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  • The Veiled One

  • A Chief Inspector Wexford Mystery, Book 14
  • By: Ruth Rendell
  • Narrated by: Robin Bailey
  • Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (579 ratings)
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The Veiled One cover art

The Veiled One

By: Ruth Rendell
Narrated by: Robin Bailey
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Summary

Concealed by a shroud of dirty brown velvet was what looked like a heap of rags. In a desolate subterranean car park of a Shopping Centre, Dorothy Sanders pulled back the velvet curtain revealing the grim discovery of a woman’s body. Inspector Michael Burden, for a while conducting the investigation without the help of Wexford’s intuitive genius, blunders down a number of blind alleys before uncovering the truth. Who would garrote a middle-aged housewife and leave her body in the parking garage of a suburban shopping mall? Chief Inspector Wexford is no sooner on the case than a car bomb's explosion lands him in the hospital. It's now up to Mike Burden to step in and solve the case. He's got a suspect . . . but will he be able to make him talk?

©1988 Ruth Rendell (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Veiled One

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Awful narration

The narrator sounds unbelievably bored throughout the story making it very difficult to enjoy. I really enjoy Ruth Rendell's books but this one was a major fail due to the performance of Mr. Bailey. I had to rewind constantly as I kept zoning out due to the monotonous tone. PLEASE Audible ...PLEASE return to Nigel Anthony for Rendell's inspector Wexford books.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Complex psychological detective story

This is vintage Ruth Rendell in that the story pivots around a psychologically damaged young man and his very peculiar controlling mother: a style of fiction of which she is unsurpassed. The narrator of this audio version doesn't try to do different voices but the characters are clearly delineated and the multiple facets of the story unfold in a comprehensible way. There is a peripheral story involving Chief Inspector Wexford's actress daughter. If you enjoy the Wexford TV series it's interesting to compare the interplay between Wexford and Inspector Burden in the books with how it is depicted on screen in that Wexford is less tetchy and Burden more pernickety in the books.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Kept me guessing until the end

The characters were very well depicted and seemed to come alive. Lots of red herrings and blind alleys which made this an entertaining 'who done it'' mystery.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

wexford

already read this good typical Wexford. keeps you guessing until the very end of the book

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not the best Rendell.

I read this years ago and couldn't remember "who done it". Lots of characters and red herrings. It took me a while to get Robin Bailey's style but I quite liked it - didn't grate like some voices. Had to laugh at some parts in the story. All in all a good listen.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Easy listening, great twists!

I enjoyed the flow, the style and the characters. The story was excellent and really got you thinking. I do enjoy Inspector Wexford books.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Boring

Boring and repetitive that's not helps by a seemingly bored reader. Better since of purpose and pace in many of her other books

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A bit dull

Not the best Ruth Rendell story I’ve listened to
It was a bit boring tbh and the narrator was rather monotone sadly

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent plot as always

The twists and turns the story took were typical of a Wexford case. The only thing that marred the title was the narrator’s seemingly chronic indigestion.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Jo
  • 03-01-24

Not the best

As a story it was ok. But I wasn’t thrilled with the narrator, he seemed bored at times .

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