The Remorseful Day

Veiled One by Ruth Rendell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started The Veiled One with some apprehension. I am not a big fan of psychological mysteries, recently biting the dust after reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, which was high on psychology and very low on twists and thrill. And, as Rendell is known for her psychological mysteries, more for her ‘why-done-it’ than the ‘who-done-it’, I started this book cautiously, not sure what to expect. But, by the end, I was panting, out of breath, and trying to tell everyone that what a great crime novel I had just finished.

I can spare only one line for the plot, anything more would take away the pleasure of the discovery of the motive or the culprit. A woman is found garrotted to death in a shopping mall car park, and Wexford along with Burden is called upon to investigate the death.

The characters were richly drawn. Rendell had spent a lot of words on her characters. Even those with small parts were given an identity of their own. But, she did it in such a way that they never obstructed the flow of the plot. In fact, they became a part of the main plot. It was almost that if the reader didn’t go through these characterisations, the mystery would remain incomplete.

The plot, as well as the book started off at a moderate speed. But, as the book progressed, especially after 3/4th had gone by, I was disappointed and was ready to give the book a 2 star rating. But, then the twists started coming, hard and fast, and I was hooked. I was hooked and I had decided to give the book a minimum of 5 stars.

A highly enjoyable book. Highly recommended to any reader who loves a traditional British mystery with a dose of twist, and a gentleman detective with a sidekick, present to solve the case.


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