The tranquility of Inez’ life is interrupted when a young girl is strangled in a nearby street. The police arrive at the shop to make routine inquiries which prompts Inez to have two thoughts. First, these policemen are nothing like the elegant inspector that her late actor husband portrayed in several films. Second, she does not really know much about her tenants except that which they have cared to share with her. They could easily be lying.

In fact, Inez’ one employee, Zeinab, a young lady who says she is leading a double life to escape the tyranny of her strict Muslim father, may be someone quite different from the persona she projects. Inez cannot help but be increasingly aware that she might be harboring a murderer, but she has no idea which of her tenants, or, perhaps, her employee is guilty.

Though it is purportedly Zeintab’s job to keep the shop neat and tidy, her efforts are somewhat lackluster. Inez, seeking to restore some order as well as inventory her stock, decides to do some dusting. She finds a silver cross on a broken chain which seems unfamiliar to her. She becomes uneasy when she recalls the television news of the night before. The newscaster had mentioned that the latest strangled victim had been wearing a silver cross, which looked remarkably like the one she has just discovered in her shop. Could the strangler be one of her customers who needed to rid himself of a damaging piece of evidence?

Ruth Rendell, in her signature style, has several subplots running concurrently which eventually merge by the end of the novel. In this book, unlike many of her others, the subplots are connected as all involve at least one of Inez’s tenants. Her characters are, to put it mildly, weird. Will is unique even in his mental slowness. He has some characteristics of autism, or one of its varieties, but it is mentioned that he has a chromosomal abnormality as well. Certainly the world viewed through Will’s eyes is much different than most adults. It is fascinating to watch how he interprets the actions of others. Zeinab’s deception is revealed to the reader fairly early on, but how she proceeds to continue her charade holds the reader’s attention. Ludmila remains an enigma, but her paramour, Freddy, discloses his background, through which an intricate subplot develops. The perfect tenant, Jeremy Quick, is found to be anything but. The reasons for his behavior are a mystery not only to the reader but to Jeremy himself until a chance encounter clarifies everything. The ingenious way that Jeremy discovers this reason shows how fully Rendell develops her characters.

Though the mystery of who is strangling a series of young women with no apparent connection is a main ingredient in The Rottweiler, the gradual revelation of each of the personalities of the main characters is an important theme of the book. Though not the sort of folk one would choose for a best friend, it is interesting to see how events within a person’s life can shape their behavior and outlook. Though the genesis of Will’s learning difficulties are not clearly indicated, how he interprets the world around him is worthy of thought. The other characters’ actions, while not laudable, are imminently plausible in view of the environment in which they live.

Ruth Rendell is often commended for her way with words. She continues to excel on this front in The Rottweiler. At times it seems to take her a while to get to a point, but, on reflection, one can easily see why she chose the route she did. The background is necessary to understand the situation. The setting is meticulously detailed allowing the reader to develop a precise picture in his mind of the world in which the players are operating. There is no question but that Ms. Rendell continues to produce very high quality novels.

--Andy Plonka