Customer Reviews (1)

My fifth go round reading these novels.
I love all of the Wexford mysteries. They are riveting no matter how many times you re read them, The Best Man to die is one of my favorites. I just wish the Wexford mysteries starring George Baker were available on dvd. ... Read more

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Most people would have screamed. Mrs Hathall made no sound. She had seen death many times, but she had never witnessed death by violence. Heavily, she plodded across the room and descended the stairs to where her son waited. "There’s been an accident," she said. "Your wife’s dead."

Chief Inspector Wexford could discover no motive, no reason, no suspect. All he had were his own intuitive suspicions. Probably he was reading meaning where there was none; probably Angela Hathall really had picked up a stranger, and that stranger had killed her. But why such doubt? Is Wexford becoming cynical and untrusting? Or is this simply one of the most ingenious crimes he has ever tackled?


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

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Here are five classic Wexford cases that display his remarkable ingenuity — and that of his creator. Ranging from the more everyday crimes of passion and violence in quiet Kingsmarkham, to a bizarre murder in Yugoslavia, each is a case which challenges Detective Chief Inspector Wexford's considerable imagination and resourcefulness, and the patient reasoning of the long suffering Burden. ... Read more

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Gossip in tiny Linchester is raised to new heights when young Patrick Selby dies on the night of his beautiful wife's birthday party. The whole neighborhood was there, witness to the horrible attack of wasps Peter suffered at the end of the evening. But did Peter die of the stings? Dr. Greenleaf thinks not. After all, wasps aren't the only creatures that kill with poison . . .
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A TRADITIONAL WHODUNIT...
This mystery by Ruth Rendell is one of her earlier efforts. It offers none of the well-drawn psychological portraits for which she would later become known. Instead, she offers the reader a somewhattraditional whodunit sort of mystery with a tightly woven plot that has a few twists and turns. It makes for a quick, easy read.

The plot is simple and direct.It centers around an unhappily married, wealthy couple, the dictatorial Patrick and the put upon Tamsin, who live in a well to do community. When they have an ill-advised celebration in their home to celebrate Tamsin's birthday, Patrick becomes ill after an accident involving some wasps. Lucky for him, there was a doctor in the house. So, Patrick takes to his bed, none the worse for wear, only to never wake up again. His death is later deemed to be of natural causes.

It turns out, however,that many people had reason to dislike Patrick and wish that he were out of the way: his own wife, her lover, the twinbrother of his mistress, and a local business man that he was in the process of ruining. When gossip begins to churn in their close knit community, rumor has it that Patrick's death was anything but natural.Who could have done it?

That is for the reader to discover. If one is a fan of mysteries and of Ruth Rendell, one will, undoubtedly, enjoy this breezy little mystery and delight in trying to figure out who might be the killer.

A BREEZY LITTLE WHODUNIT...
This mystery by Ruth Rendell is one of her earlier efforts. It offers none of the well-drawn psychological portraits for which she would later become known. Instead, she offers the reader a somewhattraditional whodunit sort of mystery with a tightly woven plot that has a few twists and turns. It makes for a quick, easy read.

The plot is simple and direct. It centers around an unhappily married, wealthy couple, the dictatorial Patrick and the put upon Tamsin, who live in a well to do community. When they have an ill-advised celebration in their home to celebrate Tamsin's birthday, Patrick becomes ill after an accident involving some wasps. Lucky for him, there was a doctor in the house. So, Patrick takes to his bed, none the worse for wear, only to never wake up again. His death is later deemed to be of natural causes.

It turns out, however,that many people had reason to dislike Patrick and wish that he were out of the way: his own wife, her lover, the twinbrother of his mistress, and a local business man that he was in the process of ruining. When gossip begins to churn in their close knit community, rumor has it that Patrick's death was anything but natural.Who could have done it?

That is for the reader to discover. If one is a fan of mysteries and of Ruth Rendell, one will, undoubtedly, enjoy this breezy little mystery and delight in trying to figure out who might be the killer.

Minor but Entertaining; A Fast Read
I usually find Rendell an extremely predictable writer who does not so much resolve her murder mysteries as bring them to an open-ended resolution--so I was quite surprised by this early work, which is tightly constructed and offers several clever sleight of hand twists.

The story presents us with an affluent and extremely private community and centers on an unhappily married but extremely wealthy couple, Patrick and Tasmin.Almost every one in the community has good reason to dislike Patrick--and when he unexpectedly dies of what seem natural causes following Tasmin's disastrous birthday party tongues soon begin to wag.Dr. Greenleaf, goaded by the speculation, finds himself becoming an extremely reluctant detective in the matter, repeatedly attempting to silence the gossip but unable to still his own mounting questions.

