Not in the Flesh: 21 (Inspector Wexford) - Softcover

"Ghoulish fun.... The height of her malevolent powers. Rendell can do whatever she likes and still get away with it." --The New York Times"Vivid and witty. Wexford is his usual smart, compassionate self as he unravels a web of lies and deception larger than any of the characters realize." --Los Angeles Times"To call Ruth Rendell prolific is akin to calling the Grand Canyon a slight dip in the landscape. . . . Not in the Flesh is the work of a writer who continues to command respect and satisfy her legion of writers." --Richmond Times-Dispatch"The unflappable detective still hasn't worn out his welcome.... A fine example of Rendell's sharp writing, intelligence, and humanity."--The Christian Science Monitor"In the best whodunit tradition, Rendell advances her plot through surprises...so shocking they dash all calculations."--The New York Times Book Review

After a truffle-hunting dog unearths a human hand instead of a precious fungus, Chief Inspector Wexford and his team proceed to interrogate everyone who lives nearby to see if they can turn up a match for the errant appendage among the eighty-five people who have disappeared over the past decade in this part of England. Then, when a second body is discovered nearby, Wexford experiences a feeling that's become a rarity for the veteran policeman: surprise. As Wexford painstakingly moves to resolve these multiple mysteries, long-buried secrets are brought to daylight, and Ruth Rendell once again proves why she has been hailed as our greatest living mystery writer.