Ruth Rendell Mysteries (TV Series) Wolf to the Slaughter: Part Four (1987) User Reviews

Very slow, but the mystery is solved.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 15 May 2024]

Mrs Anstey provides a vital clue, one that leads Wexford and Burden to the truth.

Talk about going round the houses, it certainly takes its time to lead us to the eventual explanation. You can tell it's the 1980's, not just the fashions and horrible music, but the eternally long scenes, some of them go on for ages.

Three hours on, and I'm still here, so I've stuck with it, there was enough to keep my attention.

It's a decent enough watch, but my advice is definitely to read the book instead, it's a whole lot more absorbing.

It's a solid, watchable adaptation, but it's too long, too padded out, and that music is shocking.

Can't argue with Baker or Ravenscroft, even in this debut mystery, they make a cracking team, the productions would definitely get better as time went on.

A shame this hasn't had a commercial DVD release, not even in Germany.

6/10.

Wolf to the Slaughter: Part Four

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 1 March 2021]

So far Anita Margolis has been missing and presumed dead.

There was always the possibility that if this socialite shared some of her brother's eccentricities. She could still be alive and have an innocent explanation for it all.

The trail regarding the gold lighter leads to a reassessment. Just what if it the late Geoff Smith did not have it but someone else.

Mrs Anstey who was Smith's former wife provides a grisly clue.

There were several lengthy explanations which was to me more padding. Mrs Anstey using Wexford's couch as a confessional is a good example.

The twist being that Anita shows up alive and well could only mean that the alleged killer Anstey must be dead somewhere. Someone must have been responsible for his death and his attraction for knives was probably what did it for him.

This was a story that could had been done in two episodes. It lacked polish and needed a better script.

I also thought Christopher Ravenscroft sounding like he just stepped off the stage from the Royal Shakespeare Company was an odd move. Maybe it was done to contrast with Wexford's country accent. To me he came across as an actor playing a detective.