In all her novels,multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Ruth Rendell digs deep beneath the surface to investigate the secrets of the human psyche and The Girl Next Door is no exception. This compelling and captivating mystery,with its taut plotting and spine-tingling twists and turns is perfect for fans of PD James,Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon.'This novel reminded me of the singularity of Ruth Rendell's talent,her effortless mastery of language and her uncanny genius for mapping a criminal mind.'- The Times'Rendell is as masterful as ever; her writing tense,brittle,and brilliant.'- SundayMirror'Couldn't put it down'- Reader review'Fantastic book'- Reader review'Fabulous read'- Reader review'Love the way Ruth Rendell weaves the plot - she never disappoints me'- Reader review'Brilliant storyline,couldn't put it down'- Reader reviewBeneath the green meadows of Loughton,Essex,a dark network of tunnels has been dug. A group of children discover them. They play there. It becomes their place.Seventy years on,the world has changed. Developers have altered the rural landscape. Friends from a half-remembered world have married,died,grown sick,moved - or disappeared.Work on a new house called Warlock uncovers a long buried grisly secret: the bones of two severed hands are discovered in a box,and an investigation into a long-buried crime of passion begins.The friends,who played together as children,begin to question their past. And a weary detective,more concerned with current crimes,must investigate a case of murder.
Publisher: CornerstoneISBN: 9780099598756Number of pages: 352Weight: 245 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 22 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
The Girl Next Door is vintage Rendell and a perfect celebration of her half-century. She's so effortlessly prolific that it's easy to take her for granted; we assume that if we miss one of her books,there'll be another one along in a minute. This novel,however,reminded me of the singularity of Ruth Rendell's talent,her effortless mastery of language and her uncanny genius for mapping a criminal mind.Rendell is as masterful as ever; her writing tense,brittle,and brilliant.She is the peer of Kingsley Amis and Muriel Spark. The Girl Next Door is as great a novel as Stanley and the Women or Memento Mori . . . a joy to read. Rendell's novels establish a sense of order that is deeply satisfying.Fifty years on,the girl from Essex has become the unchallenged crime queen of suburbia. Her powers of observation are as acute as ever,and she writes about old age with as much gusto as any of the subjects she has tackled in her long career.This book is extraordinarily courageous,a demonstration that fiction can take us where reportage dares not go.Rendell gives an acutely observed portrayal of old age through her characters'regrets,losses and bewilderment...Difficult themes such as death,usually dressed up in mystery in a crime novel are,thanks to these elderly protagonists,real,hard-hitting and constant.That The Girl Next Door works as a standalone novel is partly attributable to Rendell's deftness in parrying comparisons with her best-known creation. It also unravels a satisfying mystery,stretching tentacles into the past.An excellent analysis of re-found youth,this novel shows how people can surprise themselves even in their winter years.In this engaging novel,the portraits of elderly people living today and their preoccupations are presented with almost sociological precision,and scattered throughout are acute observations about changing language and manners.Nobody does the suburbs like Ruth Rendell: in her expert hands they exert a morbid fascination. Behind the immaculate exteriors lurks a world of unhappiness and deceit - and at times murder. An excellent read.
Ruth Rendell
One of the world's most highly acclaimed and influential crime writers,Ruth Rendell became known for her expertly plotted series detective fiction,psychological thrillers and short stories,written under her own name and under the pseudonym Barbara Vine.
Visit the Ruth Rendell author page
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