Best Ruth Rendell's books

[piscis]

I have just finished The Lake of Darkness by Ruth Rendell and really enjoyed it.

What are her best books? I would like to read more books from her and looking for recommendations (but not the Inspector Wexford ones)

Sight for sore eyes. Secret house of death. The bridesmaid. To fear a painted devil. The face of trespass.
Buy everything and anything she has ever written she’s a genius.
Don’t forget Barbara Vine ones too.

I love Ruth Rendell, agree with pp that Sight for sore eyes is a good one, as is The Bridesmaid. I also like listening to them as audio books on YouTube.

A Dark Adapted Eye is brilliant. (that may be barbara vine)

You'd like Josephine Tey too

Lake of Darkness is superb

Asta's Book
Face of Trespass
A Fatal Inversion (as Barbara Vine)

Chimney sweepers boy.
You don’t even know how good it is when you’re reading it only when you’ve finished and you miss it.

My favourite one is Adam and Eve and Pinch Me, and I also love The Crocodile Bird.

Any of 'em

I'm planning an autumn re-read of some of the ones I've got, which is loads.

I've read them all, some many times, but my top three or so favorites are all Wexford books so I can't help you, OP.

A Judgement in Stone (Wexford makes an appearance but it's not really a Wexford) is one of my favorites.

Talking to Strange Men.

Asta's Book. But that might be Barbara Vine.

I have started reading The bridesmaid.
I have downloaded the ebook from my library, I have only read a few pages but looks promising.

Oh yes, A Judgement in Stone is terrific.

The Tree of Hands is an emotive read, it gave me the horrors as DS was a toddler when I read it.

Also 13 Steps Down!

The tree of hands sounds good!
I want to read them all but don't have the time...

Ruth Rendell - my favourite of all time! Thank you Op for starting this thread.
If you loved A Sight for Sore Eyes you MUST read The Vault, even though it is a Wexford book. He has retired in this one (I think) and on a visit to London where he becomes involved with the discovery of bones in a coal cellar... It is really the sequel to a Sight for Sore Eyes. Really good.
I think that I have read everything she wrote, as herself and as Barbara Vine and always preferred the non-Wexfords.
Particular favourites are Live Flesh, Talking To Strange Men and Going Wrong.

Asta's Book (As Barbara Vine)

So many good books to choose from though.
Audible versions tend to be pretty good too.

After reading this thread, i browsed through my Ruth Rendell collection and reread the tree of hands after quite a few years. Very good, generally prefer Barbara Vine but what a great writer she was.

What a great thread! I was introduced to her books about 35 years ago and think I've read all of them, love Barbra Vine ones particularly
Decided I needed to start de clutter my book case but couldn't bare to get rid of Ruth's books . I took a pile of my de cluttered books to the charity table at our local Dunelm and on the table was at least 20 Ruth Randell books- many I hadn't got. Had to buy them and have now decided to collect the lot and read them in date order.
Some things are meant to be

My favourite Wexford is "An Unkindness of Ravens", although I have a soft spot for the very first one, "From Doon with Death". My favourite stand-alones are "A Dark-Adapted Eye" and "A Fatal Inversion" (both writing as Barbara Vine). The latter in particular has the most fantastic tense, claustrophobic atmosphere.

Oh, and "A Judgement in Stone" is also great.