The Monster in the Box

By now I think it's mere compulsion. I must have read every Ruth Rendell book there is (and there are a lot of them), and while some are among my favourite novels of all time, some have left me cold, and they tend to be Inspector Wexford mysteries. The latest one deals with the past - both Wexford's and Britain's. Rendell has always added a nice bit of social commentary to her stories, and this one is no exception. After encountering a criminal he could never put away for lack of evidence, Wexford thinks back to how their "relationship" started when they were both young. While the present-day story doesn't move along very quickly, Wexford has flashbacks of both the past murder cases and his own life as a young policeman as well as a boyfriend/husband. He reflects on how times have changed (as you would expect from an old(er) man), and not in a grating way, but it nevertheless struck me as a bit forced. And then there is the burning socio-political issue of the day, which this time is forced marriage and honour killings in Muslim families. I've commented on Rendell's use of this in another review, and it hasn't changed: She is trying to hard. Especially when the formula is always the same - Wexford hears about a case of *insert issue* in his neighbourhood and somehow gets involved. In this case, the two seperate storylines meet and get tangled up, and in a not entirely believable way. To add even more confusion, a lion then roams the streets of Kingsmarkham. Really.
With all the flashbacks to the past, maybe Rendell is trying to retire Wexford. And while she's still a solid writer, maybe it is time.