One of my ongoing complaints with Rendell is that I often find it difficult to distinguish one character from another until well into the novel--and to a certain extent that holds true here.But once the characters come into focus, the story moves at a smart pace, and although Rendell provides several characters with unseen motivations they actually work within the context of the premise she establishes.While this novel has not changed my opinion of Rendells' work in general, it is nonetheless a fast and entertaining read, one that even those who generally dislike the author's work will likely enjoy.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

A seminal work by Ruth Rendell
This is one of Ruth Rendell's first suspense/mysteries and while it may not compare to what she writes today, it is still a fascinating glimpse of early Rendell as well as a look into one strata of British society circa 1965. Ruth Rendell has a remarkable talent for characterizing interestingpeople and than confounding us as she slowly reveals their machinations andhidden agendas. I feel lucky to have found this book @ Amazon.com. ... Read more

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Liza, a naive 17-year-old, is forced to leave home by her obsessively protective mother, Eve. Their life together is at an end, because Eve is a murderess. This explores the theme of innocence and experience, while retaining the constant tension of violent death. By the author of "Live Flesh". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

LIFE WITH MOTHER...
This is another taut, well-written psychological thriller by the queen of this genre. The author weaves a compelling tapestry of events and characters, and, as the story unfolds, the reader is held in its thrall. Fans of the author will find this spellbinding tale riveting.

Eve and Liza, mother and daughter, live in isolation in a remote location in the English countryside, where Eve acts as caretaker for Shrove House, a large estate, to which she has an extreme attachment. Liza has lived her entire life on the estate, removed from the outside world with little or no contact with other people. She was also home schooled by her mother. Consequently, Liza, removed from all normal congress with other people, has never known what it is to have a playmate nor was she aware of the existence of television or radio. The only people with whom she has ever come into contact, other than the occasional delivery person or estate worker, were the men, friends of Eve, who arrived at their home only to disappear later under mysterious circumstances.

The Shrove House estate is owned by Jonathan Tobias, a childhood friend of Eve's, and when he suddenly dies, the police question Eve concerning his death, as she is a suspect. Liza, now sixteen, begins to see her world crumble around her. Eve, fearing the worst, concocts a plan for Liza to leave home and go to stay with a friend of hers. Liza, however, who has, unbeknownst to Eve, formed an attachment to Sean, the new young groundskeeper for the estate, has her own plans. Thus, the story begins to unfold.

Unburdening herself to Sean and revealing her strange upbringing and the odd goings on in her mother's household, Liza proves herself to be a modern day Scheherazade. Holding the reader captive with the story of her life, which is set against the backdrop of her mother's obsession with Shrove House and the murders that take place there whenever anyone threatens to upset her mother's apple cart, Liza's story is, indeed, a beguiling one. While telling her tale, Liza finds herself discovering a world that she never knew existed. Liza eventually finds herself at a crossroad, and the path she takes will define the rest of her life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Masterful Collection
Ruth Rendell is at her best in this collection.Highly recommended for those who enjoy dark psychological suspense. ... Read more

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A collection of crime stories featuring cats. The authors featured include Ruth Rendell, Lillian Jackson Braun, Patricia Highsmith, Edgar Allan Poe, Joyce Harrington, Patricia Moyes, Margaret Maron, Lillian de la Torre and Edward D. Hoch. ... Read more

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TILL DEATH DO US JOIN...Ever since they ran with the same London teenage gang Guy Curran has loved Leonora Chisholm passionately. He was a slum kid, and her parents lived in tasteful Kensington; she went to university while he made his jet-set fortune dealing drugs and sentimental, mass-produced art--but he's always been good enough for her, and once they were lovers. Of course she'll marry him in the end--he's been calling her every day for years and buying her lunch every Saturday. Then Leonora tells him she's engaged to some pasty-faced intellectual. But Guy knows she's being brainwashed by her family and friends--from her snobbish brother and her mother with pointy silver fingernails to her so-superior feminist roommate. Leonora and he belong together...If he can't have her, he'll die--or someone else will. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A TWISTED TALE OF OBSESSIVE LOVE...
British author, Ruth Rendell, is, undoubtedly, the doyenne ofpsychological suspense, painting subtle portraits of offbeat, quirky characters that are just a tad off the beaten path. Delving into their psyches, she draws the reader into the slightly skewed worldthat they inhabit. Their world then becomes that of the reader, as the author weaves a tapestry of a world that is just a bit awry, deftly letting the reader know that something is wrong, so very wrong.

The author does no less in this well-written novel, as she leads the reader into the mind and world of Guy Curran, a handsome, young man from the slums who has led a hard scrabble life, elevating himself from the bowels of poverty by dint of his own hard work and acquiring great wealth in the process . Unfortunately for him, that hard work included some less than reputable dealings in the drug trade, which provided the capital for his now legitimate businesses.

