Blood Lines: Long and Short Stories - Hardcover

Rendell, Ruth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0517703238 ISBN 13: 9780517703236

Publisher: Crown, 1996

Synopsis

Hailed by Patricia Cornwell as "unequivocally the most brilliant mystery writer of our time, " Ruth Rendell now delivers an all-new collection of long- and short-story mysteries. As always with Rendell, these stories of mystery and wrongdoing shine their light into the dark places of the human psyche.

About this title

About the Author

Ruth Rendell is crime fiction at its very best. Her first novel, From Doon With Death, appeared in 1964, and since then her reputation and readership have grown steadily with each new book. She has received major awards for her work; three Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America; the Crime Writers' Gold Dagger Award for 1976's best crime novel, A Demon in My View; the Arts Council National Book Award for Genre Fiction in 1981 for The Lake of Darkness; the Crime Writer's Gold Dagger Award for 1986's best crime novel for Live Flesh; in 1987 the Crime Writer's Gold Dagger Award for A Fatal Inversion and in 1991 the same award for King Solomon's Carpet, both written under the pseudonym Barbara Vine; the Sunday Times Literary Award in 1990; and in 1991 the Crime Writer's Cartier Diamond Award for outstanding contribution to the genre. Her books are translated into 21 languages.

From Booklist

Inside or outside the mystery genre, Rendell is one of the finest writers of our time. Her piercing insights into the darkest reaches of the human psyche, her revealing descriptions of human emotions, and her delicate but unrestrained probing into the depths of the human soul elevate her to the very top of her field. In this collection of short stories, Rendell is at her best, using her own quixotic brand of dark humor and an often heartwrenching poignancy to produce 11 minimasterpieces. Whether she's exploring a young woman's deep-rooted need for love and friendship ("The Strawberry Tree" ), the anger brought on when an insecure ego is wounded and exposed ("The Man Who Was the God of Love" ), or the dark shame of unreasonable obsession ("Clothes" ), Rendell is able to expose the humanity (or in some cases, the inhumanity) beneath the everyday facade, allowing her readers to feel not only an empathetic sense of recognition but also a small shock of horror at the thin line that separates "us" from "them." Rendell's prose is simple and straightforward, as devoid of artifice as a woman without makeup. But the effect of her writing is as disturbing and provocative as seeing the modest, rather dull woman next door suddenly appear in tart's clothing, heavily rouged and with blood-red lips. A must-have collection by one of the world's most talented authors. Emily Melton

Edition details

• Publisher: Crown
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0517703238
• ISBN 13: 9780517703236
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 215