Ruth Rendell

Ruth Rendell has written some of the most ruthlessly unpleasant books we’ll ever recommend here at Wordcandy. The tone, characterization, and plotting in her psychological suspense/British police procedurals is so relentlessly bleak that the books occasionally seem like black comedies. Yet despite the serious dearth of charm in her books, they practically gleam with intelligence, irony, and skill, and (as brutally grim murder mysteries go) they’re astoundingly readable. No serious mystery fan will be disappointed by a Rendell novel, but she’s not for the faint of heart.

Note: Ms. Rendell writes longer suspense/mysteries as Barbara Vine.


Aftertaste:
None. But heed our review! The problem with Rendell's novels is that they're so well done that they seem quite real... and some of us get quite enough of realistic murder stories whenever we open the newspaper.

Availability:
Everywhere.

Other Recommendations:
Anything by Josephine Tey


Anything by P.D. James