Customer Reviews

Shake Hands Forever

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

 

 

Back in the days before Ruth Rendell acquired those irritating literary pretensions, she wrote mysteries like this one--ingeniously plotted, quickly paced, and best of all, under 200 pages. SHAKE HANDS FOREVER is a perfect example of the author at her effortless best, and of all the Wexford novels I've read, it's both the most absorbing and the most rewarding. Everything about Rendell's work that readers like myself have come to cherish--her terrific, often hilarious prose, her sharp dialogue, her firmly drawn characters, her deference to human psychology--can be found in this novel.

Angela Hathall is found murdered in a house utterly devoid of clues, except for a single scarred fingerprint on the side of a bathtub. Chief Inspector Wexford's instinct tells him that the murderer is the victim's shifty-eyed husband, and as usual, his instinct is half-right--but there is much more to this case than meets the eye, for both Wexford and the reader. From first page to last, this beautifully written story is a delight. Rendell seldom takes a traditional approach to storytelling, and this particular case manages to both uphold and flout the conventions of the classic English detective story, leading to one of the author's most genuinely surprising denouements. As the best mysteries do, this one literally caused me to fall out of my seat, so clever (and yet so logical) is the resolution. If you love mysteries (and if you love Rendell), SHAKE HANDS FOREVER is one pleasure you owe yourself.

Ruth Rendell's writing has changed over the years, her older novels being more concerned with plot and her more recent work focussing more on social issues and the psychology of her characters.

This book was first published in 1975 and has a clever and convoluted plot. That is not to say she neglects the characters; we are privy to Wexford's thoughts and feelings (and she does an admirable job of conveying his personality and his internal struggles this way) and the personalities of some of the other characters play a pivotal role in the story.

One thing I especially enjoyed was that the story stretched over more than a year, with the official police investigation over long before the mystery is solved. And it's only solved through Wexford's stubborn refusal to accept his superior's analysis of the situation. One reviewer described the book as "unguessable and brilliant" but in fact a significant clue is shared with the reader - unfortunately it doesn't look significant at the time and I had forgotten all about it by the time I reached the end of the book. So I was certainly surprised by the twist in the tail.

I found that Rendell's story-telling was not up to its usual high standard and the wrap-up at the end seemed a bit clumsy. But perhaps this is a reflection of how clumsy, untidy and frustrating a real-life murder investigation would be, rather than the neat, tidy, no-loose-ends packages authors often present to us. Although not her best work, this is nonetheless an enjoyable read, great for a rainy day or a long trip.

Through the years Ruth Rendell has proved her mastery of the "who done it" genre and this Inspector Wexford mystery, first published in 1975, is certainly true to form. It's set in England, of course, amidst places whose names roll of the tongue with a British accent. There's an unsolved murder in the first chapter, with a richly developed cast of characters surrounding the mystery.

There's a dead woman and her seemingly grief-stricken husband. There's her mother-in-law who hates her and her husband's ex-wife who's known for making ugly scenes. There are few clues also, as the house has been immaculately cleaned. There's only one handprint, little to go on. But then there is the wise Inspector Wexford. He understands people well and has his suspicions.

The story unfolds quickly, as one clue after another comes to light and some new characters are introduced. I was intrigued as I easily followed the plot. The author is very clear in her intentions and I found myself identifying with the detective as he investigated the case, which wound up taking more than a year to solve.

It only took me a few hours to read the book, waking up in the middle of the night to finish what I had started that afternoon. It was all one big puzzle, but the end put all the puzzle pieces together. As I drifted off to sleep however, I was troubled. The puzzle pieces fit, but the motivation just didn't seem strong enough for murder. And so I woke early and re-read the last few pages, which included a surprise ending. It was explained completely. Problem is, I didn't believe it.

This is a good read and mystery fans will love it. I did enjoy it as a few hours of entertainment. I recommend it. I'm just not a mystery fan though.

This novel will test your sleuthing skills. Rendell throws in several red herrings and will really trip you up. Just when you think you know whodunnit, sorry! You're wrong! I really was confused up until the end. I enjoyed this book very much. If you want something shorter, check out her collections of short stories: The Fever Tree and Blood Lines. Ruth Rendell is the best!

An unpleasant man's wife is found murdered. Her body is discovered by his equally (although in a different way) unpleasant mother. Seems the wife was a loser, too, and perhaps a thief. The man doesn't seem to be grieving very much--merely disgruntled. This is a great study by Rendell of some ordinary and unattractive people for whom it is very difficult to summon sympathy; she makes them pathetic in the end. Wexford has an unexpected but improving experience before he's solved it and the ending is truly a surprise. A wonderful read (and even re-read!)

Shake Hands For Ever - a novel which takes its title from a work by Michael Drayton - is very much a Wexford novel. There's not a lot of Burden here at all, instead Rendell turns her full attention to the character of Wexford, and his frustration when he comes upon a case which he feels he knows the answer to, but cannot prove. Until, one year after it occurs, new information starts turning up...

