The Monster in the Box

As a reading teacher and the parent of a picky middle grade reader, I understand the comfort of series. You don't want to try too hard with a book; you want what's familiar, but with a little zest thrown in. Sometimes you just need that kind of book. Well, this explains why I picked up Ruth Rendell's latest Inspector Wexford mystery, The Monster in the Box. Rendell has won all sorts of awards and I will say some of her non-Wexford books are satisfyingly and disturbingly creepy. I have also found myself--in the past--mildly fascinated by the character of Inspector Wexford, mainly because I kept trying to figure out how a woman could write in the voice of such an old-fashioned, innocently sexist man. I'm going to assume that the fact that Rendell can do so is part of the reason she wins so many awards.

The last Wexford book that I read had a preposterous plot point. Something like a bunch of white British women believing they were pregnant--not in the usual way, mind you--and giving birth to black babies. It had something to do with modern day slavery. I don't know. It was silly and it made me throw my hands up in disgust. Fast-forward a year or so and that old comfort of a series with familiar characters pulled me in and I picked up The Monster in the Box. This didn't have too silly a plot, but it was...well...it was boring, frankly. Not what I'm looking for in a mystery. Wexford is getting old, though he's old in all the books. He spends this one reminiscing about his past loves (sort of) and, oh yes, that creepy guy he could never pin a murder on even though the guy looked at him funny when he was investigating his first case.
Surprise! Creepy guy shows up again. Surprise! It all ties in with someone else's non-case, and happy endings are had by all. Actually, no, things end fairly badly for all involved, but it sure takes a long time to get there.

I was talking the other day about the problem of crime series. How do you avoid repeating yourself? Do you age your character or not? And, really, how much crime can happen in a small town (Yes, I'm talking about you, Archer Mayor, in Brattleboro, Vermont)? Husband Ben says author Stephen Hunter seems to choose what kind of book he wants to write and then throws his character in somehow. Okay, that could work. Other authors end up with a character absurdly old because the series tries to be contemporary, but in the first book, the character was a veteran of the KOREAN war (or, frankly, the Vietnam war, which is also dated at this point).

Rendell doesn't seem to bring Wexford too far into the present day. He's "modern" but doesn't know how to use a computer. Times have changed in his town, but, on the other hand, there's a LOT of talk about use of a CD Walkman. I guess she gets some credit for keeping it all to the early 1990s, and the writing is okay, but this isn't the one to read if you're looking for an entry into a decent, quiet series. I'm not sure what to suggest because mysteries don't really differentiate themselves by title. Try something earlier, but don't get too hooked because then you'll find yourself taking The Monster in the Box off the shelf like you're visiting an old friend and next thing you know, you'll be snoring quietly by the fire.