A review by dennisfischman
A Sleeping Life by Ruth Rendell

4.0

This book is very dated, and I mean that in the best possible way. The mystery and the subplot about Wexford's family are completely true to the 1970's, when even middle-class white women were scrutinizing their marriages in light of the sexist division of labor (and respect) in the economy. Wexford and Burden, the odd couple of the Kingsmarkham police force, are both retro in certain of their opinions and expressions, but you can see the evolution going on in each of them. And I find it remarkable that starting from the beginning, Rendell addressed social issues--especially gender issues--that we are still grappling with today, and in an unforced way that fit easily into the genre.