An Unkindness of Ravens
(1985)
Blurb:
My review:
A work that combines a scathing look at political extremism, the psychology of adolescent girls and a gripping police procedural, with themes of feminism, extremism, the generation gap, the gender gap, the class gap and paedophilia. The plot concerns the murder of Rodney Williams, a bigamist, stabbed to death presumably by one of his wives, who may have some connection with ARRIA, a militant feminist organisation. May I say, once and for all, that I detest all feminists, political correctness and extremists of any kind whatsoever? Rendell seems to do so as well. Although she makes the point that “revolutionaries are always extreme. If they’re not, if they compromise with liberalism, all their principles fizzle out and you’re back with the status quo,” her Chief Inspector Wexford, a liberal conservative as most reasonable people are, doesn’t approve. Although the surprising ending shows Rendell’s interest in psychology, with terms such as solipsism, folie à deux and Freudian seduction theory being tossed around with gay abandon, there is not too much psychology, and Burden’s familial problems do not intrude.