Judith L. (jlautner) reviewed Shake Hands Forever (Inspector Wexford, Bk 9) on + 105 more book reviews
An Inspector Wexford mystery.
A decidedly difficult older woman finally agrees to accompany her son to his home, to try to mend her relationship with the woman he married. She had only met his wife once, three years before.
But when their train arrives, Angela is not there at the station to meet them, and she does not answer when they walk in the door. Mrs. Hathell proceeds up the stairs to put away her suitcase and discovers the body on the bed. Strangled.
The house had been cleaned thoroughly in preparation for the visit. Neighbors note that Angela was at most an indifferent housekeeper, but this time she seemed to have gone overboard. In any case, her mother-in-law tries and fails to find fault.
The couple had made no friends. Neighbors met them from time to time but didn't know either of them. Wexford discovers that the two had in common a sense of persecution, that they were owed, that others were in the way. Not, apparently, a nice couple, but very much in love.
One neighbor catches Wexford's attention because she is not only beautiful but also clearly interested in him. He knows he is older and married, yet he is flattered by the attention. Will she pull him away from his Dora?
Many things do not add up, and evidence is hard to find. Thus it takes Wexford a much longer time than usual to crack the case. In the meantime he does meet with the mysterious neighbor more than once. Is she a distraction or an integral part of the story, I asked myself. Either way I had difficulty with his being swayed by her obvious approaches. Isn't he smarter and savvier than that?
Complex and satisfying in the end.
A decidedly difficult older woman finally agrees to accompany her son to his home, to try to mend her relationship with the woman he married. She had only met his wife once, three years before.
But when their train arrives, Angela is not there at the station to meet them, and she does not answer when they walk in the door. Mrs. Hathell proceeds up the stairs to put away her suitcase and discovers the body on the bed. Strangled.
The house had been cleaned thoroughly in preparation for the visit. Neighbors note that Angela was at most an indifferent housekeeper, but this time she seemed to have gone overboard. In any case, her mother-in-law tries and fails to find fault.
The couple had made no friends. Neighbors met them from time to time but didn't know either of them. Wexford discovers that the two had in common a sense of persecution, that they were owed, that others were in the way. Not, apparently, a nice couple, but very much in love.
One neighbor catches Wexford's attention because she is not only beautiful but also clearly interested in him. He knows he is older and married, yet he is flattered by the attention. Will she pull him away from his Dora?
Many things do not add up, and evidence is hard to find. Thus it takes Wexford a much longer time than usual to crack the case. In the meantime he does meet with the mysterious neighbor more than once. Is she a distraction or an integral part of the story, I asked myself. Either way I had difficulty with his being swayed by her obvious approaches. Isn't he smarter and savvier than that?
Complex and satisfying in the end.
