Not in the Flesh

Two corpses turn up in rapid succession in an English village, and Chief Inspector Wexford must unravel the mystery of how they got there, whether they're related, and who did what to whom. Simon Vance performs this latest Ruth Rendell mystery with a blend of spirited adventure and subdued reverence. Vance imparts enough variation to the story's heroes and villains that a listener new to the series can easily differentiate among them. His portrayal of protagonist Wexford adds to the mature, somewhat tired, character created by Rendell, giving the middle-aged protagonist both the vulnerability of age and the strength of a lawman. Those familiar with Wexford will not be disappointed, and newcomers will be inspired to try more. R.L.L. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from September 29, 2008
In addition to solving two long-ago murders, Chief Inspector Wexford is troubled by female genital mutilation in the local Somali community. The temptation would be to cut the subplot, but this abridgment retains the richness of the novel. Tim Curry's performance is splendid, even better than Daniel Gerroll's excellent performance of Rendell's End in Tears
. Curry does a particularly marvelous job with the minor characters, such as the two wives-in-law of a local author, who cackle at the sexual innuendos of their own jokes. Then there's 84-year-old Irene McNeil, alternately supercilious and weepy. Throw in the obsessive Grimbles, on whose land the bodies were found; some migrant fruit-picking Roma; Wexford's family; Somali immigrants; and Curry somehow sounds like a full-cast audio. If only Wexford sounded less like his assistant Burden, the performance would be absolutely perfect. A Crown hardcover (reviewed online).