author. It wasn't exactly exciting, though. Inspector Wexford is caught in the middle of a kidnapping when his wife is one of the hostages. I was looking forward to an exciting search but was surprised when shortly into the book, his wife was released by her captors. This group was supposedly against the new bypass being built through the town, objecting to destroying trees and killing wildlife, so that's the direction Inspector Wexford takes as he tries to find the remaining 4 hostages. I'm not great at solving mysteries but even I had figured out part of the plot before the end. Rendell does tend to drag things out, making the story longer than she has to, but I can't help but like her style of writing so much that it doesn't bother me. I have read one other Inspector Wexford novel and liked it too, but have to say her suspense type novels grab my attention better. By the way, if you have a chance to listen to any of her books on Recorded Books audio, the narrator, Divina Porter, is great. She has that cool English accent and I could listen to her all day.

A very novel idea for a kidnap plot, surrounded by a mish-mash of side plots which detract from the work. After a rather flat middle section the ending seems rushed and to some extent 'fudged'. Not as well crafted as a Colin Dexter or P. D. James.

For those not familiar with the author, this is an excellant book, but not the best introduction to her work. For her fans, this has to be considered minor.It's unusual to find Rendell delving into issues such as environmentalism, and she does well in characterizing the various levels of environmental protesters. The issue is highway construction and its effect on the environment. She also gets Inspector Wexford personally involved in this case in which ecoterrorists kidnap and hold five people including the good inspector's wife as hostages, threatening to kill them if the group's demands are not met.The trouble, at least for me, is the fact that we readers don't become fully involved. The characters just are not fully developed, and the writing is not as sharply defined as we expect from the author. The story wanders a bit and the book is longer than necessary. Ruth Rendell's earlier books are sharp and to the point while this one isn't. If you are a Rendell fan, by all means read this one, but don't expect it to be as engrossing as her earlier works.

Not as good as most Ruth Rendell books. Lots of characters and no character development, and this includes all the police staff in the book. As a result the middle of book seems muddled and you never really care what happens to them. If you must keep track of Inspector Wexford read it otherwise don't bother.

Ms. Rendell never disappoints, and this book is no exception. It is not for nothing that Ms. Rendell is considered to be the best writer of detective fiction around today. This book's subject is quite timely in that it explores the world of big business and construction against the effect on the environment. It also explores the issue of domestic terrorism. It's a page turner especially because Wexford's own wife is one of the kidnap victims who a radical environmental group is threatening to murder if their demands are not met. Wexford and his team race against time to learn the identity and whereabouts of the kidnappers. Certainly, Ms. Rendell is one of the best writers in this modern world!