From Doon with Death: The First Inspector Wexford Mystery

By Ruth Rendell

Dazzling psychological suspense. Razor-sharp dialogue. Plots that catch and hold like a noose. These are the hallmarks of crime legend Ruth Rendell, “the best mystery writer in the English-speaking world” (Time magazine). From Doon with Death, now in a striking new paperback edition, is her classic debut novel—and the book that introduced one of the most popular sleuths of the twentieth century.

There is nothing extraordinary about Margaret Parsons, a timid housewife in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a woman devoted to her garden, her kitchen, her husband. Except that Margaret Parsons is dead, brutally strangled, her body abandoned in the nearby woods.

Who would kill someone with nothing to hide? Inspector Wexford, the formidable chief of police, feels baffled -- until he discovers Margaret's dark secret: a trove of rare books, each volume breathlessly inscribed by a passionate lover identified only as Doon. As Wexford delves deeper into both Mrs. Parsons’ past and the wary community circling round her memory like wolves, the case builds with relentless momentum to a surprise finale as clever as it is blindsiding.

In From Doon with Death, Ruth Rendell instantly mastered the form that would become synonymous with her name. Chilling, richly characterized, and ingeniously constructed, this is psychological suspense at its very finest.

Praise for From Doon with Death

“One of the most remarkable novelists of her generation.”—People

“She has transcended her genre by her remarkable imaginative power to explore and illuminate the dark corners of the human psyche.”—P.D. James

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9780307829559

Ruth Rendell

Ruth Rendell (1930–2015) won three Edgar Awards, the highest accolade from Mystery Writers of America, as well as four Gold Daggers and a Diamond Dagger for outstanding contribution to the genre from England’s prestigious Crime Writ­ers’ Association. Her remarkable career spanned a half century, with more than sixty books published. A member of the House of Lords, she was one of the great literary figures of our time.

Reviews for From Doon with Death

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this as part of a reading challenge. This was my author debut selection. I had never read any of Rendell's works before and I thought this was a very solid debut (given that I know absolutely nothing about her work). I found it reminiscent of P.D. James, although the characters were not as well-drawn as James. I would give this a 3-1/2 star rating and I'll probably try another of her Wexford mysteries in order to see how the character develops.

[candyh_64 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Inspector Wexford novel and it will definitely by my last. I did not care for this story. I found it hard to stay with the book to the end.

[scot2-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good Inspector Wexford story. It is a little dated;typewriters are used in offices. However, this does not detract from the story.

[bevok-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ruth Rendell's first Wexford novel bursts on the scene fully formed. The language is beautiful, and the form of the police procedural (an archetypical example of the Morse/Barnaby generation) fully realised from the beginning. The debt to Christie is clear - the setting of the village with it's archetypical 'types' and class divisions. What I really savoured was the eye for detail and simply beautiful language. The performance on Audible by Terrace Hardiman is superb.

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first of Rendell's Inspector Wexford series. It's a beauty. An ordinary housewife goes missing, and is ultimately found dead in a patch of woods. Who among her limited circle of acquaintances could possibly have had reason to murder her? Wexford scopes it all out, with some absolutely fine observations and reactions that were surely ahead of the time for 1964, and which I can't really mention without being spoilerish. This is written in classic British mystery style, with some obvious clues, some hidden information, some red herrings, and the suspects gathered uncomfortably together for the reveal. I'm glad she has written so much; she'll be one of those authors I know I can always turn to when I need something guaranteed to entertain me for a few hours.September 2014

[bell7_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When proper housewife Margaret Parsons goes missing, her husband turns to his neighbor, Officer Burden, for help. Parsons is certain his wife would not have run out on him, and as an avid reader of crime fiction knows he would be the prime suspect if police find evidence of foul play. When her body is found, however, the facts do not point to her husband at all. Who could have wanted to kill Mrs. Parsons?I read this British police procedural to purposely expand my knowledge of the mystery genre. Though at times more graphically descriptive than I would have liked, overall I would characterize this particular title as closer to the cozy mysteries I've read than noir like _The Maltese Falcon_. Marital infidelity and class jealousy abound, and some aspects of the story seem to me very much a product of its time (copyright 1964). It might be interesting to compare this to another procedural written in the last decade. I figured out some of the answer before the denouement, which may have detracted from my enjoyment.

[empressreece · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First Weford book- will continue reading series!

[janepat-619237 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book starts with the inexplicable death of an "ordinary housewife." There's not much gore or killing, just a death that keeps the reader asking, WHY? Meet some quirky characters and get inside the mind of some messed up people along the way. I love Ruth Rendell, and she was incredibly prolific and creative.

