Speaking to all fans of Ruth Rendell

[rosegoldwatcher]

I have been inspired to start this thread after listening to A Good Read on Radio 4Extra this evening.
One of the guests recommended Ruth's A Judgement In Stone - one of her early novels. Russell Kane audibly shuddered when describing the main character and it struck me that yes - this is my reaction to nearly all, if not all, of the protagonist in her books. (NB - I am not considering here her Inspector Wexford books, nor those written under her pseudonym, Barbara Vine.)

So - if you are a fan - which of her books is your favourite? Can you precis the plot in a sentence or two?
This could be a very short thread if there are few RR appreciators out there!

Mine is A Sight For Sore Eyes.
Damaged but beautiful Teddy's obsession with providing perfection for his ideal woman Francine leads to murder and incarceration in a place far worse than a prison cell.

Are we allowed to have Wexfords or Barbara Vines? Apart from A Judgment in Stone her other non-Vine standalone are not my favourites. If I can move outside that box, I love:

An Unkindness of Ravens: the murder of a bigamist throws Wexford into a group of very different women and causes him to muse on feminism.

A Dark-Adapted Eye (Vine): psychological tour de force in which a woman investigates how her aunt came to be hanged for committing murder.

Of course you can @Welshwabbit and thank you for responding.

If I was to choose a Wexford it would be The Vault which is the sequel to A Sight for Sore Eyes.
I have read all of the Barbara Vines too but am really struggling to recall any of the plots!

A Sight for Sore Eyes is my absolute favourite. I also like End In Tears.
I like all the Wexford books, he's a great character.
This post has reminded me about to read some more of her books, I think it's been a few years since I last picked one up.

@DurhamDurham - Have you read The Vault? A newly Wexford assists his old friend in investigating the discovery of two corpses found under a London mansion.

...newly retired...

@rosegoldwatcher I haven't read it as yet but I'm going to, it'll be the next book I read. Thanks 😊

I read a selection of RR short stories, I can't remember what it was called but some of them were so thought provoking. I've got the book somewhere, I'll hunt it out.

I loved everything she wrote.

My favourite is A Fatal Inversion which is a Barbara Vine. It is about a group of misfits who spend what starts off as a hedonistic summer together. It quickly starts to go wrong as they all want different things.

I think I could read all the books again now as it is years since I read them.

Asta's Book - the diaries of Asta, with so much hidden.....Loved it.

I was looking at the Kindle versions earlier - checking to see which RRs I 'own' according to Amazon. Somehow I inadvertently bought The Lake of Darkness.
I have read it (read everything she wrote) but so long ago that the blurb doesn't ring any bells.

I guess that is my next read!

Lake of Darkness is excellent

Also:
A Fatal Inversion
House of Stairs
Asta's book
A Dark-Adapted Eye
Judgement in Stone
Face of Trespass

My favourite is Adam and Eve and Pinch Me, I can’t summarise it because there is too much, but it’s fantastic.

I also love The Crocodile Bird, about a woman who raises her daughter completely alone, and how the daughter leaves home.

@Occitane - Adam and Eve and Pinch me - is that the one about a predatory male who assumes different names to take advantage of a series of women?

@Occitane You've reminded me about The Crocodile Bird, that was a great read. I especially liked the ending, v clever.

I second A Judgement in Stone. It is wonderful. I enjoyed all her books until the later ones.

The St Zita Society was one of the worst books I have ever read and it was upsetting to that that she had produced such utter rubbish towards the end of her career. I was embarrassed for her and I'm a fan!

A Dark Adapted Eye is one worth reading.

A Fatal Inversion
The Bridesmaid
Going Wrong

Wow - thanks for this thread - placemarking.

Like many others I read and enjoyed loads of Ruth Rendell years ago.

Likewise Colin Dexter.

Will have to investigate the titles as can't remember what the heck I've read! She was a prolific writer though...

I’ve read the Wexford’s several times. A couple of summers ago I read them all from start to to beginning. Loved it.

Asta’s Book is probably my favourite.

Oh I loved the Bridesmaid! I'm not clever enough to precis her plots - which are usually written to defy precis anyway, but some of my favourites are
From Doon with death
The face of trespass
A Demon in my view (very scary!)
The veiled one (even scarier)
to name a few.
She also writes so well about London. Her short story about the railway line walk in Hornsey inspired me to find it and walk it for myself, and it was just as eerie as she described.
Thanks for this thread. It's inspired me to go back to the books I loved.

I loved the TV series of a Fatal Inversion (probably 30 years back or so now) and bought that, and a Dark Adapted Eye (also serialised) at the same time.
I reread Fatal Inversion last year.

The churn 'em out "best psychological thriller of the year with an unbelievable twist!!" (aka "predictable crime meets chic lit, naice people in naice areas find themselves befriended by nutters and the twist is so "unbelievable" everyone is shouting "she's behind you by chapter 3") writers could do worse than sitting down and reading some of RR/BV instead of subjecting everyone else to their utter trash.

I always fall prey to the "best psychological thriller of the year" line as well, so I've gone back to reading all the Vine/Rendells again.

I think my favourite is Dark Adapted Eye. Also loved House of Stairs and Chimney Sweeper's Boy. King Solomon's Carpet also good, as is Asta's Book. She writes really well about London.

One I found really scary but can't remember the name of is a story of a life-sized doll in a shed or cellar or something. The main character was "visiting" it. .

Not so keen on the Wexford ones and feel that some of her characters are a bit clunkily written; there's always lots of dark humour though, which lifts the stories out of the ordinary.

Loved a dark adapted eye. Can remember the plot years later, which is unusual for me !

I love A Dark Adapted eye and A Fatal Inversion

The Keys to the Street had a real 'didn't see that coming' moment for me

The House of Stairs is also beautifully crafted.

www.bookseriesinorder.com/ruth-rendell/

I'll look out for the others (perhaps not spooky doll one , too wuss for spooky dolls )