As a young policeman in London Inspector Wexford is stymied in one of his first cases. Sure that Eric Targo had strangled a young woman with a scarf the Inspector has no proof. Eric is a strange man. He is short and stocky, powerfully built and mysterious. He always wears a scarf pulled up high on his neck to hide a large and nasty looking birthmark. In the days following the murder Wexford observes this strange man walking his dog. Many times Eric is seen outside Wexford’s lodgings and seems to be watching and leering at the policeman as if taunting him.
Over the ensuing years Wexford has many more cases but he never forgets about this strange man and never gives up on trying to find evidence to get justice done. Many more unsolved strangulations litter the London landscape over the years that the Inspector is sure could be traced back to Eric.
During a current investigation involving the disappearance of a young Moslem girl, Wexford begins to see more of Eric Targo. He feels that he may at last begin to see the connections between the monster and his victims as the search continues for the missing girl.
In a strange twist at the end Wexford comes face to face with Eric Targo and finally justice is served. But it is served in a way we readers may find unexpected. But then, the unexpected is what we expect of a good mystery writer.
“The Monster in the Box” is a bit slow moving having lots of description of feelings and very little action. I found it a bit tedious and give this one a 2 of 10 on the Weaver meter.
