Tigerlily's Orchids

A Novel

By: Ruth Rendell

Narrated by: Nickolas Grace

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the incomparable, award-winning Ruth Rendell "the grand dame of British crime fiction" (The Gazette) comes her latest psychological thriller.

When Stuart Font decides to throw a house-warming party in his new flat, he invites everyone in his building. The party will be one everyone remembers. But not for the right reasons....

Living opposite, in reclusive isolation, is a young, beautiful Asian woman, christened Tigerlily by Stuart. As though from some strange urban fairytale, she emerges to exert a terrible spell on the occupants of Lichfield House.

©2011 Ruth Rendell (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic Reviews

“Rendell marshals her large cast of vividly drawn characters with apparent ease, skewering their self-deception and satirizing their pursuit of self-gratification with great skill…. The result is a thrilling exercise.” ( The Evening Standard, UK)

"Out of this spider's web of interwoven lives emerges... a beautifully disguised and manipulated surprise, set amid the jittery background of the restless city." ( The Independent, UK)

Not as grimly creepy as many other Rendell titles

but a good listen, nonetheless. I guess this would be Rendell's version of a village mystery. The cast of characters are the residents of a small road in North London, some living in houses, some in apartments. The point of view shifts from one character to another, all of whom see what they want to see, and act accordingly. There are various crimes, some exciting amateur sleuthing, and some classically comedic plot turns--not farce, just some genuinely pleasant things that happen. Generally well read by the narrator, except for one or two moments of over the top falsetto for the female characters. Very enjoyable.

TERRIFIC Rendell, but lots of characters

What did you love best about Tigerlily's Orchids?

It was truly funny. An ironic humor is an aspect of all of Rendell, but usually there's less of it than here. It's grisly, too, I guess, a little, but the characters are ALL adorably misguided, and there are mysteries, but they seem secondary to the story

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tigerlily's Orchids?

Won't give anything away. No, no.

Which character – as performed by Nickolas Grace – was your favorite?

The old lady alcoholic, I can't remember her name.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me chuckle and grin.

Any additional comments?

At first I thought, "Oh, no! There are too many characters to keep track of in an audio book." There are 9 or ten. But the reader managed to convey who was being focussed on, and Rendell always, somehow, made each one distinct. I'm afraid if you leave long gaps between your listening intervals you might have trouble remembering who's who. That's why I didn't give the story five stars. It may not be easy for some listeners. But it is really absorbing, really fun.

Multigenerational slices of North London life

Wonderful one-third of the late Ruth Rendell's London trilogy. Funny, ironic and touching. Being Rendell, tragic too. Great reading performance enhances the experience.

A good, light listen

Would you consider the audio edition of Tigerlily's Orchids to be better than the print version?

I never read the print version but had no trouble at all following this audible version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tigerlily's Orchids?

Shocked a bit by the nihilistic pessimism in the book. But I suppose that is the current state of affairs in the UK.

What about Nickolas Grace’s performance did you like?

He has a an appealing voice and a clear speaking style.

Any additional comments?

Story is about character development in the contemporary, interwoven style; life as a never ending soap opera. My first book by Rendell and found it to be a good listen to distract one on a commuter train.