The Girl Next Door - Softcover

Ruth Rendell

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0091958849 ISBN 13: 9780091958848

Publisher: Random House Publishers India Private Limited, 2014

Synopsis

When the bones of two severed hands are discovered in a box, an investigation into a long buried crime of passion begins. And a group of friends, who played together as children, begin to question their past.

'For Woody, anger was cold. Cold and slow. But once it had started it mounted gradually and he could think of nothing else. He knew he couldn't stay alive while those two were alive. Instead of sleeping, he lay awake in the dark and saw those hands. Anita's narrow white hand with the long nails painted pastel pink, the man's brown hand equally shapely, the fingers slightly splayed.'

Before the advent of the Second World War, beneath 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 secret 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 on or disappeared.

Work on a new house called Warlock uncovers a grisly secret, buried a lifetime ago, and a weary detective, more preoccupied with current crimes, must investigate a possible case of murder.

In all her novels, Ruth Rendell digs deep beneath the surface to investigate the secrets of the human psyche. The interconnecting tunnels of Loughton in The Girl Next Door lead to no single destination. But the relationships formed there, the incidents that occurred, exert a profound influence -- not only on the survivors but in unearthing the true nature of the mysterious past.

About this title

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.

Review

“If you’re unfamiliar with Ruth Rendell, if you’ve somehow managed to miss her sixty or so books ... then, congratulations: Your reading life is about to get infinitely richer." (Jonathan Shapiro Los Angeles Times)

"No one surpasses Ruth Rendell when it comes to stories of obsession, istability, and malignant coincidence." (Stephen King)

“Unequivocally the most brilliant mystery writer of our time. (Patricia Cornwell)

“Rendell has for years, along with her friend P.D. James, been bringing new sophistication and psychological depth to the traditional English mystery.” (Washington Post)

“Ruth Rendell is my dream writer. Her prose style...has the disquieting intimacy of an alien touch in the dark.” (Marilyn Stasio The New York Times Book Review)

“It's a pleasure to report that Ruth Rendell, at the age of 82 and after publishing more than 60 books, has given us yet another gem. A pleasure but not a surprise, since Rendell has for years, along with her friend P.D. James, been bringing new sophistication and psychological depth to the traditional English mystery.” (Washington Post)

“The characters jump off the page. The page-to-page surprises are so clever that the reader is left agape at each twist and turn. The pieces fit together brilliantly. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

"'Subtle' is an inadequate word for Ruth Rendell. So are 'crafty,' 'cunning,' 'clever' and 'sly.'" (Marilyn Stasio New York Times Book Review)

"A novel by Ruth Rendell is like none other..... The results are seldom what we expect them to be, and that is part of this author's special genius." (Robert Croan Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

"Refined, probing, and intelligent.... The book is never less than a pleasure." (USA Today)

"A Joy to read." (The Evening Standard (London))

"What I love about the prolific Rendell is her adherence to the elegant traditions of British mysteries without ignoring modern life." (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

“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.” (Booklist (starred review))

“[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.” (Library Journal (starred review))

“[Rendell] has always been at her heart-stopping best when she pushes the reader out of the comfort zone with her stand-alone psychological thrillers...The Girl Next Door is vintage Rendell and a perfect celebration of her half-century...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.” (Kate Saunders, The Times (U.K.))

“This book is extraordinarily courageous, a demonstration that fiction can take us where reportage dares not go.” (The Independent (U.K.))

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House Publishers India Private Limited
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0091958849
• ISBN 13: 9780091958848
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288