Robert Hathall is bringing his overbearing, overcritical mother home to meet his second wife Angela, a woman whom Mrs Hathall clearly detests (mainly for the fact that she thinks she split up her son's first marriage). Angela was supposed to meet her husband and mother-in-law at the train station, but didn't turn up. Eventually, the two make their way home, and discover her dead body, strangled on the bed. Having cleaned the house immaculately for the impending visit, there is almost nothing to go on.

This is not really a whodunnit, as pretty early on Wexford decides he knows who did it. All he has to do is prove it, and the why, and the how. But it proves an impossible task, and when he is warned off the case by his superior, for "harassing" his chief suspect, Wexford undertakes some private investigations of his own...

Although I don't think Shake Hands for Ever is quite the one of the best Wexford novels - it is beautifully focused, yes, but as this is mainly a "Wexford must prove his theory" novel, there aren't a great range of characters, although those that are are as well-drawn and fascinating as ever - it is still very fine indeed. It boasts, of the Wexford books anyway, possibly Rendell's finest last-chapter shock of her career. It's an excellent crime/mystery novel, which even though we think we know what is going on, is far from predictable, and the story goes deeper than we at first think. The prose is sharp, and socially aware as ever. Ominous and dark, too, brilliantly balanced by some moments great humour. Rendell's almost vicious wit is often glossed over, not even noticed, by most reviewers, but it is another of those things which make her so special. Her latest book, The Rottweiler, was full of it, and it was marvellous!

To sum up, Shake Hands For Ever is, though not the very very best, a great Wexford novel from Ruth Rendell - one who all fans of hers must read.

Even though this is not one of the best Inspector Wexford mysteries, it is still pretty good. The mystery itself here is not as well-plotted and full of fascinating twists as in most other books in the series. Another feature of Rendell's novels, a collection of quirky, unusual characters, is also absent. SHAKE HANDS FOREVER is thin on psychological insights into the minds of its characters but it does offer an unusually profound understanding of the psyche of Inspector Wexford himself. In this novel, we see him in some very unusual situations and get to know him a lot better than before. For this reason, I believe that this is a crucial novel to read if you want to gain a deeper understanding of the series.

In this novel, Wexford believes he knows who the murderer is almost from the very start of his investigation. The only problem, though, is that nobody else shares his conviction that the person in question is guilty. The suspect has an unshakeable alibi and isn't averse to complaining to Wexford's authorities that he is being persecuted unjustly by Wexford. As a result, Wexford has to stop the official inquiry into this murder. When he finds out that the person he suspects is about to emigrate to another country, Wexford becomes obsessed with bringing his suspect to justice before the day of the departure.

We get to see Wexford in a situation where the power to conduct an investigation is stripped away from him. Nobody except his nephew Howard shares his conviction in the suspect's guilt and is willing to help. Wexford goes to extreme length to bring the suspected murderer to justice. In many of Rendell's novels we read masterful psychological descriptions of various characters falling apart or coming to the brink of insanity. In SHAKE HANDS FOREVER, Wexford is the person who goes through that process. It's fascinating to observe a character who is known so well by the fans of the series gradually lose his calm self-assurance and all of the values he has lived by his entire life. This is the dark side of Wexford that even the hardcore lovers of these series will find quite unexpected.

I wouldn't suggest this as the first Inspector Wexford mystery to read. Unless you are pretty familiar with the series, I believe this novel will leave you cold and wondering why so many people go crazy about Ruth Rendell.

A couple of words need to be added about the Kindle edition of this book. It saddens me to report that the Kindle version of this novel is extremely poor and is plagued with typos. "I'm" appears, more often than not, as "Fm." The last name "Hathall" is often given as "HathaU." There were several words in the text I didn't even manage to decipher, even though I had read the novel before in paper format. Among all books by Rendell that have appeared in Kindle format so far, this one is of the poorest quality.

Although Ruth Rendell's writing is always excellent, and the characterization (particularly of Wexford) very engaging, sometimes the plot of these early Wexford novels seem a bit dated. Not so with the very innovative premise here. Although Wexford has a firm idea of who committed the murder, he has no proof, and is commanded by his superior to drop the investigation. Therefore, he must investigate on his own time, using his own resources, for about a year in order to turn up the solution--an absolutely shocking surprise which proves his hunch to be both right and wrong at the same time.

As always with Ruth Rendell the writing is outstanding. She does not waste words and every scene has an important purpose. Each sentence is well-written. Inspector Wexford is worth spending time with because he comes across like a real person. Indeed, he always seems human when some of his ideas are proven wrong. He has persistence and determination.

This mystery has an excellent ending that surprised me. The ending was plausible and the plot makes sense.

I couldn't really like the protagonists in this book but the ending was a total shock. It's a good book but not the greatest.