Wexford’s Paradox
Review of the Arrow Books/Cornerstone Digital Kindle eBook edition (2010) of the original Hutchinson (UK) hardcover (1988).

‘Have you ever heard of the Fallacy of Enkekalymmenos?’
‘The what?’
‘It means “the veiled one” and it goes something like this. “Can you recognize your mother?” “Yes.” “Can you recognize this veiled one?” “No.” “This veiled one is your mother. Hence you can recognize your mother and not recognize her.” - Wexford cites one of the 7 paradoxes of the philosopher Eubulides (4th Century BCE).

I didn't enjoy this Wexford as much as the others as the Chief Inspector is off the page for much of the book when he is distracted by his daughter Sheila's activism and then becomes injured during a botched bombing attempt. This puts Mike Burden in charge for much of the investigation which becomes a lot of tiresome re-interviews of the same characters. One of those suspects forms a bizarre attachment to Burden and begins to stalk him.

The case itself involves a murdered woman found in a shopping mall parking garage whose body has been covered with a curtain. Various witnesses become suspects as we discover that they and the victim have hidden secrets and issues. Due to Wexford's absence for much of the book we don't get as much of the usual banter and quotes from classical literature which are my favourite moments in the series.

The Veiled One continues my 2023 binge read / re-read of Ruth Rendell and this is the 14th of the Inspector Wexford series. I am mostly reading the Wexfords in chronological order, but had already re-read the 13th An Unkindness of Ravens (1985) last year through the discovery of an old paperback in a storage locker cleanout.

See cover at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2e/TheVeiledOne.jpg
Cover image for the original Hutchinson (UK) hardcover edition from 1988. Image sourced from Wikipedia By http://pictures.abebooks.com/BIGGMAXX/692300592.jpg, Fair use, Link.

Other Reviews
Review at Publishers Weekly, 1988.

The Veiled One was adapted for television as part of the Ruth Rendell / Inspector Wexford Mysteries TV series (1987-2000) as Season 3 Episode 7 in 1989 with actor George Baker as Inspector Wexford. You can watch the entire 3 episodes on YouTube here. ( )

Un ama de casa sesentona con un marido artrítico es encontrada asesinada en un aparcamiento. Las sospechas recaerán en un joven neurótico. Al mismo tiempo, una bomba destruye la casa del inspector Wexford mientras su hija es amenazada por haberse manifestado contra las armas nucleares...

I found it a bit wordy at the beginning, but it improved as it went along.
An old style of writing, everything needs to be explained.
Tension built up as I got into the story. The solution was cleverly concealed till the last few pages.
Needed to use the dictionary a few times.
123> basilisk look= a legendary creature, said to kill by its breath or look.
135> fallacy of enkekalymmenos (Masked-man fallacy)= example:
Premise 1: Lois Lane believes that Superman can fly.
Premise 2: Lois Lane does not believe that Clark Kent can fly.
Conclusion: Therefore Superman and Clark Kent are not the same person.
217> pastrami= A highly seasoned smoked cut of beef, usually taken from the shoulder.
225> evince= To show or demonstrate clearly; ( )

In The Veiled One, Chief Inspector Wexford and his longtime assistant Inspector Mike Burden investigate the murder of an older woman found strangled (or garroted) to death in a drab parking garage. Although Rendell demonstrates her usual mastery of psychology, both normal and abnormal, the plot creaks from the contrivances the writer forces on it. Simply put, too much happens by coincidence, which, in part, necessitates a long-winded denouement.

Early on, Wexford is removed from the investigation, bringing Burden front and center. Perhaps overly eager to prove his worth, Burden's prime suspect--actually his only suspect--is Clifford Sanders, a sad, obviously disturbed young man with the mother from hell. Burden pursues his quarry with a dogged enthusiasm that Inspector Javert might have envied. Again and again, Burden interrogates the young man for hours on end, certain that with the next interrogation, he'll finally confess. But somewhere along the way, their roles are reversed, with surprising and tragic consequences.

So despite its structural problems, the novel is worth reading, if only for those luscious scenes between Burden and Clifford.
[bookcover:The Veiled One|361611] ( )

Honestly I didnt care for this book as much as the others. Im not sure what it is about it. Partly I believe it was the way the ending was laid out. Rendell didnt do a very good job of summing up the story and Explaining who the murderer was at the end. Also, i just hard time reading parts of it. I noticed I start reading the same line over and over again. So anyways, I hope the next one is much better like the rest of the series Ive read so far. ( )