[raizel_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Daniel Mallory, in the Afterword, explains that the the Inspector Wexford books get better as the series progresses. He is impressed that the author mentions at least one gay character, but Josephine Tey did this over a decade earlier. (I just happened to read To Love and Be Wise around the same time.) The only character I enjoyed was Mike Burden.

[rosalita_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first in Rendell's Inspector Wexford series, which someone tempted me with recently. You can see flashes of what became a classic series here but overall it's a fairly ordinary murder mystery set in the 1960s. I'll keep reading despite the "Introduction to Inspector Wexford" piece at the back of the book that quoted Rendell as saying she hates Agatha Christie. What?! Blasphemy, I tell you.

[ajlewis2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The plot was very good, but I felt that the story dragged and was not engaging. Still it was a good reading and I did not want to put it down until I found out whodunit.

[crazeedi73 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wish the Inspector's character would have been more developed. Maybe in the following books it will be, so I am reserving judgement. The book was a quick read, it did keep my interest, but I hope the next ones are better

[ffortsa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This first Wexford police procedural shows its age; its 1964 moral stereotypes date the story badly. I had the answer way before the plodding detectives figure it out, and then, oh horrors! the truth is revealed. I shouldn't make fun of it. At least Rendell acknowledged such things could happen. But she conforms to the hysteria of the day, alas.

[anaraguard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I came across this mystery--Ruth Rendell's first ever. Although I enjoyed it, I don't recommend it wholeheartedly. It was quite obvious, from a somewhat stilted literary device and a rather oldfashioned viewpoint (it was first published in 1962 after all), what the big reveal turned out to be. So, as a mystery, I can't give it high marks. But as a first time effort, and as a character study, it showed the great promise that Ms. Rendell/Ms. Vine turned out to possess. Only for diehard fans, I think.

[booksfordinner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Realized that I had (oddly) never read a Ruth Rendell mystery, so I started at the beginning. Kind of a standard English mystery, not much of the psychological thing that she became so well known for, though you can see what was coming now that we know what she became!

[bookswoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first Ruth Rendell book. It is always surprising to go back and read books from earlier times. First published in 1964, this book moves at a slower pace and has pretty laid back police and suspects. I enjoyed the story but did struggle a bit to keep everything straight. When Margaret Parsons is found dead it is a puzzle. She is a 40ish woman, seemingly happily married and living in a quiet English village. This book introduces Chief Inspector Wexford and he is the basis for the series.I had no idea who "Doon" was and the reveal was a surprise. I'll be reading more in the series.

[jtck121166 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

On the death of Ruth Rendell, I sought this out to see what all the fuss had bee about. It's fairly gentle, and Wexford is clearly not yet fully formed. Obviously of its time, it hasn't really stood the test of time, as perhaps best symbolised by the supposedly shocking denouement, which today wouldn't raise the eyebrow of an infant (through no fault of the author!).

[grandpahobo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good mystery. I didn't guess who did it until the very end. The story was a bit choppy at times, with scenes shifting without any real transition.

[redheadish · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was not impressed by this first book, I found it hard to stick with finishing "From Doon With Death" It wasn't a hard read its just that I lost interest whitch doesn't happen often. Generally I don't interrupt a book with starting another but not once but twice I I did. I have to say I enjoyed the Two Janet Evanovich books more than this book! Which is sad because I bought like the first 5 or so of Ruth Rendall's thinking they might be really good. Ah well I will try another just to make sure.

[jalenv_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Because I've already listened to later books books in this series, including a couple which take place after Inspector Wexford retired, listening to the first book had no effect on whether or not I'd listen to more. I agree with other reviewers who think the solution might have been more surprising back when the book came out. I will commend the author for chucking red herrings about during the climax. Several times she had me wondering if I'd guessed the killer after all. All of the suspects are married (except for the newly-widowed husband, of course), but not all are faithful.Rather wish Ms. Rendell had let us know how the widower reacted to the revelation and his murdered wife's last letter. He was one of the two characters I pitied.

[infjsarah · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I may have read this book before many years ago but didn't remember it. I didn't realise until I'd finished that it was the first book. It was written in the 60s and you can tell this by its thinness (golly novels are fat nowadays) and by the motivation of the murder. I doubt modern audiences would have much trouble in working it out.I still enjoyed it though and because I remember the TV series, Wexford and Burden were full characters to me already so I didn't feel they were lacking.

