An Unkindness of Ravens [Mass Market Paperback]

Ruth Rendell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1986

Rodney Williams's disappearance seems typical to Chief Inspector Wexford -- a simple case of a man running off with a woman other than his wife. But when another woman reports that her husband is missing, the case turns unpleasantly complex.

Editorial Reviews

Review

 “Rendell, winner of the Mystery Writers of America’s prestigious Edgar Award, is regarded as one of the top mystery writers working today. With An Unkindness of Ravens, she shows, once again, that reputation is well-deserved.” —Los Angeles Times

 

“The novel starts explosively, it moves through a rollercoaster middle, and it rises to a double-barreled climax. This is a suspense mystery of the highest order, a novel that—in its structure, in its handling of character, in the quality of its writing—puts most of its like to shame.” —The New Yorker

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Inside Flap

Rodney Williams's disappearance seems typical to Chief Inspector Wexford -- a simple case of a man running off with a woman other than his wife. But when another woman reports that her husband is missing, the case turns unpleasantly complex.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (September 12, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345327462
• ISBN-13: 978-0345327468
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #270,860 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another excellent Rendell novel, October 9, 2003

By 

RachelWalker "RachelW" (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Unkindness of Ravens (Mass Market Paperback)

An "Unkindness" is the collective noun for a group of ravens. They are not particularly predatory birds, but neither rare they soft and submissive. Now, the Raven has become the symbol of a militant feminist group known as Arria, whose attitude to the male gender is, like the nature of said bird, far from submissive.

When Chief Inspector Wexford was asked to investigate the disappearance of his neighbour Rodney Williams he was certain it was just a case of another middle-aged man having run-off with a young woman. All the signs pointed that way. A waste of time to concern yourself with, his thoughts tell him. However, he would be shocked to his core when, weeks later, Rodney's disappearance turns out to be the centre of a violent and bizarre murder.

As reliable as ever, this is Rendell - and Wexford - once again on fine form. If you want an entertaining, intelligent and realistic with piercing insights into society, Ruth Rendell is the author to whom you should turn. The Wexford series remains the best example of the English detective story currently being produced. It stands out not just for its layered intelligence, but its unflinching social observancy, its piercing insight into human nature, and its warm (sometimes!) and nostalgic centre in the form of Reg Wexford.

This novel is a very strong addition to the series. Rendell's mystery is intricate and dramatic and original and very intriguing, with a plausible solution that will shock if not surprise. An Unkindness of Ravens is an excellent book of detection as well as being a vehicle for Rendell's unerring observational insight into society and its constant shifts and changes. It is well worth anyone's time.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Failure by A Great Author, February 19, 2011

By 

Olga Bezhanova (Edwardsville, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Unkindness of Ravens: An Inspector Wexford Mystery (Chief Inspector Wexford Mystery) (Kindle Edition)

The title of this installment in the Inspector Wexford series is beautiful. However, that is pretty much the only thing that is good about the novel. Rendell very rarely misses the mark in her work, but here she unfortunately did. AN UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS is extremely boring. There is a wealth of characters who are extremely similar in a very tedious sort of way. The point of introducing so many similar characters is probably to make it harder for the readers to figure out what happened and who committed the murder. That goal, however, is not achieved. The novel simply drags on forever while Wexford and Burden go through a series of excruciatingly repetitive conversations with a very boring cast of characters.

In order to spice up her boring narrative, Rendell introduces a quasi-feminist organization into the story. Her attempts at creating a credible parody of feminism are nothing short of constipated and, once again, painfully boring.

Now, if you thought that Rendell could not have possibly created a character more annoying than the uptight and judgmental Mike Burden, guess again. Burden's second wife is a lot more annoying than Burden ever was (even in that novel where he wished the woman he loved lost her child, so that he'd have less mouths to feed.) In AN UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS, the Burden household descends into the kind of insanity that lacks any credibility whatsoever.

I usually devour Rendell's books in one or two sittings. She is a beautiful author whose books I will never tire of reading. This novel, however, is one of those rare mistakes that any great writer makes from time to time. The characters in AN UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS are cartoonish, the "mystery" is transparent, and the story develops extremely slowly.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid Rendell, Solid Wexford, September 10, 2011

By 

JSmalls - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Unkindness of Ravens (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a fine addition to the Wexford series. Rendell rarely fails in her ability to provide timely social commentary in the middle of a complex investigation. Wexford is at his best in slowly, steadily uncovering what happened to a neighbor amidst a number of various clues and motives. The mystery keeps a reader engaged even as it becomes largely apparent what happens about midway through the work. Moreover, the plot elements on feminism and racial inequality worked well and weren't overpowering in an obnoxious way. This is solid and entertaining fiction.