Showing results by author "Ruth Rendell" in All Categories

Searching for truffles in a wood, a man and his dog unearth something less savoury - a human hand. The body, as Chief Inspector Wexford is informed later, has lain buried for ten years or so, wrapped in a purple cotton sheet. The post mortem can not reveal the precise cause of death. The only clue is a crack in one of the dead man's ribs.

Mix Cellini (which he pronounces with an 'S' rather than a 'C') is superstitious about the number 13. In the musty old house where he is the lodger, there are thirteen steps down to the landing below his rooms, which he keeps spick and span. His elderly landlady, Gwendolen Chawcer, was born in St Blaise House, and lives her life almost exclusively through her library of books, so cannot see the decay and neglect around her.

A lump of concrete dropped deliberately from a little stone bridge over a relatively unfrequented road kills the wrong person. The driver behind is spared. But only for a while... It is impossible for Chief Inspector Wexford not to wonder how terrible it would be to discover that one of his daughters had been murdered.

The Subaqua Task Force could find no trace of Giles and Sophie Dade, let alone the woman who was keeping them company, Joanna Troy. But Mrs Dade was still convinced her children were dead. This was an investigation which would call into question many of Wexford's assumptions about the way people behaved, including his own family.

'Wexford had almost made up his mind that he would never again set eyes on Eric Targo's short, muscular figure. And yet there he was, back in Kingsmarkham, still with that cocky, strutting walk.Years earlier, when Wexford was a young police officer, a woman called Elsie Carroll had been found strangled in her bedroom. Although many still had their suspicions that her husband was guilty, no one was convicted.

Zum ersten Mal in seinem Leben verläuft für Carl alles nach Plan. Sein Romandebüt wird veröffentlicht, er hat ein Haus in Londons Stadtmitte geerbt, und er ist glücklich verliebt. Um jetzt noch für den nötigen Geldfluss zu sorgen, sucht er sich einen Untermieter, den er für einen wahren Glücksfall hält. Doch der vermeintlich zuvorkommende Dermot streift nachts durchs Haus, taucht im Dunkeln hinter Türen auf und durchwühlt Schränke und Schubladen.

Familien Coverdale havde stor tillid til deres ældre hushjælp Eunice Parchman. Men Eunice havde en hemmelighed, som hun for enhver pris ikke ville have slap ud. Hun kunne hverken læse eller skrive, og hvor mærkeligt det end lyder, så var hun klar til at begå mord for at skjule det. Intet går imidlertid, som Eunice har planlagt, og familien Coverdale lærer på den hårde måde, at man ikke skal byde hvem som helst ind i sit hjem...

Da den unge Patrick Selby dør samme aften, som hans smukke kone holder fødselsdagsfest, vil sladderen ingen ende tage i den ellers så idylliske forstad, Linchester. Hele kvarteret var til stede, da Patrick blev angrebet af en hvepsesværm sidst på aftenen - men var det virkelig stikkene, der slog Patrick ihjel? Det mener lægen, Max Greenleaf, ikke. Og hvepse er jo ikke de eneste væsner, der slår ihjel ved hjælp af gift ...