[gail616 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read through in one sitting. Very much enjoyed it. Will read more of her books.

[scottkalas · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wished I could say I like it but truth is it was a boring read. Being one who always gives everything more then one try, I imagine I'll read another of Rendell's books but will not be in a hurry to do so.

I could never really get into any of the characters especially Inspector Wexford. The ending was good but all the events leading to it never reached a level of suspense where it was hard to put down. In fact it was quite easy to put down and almost became a chore to finish. A short book of only 191 pages took me twice as long to read a 300 page book.

Oh well not every book can be must read and 'From Doon With Death' certainly fell short of 'must read' stature

[majkia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First in the Inspector Wexler series. I was a bit disappointed in this, as we learned little of the Inspector and he came across, to me, as not at all the sort of guy I’d like to know better. Hopefully that will change as the series progresses.

[ebeach_9 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Up until now my enjoyment of Ruth Rendell's works have been experienced through the audiobook media. I have finally decided to actually read the Wexford mysteries and started with this one, her first. It was a good read but Wexford's character is not so fully developed here and I was disappointed that I so rapidly and guessed who Doon was. Kept my interest throughout though. A pretty good first effort.

[sarah1e · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not as compelling as some of Rendell's other works, but still quite interesting. Wexford isn't as lovable or intelligent as I thought he would be given the series' popularity, but he could grow on me in another book or two.

[julesjones_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First of the Inspector Wexford novels, first published in 1964, and very much of its time. Inspector Burden's neighbour asks for some unofficial help when he comes home to find his wife missing. Burden's more interested in escaping to his planned trip to the cinema, assuming that the woman has simply had an assignation and missed her bus or train home. But when Margaret Parsons is found murdered in nearby woods, Burden and Wexford have a mystery on their hands. Who would want to kill a quiet, nondescript housewife who seemed devoted to her husband? There are few clues, until they discover the dead woman had a collection of expensive books, inscribed from "Doon". An old lover, perhaps, one who hadn't accepted that she had moved on and married elsewhere. But finding the pseudonymous Doon is another matter.It's fairly well constructed and written, and while the lead characters aren't that well developed, they do come across as distinct personalities even in this short novel. There's a strong focus on psychological study of the various suspects and witnesses, and Wexford is shown as a broad-minded man whose uncensorious attitude to human frailities can be an asset in his job. But I found the general shape of the solution far too obvious from the very beginning of the book, and was disappointed to find that I was right.

[jayne_charles_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ruth Rendell's first Inspector Wexford novel, if I'm not much mistaken. Spoiled a little for me by the fact that I worked out the twist very early on, and was able to narrow down the suspects. Perhaps I should just be impressed that enough clues were dropped early enough in the story to make this possible.

[piemouth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Her first Inspector Wexford novel, and it’s still good.

[smik_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In six years of married life Ronald Parsons had never come home to an empty house. Margaret was always there, and after only an hour and a half of waiting, he approached Mike Burden who lived just down the road. Burden's new boss Chief Inspector Reg Wexford is of the opinion that Margaret has bolted, but he sets Burden to doing the usual checks, with no real results. Two days later Margaret's body is discovered in the woods on the outskirts of town, and that's when it becomes obvious that Margaret had a life, a history, that her husband knew nothing about.Not only was FROM DOON WITH DEATH the first book in the Wexford series, it was Ruth Rendell's debut novel. FROM DOON WITH DEATH is in some senses a "forgotten book". This year the Wexford series of 22 titles comes to an end with THE MONSTER IN THE BOX.In the history of the series FROM DOON WITH DEATH is important because it introduces Wexford and Burden, and really broke new ground in crime fiction with the creation of a detective duo in what was essentially a police procedural. Interestingly Wexford is already 52 years old, and so Rendell is immediately faced with the problem of how to age her detective. As Reactions to Reading points out in her recent post, if he had been aged in real-time, a la Ian Rankin's Rebus, Wexford would now be 97. So I reckon Wexford and Burden only age 1 year every 5 or 6 years, although their children do grow up.I don't think FROM DOON WITH DEATH is Rendell's best book. It has many signs that this is a debut novel. In addition to its comparative brevity, I think Rendell's understanding of police procedures is a bit limited. Wexford comes over with a coarseness that is considerably reduced in later books, where he and Burden are both given quite detailed back-stories, and elements of family interest. And speaking of elements, I think there is a gender element in FROM DOON WITH DEATH, and if you read the book you'll see what I mean, that must have been a bit of a jolt for crime fiction readers in the mid 1960s.