"An Unkindness Of Ravens" and "The Vault" by Ruth Rendell (2016 review catch ups)

Ok. I am keeping these reviews really short now. If I keep putting them off (until I discover which safe place I put my reading notes when I rearranged and spring cleaned) or until I have something substantial to say (in that blasted missing note book), I am never going to move passed 2016 - EVER! And considering what 2016 brought, I would like a one way ticket out of there.

An Unkindness Of Ravens by Ruth Rendell is the 13th book in the Inspector Wexford series. Ahh... now can I remember what happened? A guy from Wexford's neighbourhood goes missing... This is a crime novel. I don't need to spell it out for you.

I see on Goodreads that I said I had enjoyed it. Which is strange. Because sitting here right now, my memory of this is 'boring'. Is it my memory that is faulty, or was I just feeling particularly generous on Goodreads? I know it had an interesting twist to the plot - but unfortunately not even that twist is all that new anymore. As I said on Goodreads,  I think the constant run of crime shows on tv has done a lot towards taking the thrill out of books like these. Because of all the exposure we constantly get, plots that could have been quite thrilling and leave one guessing to the end, now seem very obvious. I guessed who was guilty before they had found the body. Which might account for my memory of this being what it is.

The Vault is the 24th book in the Inspector Wexford series. In this installment, Wexford has now retired, but we all know that is not going to stop him from getting involved in solving the latest murder - or triple murder...

I was a lot more honest on Goodreads with this one. There is nothing wrong with how Rendell writes. In fact, for a crime novelist, she is really very good. There is quality to her prose; not just words to tell a story. But... I just can't.

Wexford is getting on my nerves. I wonder if that has to do with the fact that being much younger than Wexford, a man who is struggling to come to terms with things like the internet, I find his plod-along methods a bit silly. I must also admit that I find the references to younger generations a bit insulting. I also found the statement that the bitchy woman in the book learnt how to be rude to her Russian maid (who would have been very white) while she was in South Africa, naive and insulting too. Really! I thought South Africa's issue was race. I don't think that woman would have needed any external assistance in solidifying her beliefs in class divisions. I am really tired of all the movies, books etc. that portray all South African's as the worst set of people going. Like all countries, their are good people and bad, racists and non-racists. I am tired of these stereotypes and generalisations.

This will be the end of my reading Rendell. There are so many other books I would prefer to read, and life is short. Not bad. Just not my cup of tea.