A welcome return for Wexford

No Man's Nightingale, the new title from Ruth Rendell, is another chance to meet old favourite Reg Wexford.  Now retired and plain Mr Wexford, he is - like John Rebus - unable to step away into an armchair retirement.  Instead he finds himself travelling between Suffolk and London as he is drawn into a murder investigation.

Sara Hussain, an ordained single mother, is found murdered in the vicarage but there all clichés end.  Instead we are led into a convoluted investigation.  Sara has left behind an orphaned daughter and a mysterious past.  Several people know about her history but the accounts conflict.  Wexford finds his interest growing as he hears from several people, including his wife, Dora, who is a member of Sara's congregation, about the affect Sara has had on the community and Mike Burden, once Wexford's bagman but now heading the murder investigation, is glad to co-opt his old boss and use his experience and knowledge of the community to good effect.

There are many twists to the plot and a little conflict between Wexford and Burden but their combined wisdom opens up some interesting social issues before the mysteries in the book are resolved.

The Wexford series is a long one now but each title adds pleasingly to our knowledge of these characters who are like old friends to their regular readers.  The author knows their foibles so well and is such a good psychologist that her characters always have a satisfying realism and truth about them.  Long may Reg Wexford continue to dabble in crime and to irritate Mike Burden to such good effect!