Try free for 2 months

  • The Speaker of Mandarin

  • A Chief Inspector Wexford Mystery, Book 12 (Unabridged)
  • By: Ruth Rendell
  • Narrated by: Michael Bryant
  • Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (63 ratings)

A 2 month free trial (limited time offer).
1 credit/month—to buy any title you like, yours to keep.
Listen all you want to a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
AUD $16.45/mo after 2 months. Renews automatically. Cancel anytime.
The Speaker of Mandarin cover art

The Speaker of Mandarin

By: Ruth Rendell
Narrated by: Michael Bryant
Free with 2 month trial

AUD $16.45/mo after 2 months. Renews automatically. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $21.99

Buy Now for $21.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

There were some things about Chief Inspector Wexford's trip to China that he could never have dreamt of: That an old woman would haunt him from one city to the next. That a man would be tragically drowned. Or that, back in England, he would be investigating the murder of one of his fellow tourists.

©2009 Ruth Rendell (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Speaker of Mandarin

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    33
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    31
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    30
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Hasn’t aged well…

This Ruth Rendell hasn’t aged well. It’s set in the 1980’s but is so crammed with snobbish middle class values, misogyny and racism that it’s hard to believe these attitudes were acceptable even then. Disappointing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Intriguing but long winded

I eventually enjoyed this book, a bit long winded and the book goes into a lot of different intermingling stories and one wonders where it is going.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Narrator is boring

The narrator did not excel on this reading. At times, he seems to be rushing to get through the story. Very little expression, and most of the characters sound the same, which makes it difficult to follow.

I probably won't finish this book, which is a shame, because I have enjoyed the other Wexford stories.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Best avoided, full of racial cliches

Definitely not one of Ruth Rendell better Wexford stories. Choc full of racial cliches and stereotypes. Reflects a time when casual racism was the norm. An angry intolerant racist Wexford. The disparaging of China, Chinese characters etc ends up being racist window dressing that has little to do with the ultimate murderer. Sad, it has tarnished my view of an otherwise excellent author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

okish

alright, but not one of the better ones. I enjoy them more when the narrator does an accent for Wexford.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.