For years, Guy has been obsessively in love with Leonora Chisholm, an upper class miss who, after years of being his reluctant childhood sweetheart, has rejected him and all the trappings of wealth and comfort he has to offer her. She prefers to live in genteel poverty with her friends, while acquiring a new boyfriend whom her family and friends like.Guy is convinced some of his past, shady dealings have come to the attention of someone in Leonora's family or inner circle. He believes that that individual has persuaded Leonora to turn away from him.

Now, who would go and do such a thing? Read this well-written book and join Guy in the process of eliminating the likely suspect in this twisted tale of obsessive love.

Psychotic obsessive love lures the reader into his insanity.
Probably Rendell's most underrated novel (compare highly rated A Dark Adapted Eye or Judgment in Stone, neither of which has the Poe-like sublime beauty and the painful tragedy of this novel) I will not give away the plot except to say that the theme is universal. A mancannot escape his first love when he and his beloved were teenagers. A haunting story of a man totally deluded about his first love and how he manages to keep her tied to him for many years.Her behavior is odd, but look somewhat deeply into her personality, her family etc. and her behavior is explicable; she is probably to blame for his obsession/delusion because she herself can't let go of his craziness, which she ironically encourages. A remarkable book. Read it.

cant fault her one iota
this is another excellent book by Rendell. It displaya all that she has come to be known for. Tight plotting. Realistic writing. Deadly accurate psychology.

Guys jealousy and obsession grow as the book goes on, and Rendell develops it's perfectly.

This is another of her best books, with a great cast of characters, and complex plot. The writing is excellent, and her stories are always topical and interesting. (This one having more than a little to do with the concept of stalking, and obsessive love.) Even though Guy is obsessed, the reader does feel sympathy with him because he truly does love Leonora. This brings the reader into a conflict of emotions, which is something that all good writers do. Even moreso because of the fact that Leonora's new love, William, is not a particularly likeable character. Coming across as slightly arrogant and full of himself.

Guys increasing paranoia is built up masterfully, and the conclusions is great. a wonderful release of tension.

Rendell cannot be faulted. She is truly the best.

Very Little Wrong with This One!
If you like Ruth Rendell, minus her "Chief Inspector" series, then you are in for a real treat with this book! Never before have I read such an in-depth description of an obsessive, dysfunctional,paranoid character such as the one depicted in Guy. I was literally screaming at the pages while shaking my head and uttering "you damn fool!" While slowto get into initially, you will be very much rewarded as you continue...Rendell quickly builds up tension and you will not be able to put this book down, I guarantee you! She is one of those rare authors who truly has her antennae tuned to the underside of the human condition. My only criticism of this book is a minor one and that is that I think the title of the book is too obscure and bland. It's not a title I will easily remember to recommend to other readers (unlike her dark novel, "Sight for Sore Eyes" which was an excellent title with an excellent story to match). ... ... Read more

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An omnibus edition containing three of Rendell's bestselling Wexford mysteries. ... Read more

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A collection of five Wexford cases, ranging from the more ordinary crimes of passion and violence in quiet Kingsmarkham to a bizarre murder in Yugoslavia. The author has won many awards, including the Crime Writer's Association Gold Dagger for 1976s best crime novel, with a "A Demon in My View". ... Read more

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Eigentlich gibt es noch gar keinen richtigen Fall. Die Meldung ueber zwei verschwundene junge Maedchen, die wenige Tage spaeter scheinbar wohlbehalten und ohne Erklaerungen wieder auftauchen, reizt lediglich Chief Inspector Wexfords Neugier. Nicht einmal der scharfsinnige Wexford rechnet damit, dass diese harmlosen Vorfaelle mit der Entfuehrung eines Babys, dem Tod eines Polizisten und dem Mord an einem Geschaeftsmann zusammenhaengen.


„Ruth Rendell ist die brillanteste Kriminalautorin
unserer Zeit.“
Patricia Cornwell

Back in the familiar Sussex town of Kingsmarkham, Rendell's dogged sleuth Wexford is investigating the strange abductions of two young girls: Rachel, a bright middle-class student, and Lizzie, a mentally disabled 16-year-old living with her unsympathetic parents on a grim council estate. When both girls return home, apparently unharmed, Wexford is faced with a curious mystery: what really happened to them? As Wexford begins to uncover the disturbing truth, the dark psychological world that Rendell is so adroit at exploring suddenly comes into focus. And her gift for sharp but concise characterization remains untouchable, as in the case of a reluctant witness: '''We don't talk about that sort of thing.' She very nearly but not quite tossed her head." ... Read more