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Original poster

what are Ruth Rendell books like?

58 replies

beautifuldays · 28/03/2008 21:03

ok i have read and re-read all of my agatha christies, and i know whodunnit in every book. i need to find a new author!
i love murder mystery but prefer the agatha christie stiff upper lip detective in tweed type, rather than modern blood and guts. what's ruth rendell like? are her books similar to agatha christie? trying to work out whether it's worth buying some or not and whether i would like them.

am definately more of a midsummer murders than a rebus girl iykwim

OP posts:
Miggsie · 28/03/2008 21:55

If you like Agatha Christie then you might like Patricia Wentworth, Ngaio Marsh and also M C Beaton.
Kate Ellis is good too.
I found the later Wexford books got a bit dark for my taste, you may not want to read anything after "Simisola".
I assume you have read all the Dorothy L Sayers and Margary Allingham?
Lindsey Davis is excellent but the ancient Rome settings can be a bit gory.
Try Sue Grafton as well.
Deryn Lake's "Death in..." series is very good.
I also like the Wycliffe series.
Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody mysteries are absolutely excellent as well. Like "murder in mesopotamia" but with Indiana Jones mixed in.

motherinferior · 28/03/2008 21:53

She's OK but not sufficiently psychopathic for me. I'm a Val McDermid gal. You really get into the psycho's psyche.

Posey · 28/03/2008 21:50

Moondog - agree, Barbara Vine fab. My fave I think is A Fatal Inversion, but didn't even finish The Blood Doctor (one of the few books ever I gave up on)

Posey · 28/03/2008 21:49

BTW they are always sold in charity shops, and tons stocked in the library, so why not "try before you buy"

moondog · 28/03/2008 21:48

BarbARA Vine ones are terrific.
Leave poor old Agatha in the dust.

Posey · 28/03/2008 21:47

Nope, not too scary. More intriguing I think. Dh works nights and there's no way I'd read anything frightening when I'm on my own [wuss emoticon] as well
I'll try and think which ones I really liked.

Original poster
beautifuldays · 28/03/2008 21:12

yes it was the inspector wexford ones i was looking at. are they gorey (sp) or scary in any way? i bought some of the touch of frost books as i like the tv series, but i couldn't read them they scared me stiff!

OP posts:
Posey · 28/03/2008 21:06

Ruth Rendell writes in 3 different styles. Wexford ones would probably be the place to start. They are very readable iyswim. I've read them all!
She also writes mysteries, and then under the name Barbara Vine.