The Monster in the Box by Ruth Rendell

In the Monster in the Box, Inspector Wexford reminicises about one of his early cases as a young detective. A woman was strangled to death in her home and the killer is still at large.

Wexford knows Eric Targo is the killer but has no evidence. If Wexford said that he knew Targo was the killer because of the way he looked at Wexford or because Targo stalked him would anybody believe him. Wexford never talked about this instinct to anybody. Well nearly after three decades his best buddy and side-kick Burden does not believe him. Wexford feels that Targo may have killed at least three people, he could have killed more. He has to find the evidence bring him to book. He can't let a psychopath run loose, can he?

Ruth Rendell presents a different kind of psychopath, animal lover but human hater here. Atheist feminist anti-racist pro-Muslim Detective Hannah Goldsmith has a difficult time trying to balance between her different -isms. There is the side story about young Tamima's forced marriage, imagined or otherwise. Ruth Rendell at her best. I loved it.
I borrowed this book from my local library.

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