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Kissing the Gunner's Daughter Paperback – January 1, 1993

by Ruth Rendell (Author)

700

Book 15 of 24: Inspector Wexford

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A bank job goes wrong and a Kingsmarkham detective sergeant is killed. Months later, the Flory family are slaughtered at home by an unknown assassin. The cases seem unrelated. But Chief Inspector Wexford is not so sure. By the author of "The Copper Peacock" and "The Bridesmaid".

Book 15 of 24

Inspector Wexford
Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Arrow Books
Publication date

January 1, 1993
Dimensions

4.33 x 0.98 x 7.01 inches
ISBN-10

0099249111
ISBN-13

978-0099101512
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arrow Books; paperback / softback edition (January 1, 1993)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0099249111
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0099101512
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.33 x 0.98 x 7.01 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,081,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #15,273 in Police Procedurals (Books)
- #40,824 in Crime Thrillers (Books)
- #494,189 in Literature & Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
700

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Ruth Rendell

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Edgar Award–winning author Ruth Rendell (1930-2015) wrote more than seventy books and sold more than twenty million copies worldwide. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (London), she was the recipient of the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Crime Writers’ Association. Rendell’s award-winning novels include A Demon in My View (1976), A Dark-Adapted Eye (1987), and King Solomon’s Carpet (1991). Her popular crime stories featuring Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford were adapted into a long-running British television series (1987–2000) starring George Baker.

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4.2 out of 5

700 global ratings

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Desert Island

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2018

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You only get to take one Ruth to a deserted Desert Island. This could be it. I am only up to Book 15 of her Wexfords so it may be too early to call. KTGD has plenty of suspects and many new words (for me) as in “susurration”. Enjoy the solitude with Ruth.

2 people found this helpful

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L.A.R.

Good experience

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2023

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The book came as advertised: in good shape. So: pleased.

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2020

Verified Purchase

excellent story. Good suspense. Book was very old and crumbly; I paid for a new book.

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

To me, at least, it was pretty obvious who was involved in the murder, so I keep wondering why Wexford and his colleagues didn't catch on, too. Of course, there was an emotional involvement that clouded his judgement. Still, I was disappointed and rather irritated. I don't think is quite up to usual Rendell standards

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robert d gregory

Excellent narration on this fine example from the Wexford series.

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2018

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All her wexford mysteries are good, though a little less strong near the end of the series. This one is really clever and the dialogue is a plus as always.

3 people found this helpful

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Michael K. Smith

A bit long but it'll keep your attention for the whole trip

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2013

Rendell is far better known in Britain than among U.S. detective story fans. Roughly half her books are in the "Inspector Wexford" series, the rest being individual novels, mostly of the suspense/thriller variety. The earlier Wexford books, which are classic police procedurals (the first published in 1965) set in the London-suburban town of Kingsmarkham, aren't bad but they're rather formulaic and not at all memorable. This one, though, is about the fifteenth in the series and it's far more subtle and mature in its plot and characters.

One of Kingsmarkham's residents is celebrity author Davina Flory, who lives at her estate, Tancred, with her third husband, her somewhat vacant and ditzy daughter, and her seventeen-year-old granddaughter, Daisy. Plus, of course, a small coterie of servants and estate workers. Wexford and his team are already caught up in the murder of one of their sergeants during a bank robbery but they have to drop everything when a call comes in about a home invasion and massacre up at Tancred. Only Daisy, badly wounded, has survived. Wexford sets up his murder room in the converted stable block and begins chipping away at the case, interviewing everyone he can find, trying to locate a couple others who have disappeared, and attempting to come up with a recreation of the assault that will logically work. As the story progresses, and it's rather a long one, we slowly learn more about the backgrounds of each of the principal players and how they really related to each other, and the reader will find his own take on the murders shifting.

And while all this is happening, Wexford also is struggling in his relationship with the youngest of his two daughters, who has taken up with a smarmy, arrogant novelist who insults everyone at every opportunity. Finally Dad can't contain himself and tells Sheila exactly what he thinks. Bad mistake. All in all, it's a well-thought-out and absorbing story, and very well written.

2 people found this helpful

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Alice Truitt

It was great just like I knew it would

Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2015

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It was great just like I knew it would. I've been reading Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford for many years. This and another book are the only ones I couldn't find in Kindle.

2 people found this helpful

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shrink six

If you enjoy Inspector Wexford

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2014

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If you enjoy Inspector Wexford, you will love this book on CDs. The reader is great with the different character voices and the ending is quite a surprise!

3 people found this helpful

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Packer Priscilla

One of her best

Reviewed in France on August 1, 2015

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One her best reads, good story line, excellent characterization of Wexfords relationships with Daisy Jones and his daughter Sheila. Enjoyed from beginning to end.

Iain C. Davidson

Keeps you interested throughout...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2014

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'Kissing The Gunner's Daughter' has something of a false start. You think the story is going to be one thing but it quickly turns into another and that's a good thing! Rendell is back among the academic upper middle classes in this country house massacre but the people involved on this occasion are actually quite interesting, especially elderly celebrated anthropologist Davina Flory who meets a nasty end together with her 'nice but dull' husband and daughter. Also interesting is grand-daughter Daisy who narrowly survives the incident. Wexford becomes fascinated by her and she is truly central to the plot.

I like that Rendell's characters have their flaws. Despite her fame, it quickly becomes clear that Davina Flory was not an especially nice woman. Lovely though Daisy is most of the time, there are several examples of 'spoiled little rich girl' outbursts and behaviour that make her that bit more interesting. True, there are some 'stock' characters (the Virsons and, to a degree, the Harrisons spring to mind) but I really enjoyed the likes of Gunner Jones, Joanne Garland and even Bib Mew! Rendell excels in the descriptive passages here. She writes a great deal about the woods and grounds surrounding Tancred House but it never gets boring and its beautifully done. We see the woods change from late winter to early spring and we could almost be there.

I think the pacing is good and although its longer than the early Wexford novels, it never feels too long. If I have a couple of minor gripes - I'm not crazy about the 'Wexford family drama' subplot - daughter Sheila always comes off as affected and annoying! I also think that the second murder doesn't really add anything and feels very much like a plot device (throw in a second murder to keep them interested...) Wexford's unfolding of the denouement at the end feels about right this time and I love the simplicity of the last few lines. All in all, an excellent story!

2 people found this helpful

Dory Doric

A Decent Wexford Novel

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2023

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Now don't get me wrong. Ruth Rendell is one of my favourite authors, but I never took to Wexford really. I couldn't identify with his love of fine wines and all that. This is the first Wexford I've read in over 20 years. Okay, older and wiser myself I understand him a bit better. I enjoyed this book but found it a little bit too long winded. Nowhere near as gripping as some of her other non-Wexford books. But even a predictable and slightly underwhelming book by Ruth Rendall is well worth reading.

Galley, gisele

Kissing the gunner's daughter

Reviewed in France on January 16, 2014

Verified Purchase

Wexford est un inspecteur tres aime, mais dans ce livre le deroulement de l'enquete est un peu lent. Toutefois on a du plaisir a lire Ruth Rendell.

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F. M. Havicon

Rendell excellence.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

A stark, edgy and punchy start, showing up more recent crime thrillers as second tier (this one now 30 years old). The prose stays at a high standard as the story settles into more familiar Rendell territory, including an update on the soap opera of Wexford's home life. Red herrings supplied as always by Burden, so whatever he says look elsewhere for clues. A very traditional whodunnit in many ways, with a summing up at the end and the villains revealed on, yes, the last page. Only 59 more Rendell back catalogue titles to read! Happy lockdown.

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