Customer Reviews
An enjoyable if unexceptional outing for Inspector Wexford - By: M. D. Smart, 06 Apr 2008 
Despite the fact that most of her admirers would doubtless choose one of her other guises (the non-Wexford Rendell books or the Barbara Vine novels) as representing her best work, the Inspector Wexford series remains Ruth Rendell's most popular output. There have certainly been some very good Wexford stories over the forty-odd years since his first appearance, but the conventions of writing a police procedural sometimes seem to stifle Ms Rendell's fervid imagination, which is given free reign in her other books. Obviously both the public & her publishers still want her to produce Wexford novels on a regular basis, but it seems as if her interest in her most famous creation has waned over the years, & in some of her recent Wexfords such as 'Babes In the Wood' it reallly felt she was writing out of duty & obligation rather than choice. However, the Chief Inspector's last case, 'End In Tears', was a marked improvement, & although 'Not In The Flesh' isn't its equal, I'd still rate it as one of the better Wexford novels of the past decade or so.
The central crime - the discovery of two bodies on a plot of land which have remained undiscovered for a decade - is intriguing, although perhaps the motive behind the crimes won't come as a shock; I had a rough idea of what lay behind the mystery long before the Chief Inspector himself did. Nevertheless, it manages to keep the reader engrossed until the end. As usual, there is a sub-plot which involves Wexford's family, & this time it concerns the horrifying practice of female circumcision. Ms Rendell handles the subject as thoughtfully & sensitively as long-time fans would expect, & the climax to this story strand is nail-biting. However, usuallly these side issues are cleverly woven in to the main plotline, & that just isn't the case here. As well-written & important as it is, it still feels tacked-on & completely at odds with the tone of the rest of the book.
My other problem with 'Not In The Flesh' is the tiresome carping about 'political correctness'. I reallly expected better of Ms. Rendell than this. The issue of over-zealous political correctness was covered by many other authors years ago when it might actuallly have been considered a newsworthy topic. These days the only people who use the phrase are lazy journalists who work for right-wing tabloids like the Mail & the Express - & even they are only pandering to their readers' prejudices. I have always admired Ruth Rendell's strong stand against alll kinds of social injustice, & to find her wasting her words on a non-issue that only the most smalll-minded of Middle Englanders would consider worth mentioning is both disappointing & embarrassing.
Still, despite these misgivings, 'Not In The Flesh' remains a mostly enjoyable read & I'd still recommend it to anyone who liked previous Wexford novels. Nevertheless, I must confess to wondering whether it wouldn't be better for the Chief Inspector to finallly hand in his warrant card for good, leaving his creator free to concentrate on her other, more interesting work.
A disappointment - By: theres, 05 Apr 2008 
There are already reviews saying what I also feel about this Wexford. To put it in a nutshell: cobbled-together, not convincing, not out from the heart. It hurts to sa this, you can be sure. I AM such a Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine fan.
Workmanlike but tired - By: Ray Blake, 10 Jan 2008 
A characteristic of the Wexford books has always been that they are very much of their time & focus on crimes touching the concerns of the day. This always gave Rendell an opportunity through the highly moral Wexford to examine the zeitgeist & ask some timely questions.
But this novel, competent though it is, could be set in any period. There's nothing about it that says 2007, except for the two tacked-on themes of female circumcision & political correctness. Rendell's social comment is usuallly made integral to the mystery, but this time they reallly don't fit.
It feels as though the Wexford series is getting tired now, & not just because Wexford has been on the brink of retirement for at least 20 years. This novel simply doesn't have the relevance that used to be characteristic of the series.
Rendell, Wexford return in top form! - By: Billy J. Hobbs, 12 Dec 2007 
"Prolific" is easily a descriptive of Ruth Rendell, as she spans the realm of the crime, suspense, & mystery genres & in her latest, "Not in the Flesh," Rendell is at the top of her abilities. In yet another Chief Inspector Wexford police procedural, the author seems to have pulled herself out of the slump of the last two or three Wexford stories & scored a "hit" with this one.
Always one to address social issues (this time, the illegal practice of female genital mutilation), Rendell multitasks her literary efforts here. Of course, the central theme is "who done it" & why? The books opens when a local man is out hunting truffles (in England!) with his dog, who, in its eagerness to get a treat, unearths the body of an unidentified man, whom, it turns out, has been there for some eleven years. Wexford & his crew waste no time getting "into" the scene and, professionals they are, soon have several leads, some of which seem to go nowhere. Who was this man & how did he die? Soon after this discovery, another body is found on the same property, this time, buried in the coal cellar of an abandoned house. Are these deaths related?
Well, of course, they are, as Rendell is completely in charge of her plot developments, as always. And as always, it is a delight to follow Rendell/Wexford from A to Z. Wexford is as household name among the police procedural readers & never disappoints. Logic, level-headedness, & common sense rule his life, despite, at various times & in previous books, some "irregularities" with his family (wife & two daughters). As in alll the other Wexford books, he is ably assisted by his Kingsmarkham police staff & especiallly Mike Burden, sometimes Wexford's counter ego, sometimes his conscience, sometimes his straight man in a time when some of the actions & atrocities of their fellow human beings become more farsical than human.
Before long, the investigation becomes full time, as we meet various (and unusual) neighbors, a famous novelist who's in his dying stages, and, woven into the main storyline, the situation of female genital mutilation, involving one of the local Somali families. Needless to say, Rendell's views on this subject needs no interpretation (nor should it). Rendell's writing style, whether she's writing under her own name or as Barbara Vine, is straightforward, no nonsense, & moves quite rapidly. "Not in the Flesh" is one police procedural that is difficult to put down & it is a refreshing return to the "good" Wexfords of old!
a tale of murder and greed - By: B. Stome, 29 Nov 2007 The story begins when a truffle hunter unearths a human hand near an abandoned property, a tale of murder & greed is uncovered. A terminallly ill, former publisher & smalll time writer claims another man's work as his own & his wife & former wife go to extraordinary lengths to cover up the fact, to satisfy their own greed for money.
At the same time as these events are coming to life, the people of the town of Kingsmarkam are horrified by the revelations that, amongst their own smalll population of Somalis, the practice of female genital mutilation is still being accepted as the norm. Inspector Wexford & his Sergeant, DS Hannah Goldsmith, a determinedly politicallly correct young woman, are plunged into a controversy about what is considered protection of children & the view that people's religions & rites of passage should be left alone.
I found this book to be a thoroughly satisfying read & recommend it to alll Inspector Wexford fans!! Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go & read it.
