I was a little less fond of the use of a trap which is used to prove a case – something that I think is usually pretty uninventive and underwhelming in these sorts of stories. Margaret Parsons is the flip side of extraordinary; no enemies, lives in somewhat of a rut, and has no sordid qualities about her whatsoever. However, no one would accuse a career as prolific as Rendell's as lazy and there is something very appealing about her work.

Overall, I'm feeling three stars for this and am looking forward to reading the next one and hopefully many more after that. After reading the "Dossier" I knew I wanted to read more about Ruth Rendell and would encourage everyone to read more about her fascinating life and diverse accomplishments. Rendell says she modeled Wexford after her father and I realized that maybe that is why this series appeals to me so much.

Whether the reader is surprised by where the novel goes, I think the appeal of the book is in the very competent execution of those ideas. Since this was the initial novel featuring Inspector Wexford, I suspect that as her series expanded, her detective grew more interesting to readers. The character of Chief Inspector Wexford here is somewhat colder than the character in the later books and the TV series. Here’s the big thing that came out of my reading this book: The afterword in the edition I read discusses Rendell’s attitude toward the Shocking Content and how it is in line with what was believed to be Right and True at the time the book was written.

He is not flashy and has no particular character tics, at least in this novel, that would distinguish him from detectives in scores of other procedurals yet I appreciated his matter of fact attitude toward the case. The humanity of Wexford shows not only his impatience when his time is wasted but also his compassion while still following the letter of the law.Although the identity of the victim's lover "Doon" would not be much of a surprise to the 21st century reader, at the time of its release it was considered ground-breaking and daring, and this novel immediately garnered Rendell international critical attention. The problems are those of the early 1960s, when women were just starting to extricate themselves from being exclusively housewives and starting to reach for sexual equality.