Haven’t read any Ruth Rendell for years. This was good although I found it a bit ponderous for the first 300 pages. But her style at least in this book seems to be huge elaborate and complex plot, finally unravelled by Wexford somewhat Sherlock Holmes like, right at the end.
This involved the murder of nearly all the members of an extended, wealthy family – grandmother, her current husband, middle-aged daughter, and apparent attempted murder of her granddaughter, who survives and alerts the police. So, an apparently motiveless crime, an element of robbery, but nothing of any great value stolen.
Kissing the Gunner’s Daughter is a 19th century naval euphemism for a sailor being flogged as they were tied up over one of the cannons on deck. The father of the granddaughter is an ex Arsenal footballer, so there is a small retrospective clue to the plot.
I will probably re-read some more, as there are a few in the bookcase.
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