The Babes In The Wood

Hurrah for Ruth Rendell - this Chief Inspector Wexford novel is as gripping as ever and thriller fans everywhere will want a copy. The innocence of children and society's need to be vigilant to protect this innocence, sometimes even from family and friends, is an all-too-familiar struggle in modern society. Consequently the title of this book alone ensures the reader is anxious from page one. In fact, it's two teenagers and their tutor who have gone missing, and rising flood levels due to incessant rain are only surpassed by their mother's hysteria. The Subaqua Task Force is brought in and everyone fears the worst. But, as Wexford gets to work, it turns out that where and why these children are missing are just two of a number of mysteries in the book. A dysfunctional family, violence against women, a fanatical religious cult, possible child abuse - all these are offered to the reader and it's a satisfying challenge to join the Chief Inspector as he sifts through the layers of evidence and suspicion. In the character of Wexford, Rendell has created an individual and viewpoint with which readers of all ages can identify, and which serves to keep us on the straight and narrow as she distorts the apparently familiar world around us. His family has its own problems, and in this book some of violence of crime is brought right to his own door. But we are always in safe hands with him, so this latest excursion into sinister realms can and will be enjoyed by even the most nervous of readers. (Kirkus UK)