Synopses & Reviews
A spectacularly compelling story of blackmail, murders both accidental and opportunistic, and of one lifes fateful unraveling from Ruth Rendell—“one of the most remarkable novelists of her generation” (
People)—writing at her most acute and mesmerizing.
When his father dies, Carl Martin inherits a house in an increasingly rich and trendy London neighborhood. Carl needs cash, however, so he rents the upstairs room and kitchen to the first person he interviews, Dermot McKinnon. That was colossal mistake number one. Mistake number two was keeping his fathers bizarre collection of homeopathic “cures” that he found in the medicine cabinet, including a stash of controversial diet pills. Mistake number three was selling fifty of those diet pills to a friend, who is then found dead.
Dermot seizes a nefarious opportunity and begins to blackmail Carl, refusing to pay rent, and creepily invading Carls space. Ingeniously weaving together two storylines that finally merge in one shocking turn, Ruth Rendell describes one mans spiral into darkness—and murder—as he falls victim to a diabolical foe he cannot escape.
This is masterful storytelling that gets under your skin, brilliant psychological suspense from Ruth Rendell. “No one surpasses Ruth Rendell when it comes to stories of obsession, instability, and malignant coincidence” (Stephen King).
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Praise for Ruth Rendell
“If youre unfamiliar with Ruth Rendell, if youve somehow managed to miss her sixty or so books … then, congratulations: Your reading life is about to get infinitely richer." Jonathan Shapiro
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"No one surpasses Ruth Rendell when it comes to stories of obsession, istability, and malignant coincidence." Los Angeles Times
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“Unequivocally the most brilliant mystery writer of our time. Stephen King
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“Rendell has for years, along with her friend P.D. James, been bringing new sophistication and psychological depth to the traditional English mystery.” Patricia Cornwell
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“Ruth Rendell is my dream writer. Her prose style...has the disquieting intimacy of an alien touch in the dark.” Washington Post
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Praise for The Girl Next Door
“Using her customary spare yet decorous style and measured pace, Rendell, now in her 80s, beautifully and carefully individualizes each member of her ensemble cast, at the same time creating not a grim reminder of mortality but a picture of moribund lives renewed. A special book by a special writer.”
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“[Rendell] creates another riveting story with her sharp characterizations and keen sense of irony that will keep readers engaged from start to finish. Fans of psychological suspense, along with Rendell’s loyal following, will love this complex story.”
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"Ruth Rendell's fiction clusters at such a high level that the best judgment I can render about The Girl Next Door is this: It's a good Rendell, and that makes it very good indeed."
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“Only recently has it been common for novelists to work into their late 70s and beyond — not merely producing new work but writing at a very high level. A case in point is Ruth Rendell, whose new novel,
The Girl Next Door, just appeared. Rendell is 84…Like her contemporary P.D. James, she is one of the finest writers of her time… her wit, always mordant, has never been sharper than when she skewers patronizing assumptions about the ‘elderly.’”
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“[Rendell] is one of the most literate living writers of fiction…Her witty style and her endless trove of subtle references to fellow writers (living and dead) are matched by a timeliness that always takes on contemporary social issues along with the invented mystery that propels her plot into action. Part of the miracle is that with more than 60 books to her credit over a half-century career, Ms. Rendell never descends into mere formula. The Girl Next Door is no exception.”
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Praise for Dark Corners“Every aspect of Ruth Rendells dark art is splendidly showcased in Dark Corners. One cant say she saved the best for last, because a great many books by Ms. Rendell and her alter ego Barbara Vine are so splendid, but its among the best. You wont put it down. I loved it.” Marilyn Stasio - The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Ruth Rendell (1930–2015) won three Edgar Awards, the highest accolade from Mystery Writers of America, as well as four Gold Daggers and a Diamond Dagger for outstanding contribution to the genre from England’s prestigious Crime Writers’ Association. Her remarkable career spanned a half century, with more than sixty books published. A member of the House of Lords, she was one of the great literary figures of our time.