Kissing The Gunner's Daughter

Apr 24, 2025 9:28 PM

Author:Ruth Rendell

Completely captivating, this is a spine-tingling page-turner of a mystery from multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Ruth Rendell. Perfect for fans of PD James, Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon.

'The most brilliant mystery novelist' -- Patricia Cornwell

'Psychologically acute and extremely disturbing, Ruth Rendell's work is outstanding' -- The Times

'Stark, edgy and punchy' -- ***** Reader review

'This book kept me awake for nights on end!' -- ***** Reader review

'I just could not put it down' -- ***** Reader review

'Smashing' -- ***** Reader review

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The thirteenth of May is famously the unluckiest day of the year. Sergeant Caleb Martin of Kingsmarkham CID had no idea just how terminally unlucky it would prove, as he embarked upon his last day on earth...

Ten months later, Wexford is confronted with a murder scene of horrific brutality. At first the bloodbath at Tancred House looks like the desperate work of a burglar panicked into murder. The sole survivor of the massacre, seventeen-year-old Daisy Flory, remembers the events imperfectly, and her confused account of the fatal night seems to confirm this theory.

But more and more, Chief Inspector Wexford is convinced that the crime lies closer to home, and that it has sinister links to the murder of Sergeant Martin...

Reviews

A very great pleasure ... Beyond praise, completely compelling - will delight all Wexford's admirers

—— Allan Massie , Scotsman

Psychologically acute and extremely disturbing, Ruth Rendell's work is outstanding

—— The Times

The most brilliant mystery novelist of our time

—— Patricia Cornwell

His reputation as a master of the grotesque and macabre has veiled the real cause of his fame: an astonishing mastery of language and literary technique which made Arthur Ransome, himself no mean story technician and a considerable literary critic, liken his stories to rare coloured goblets or fantastic metalwork

—— Independent

British Intelligence being sent up something rotten

—— Daily Telegraph, 20 Best Spy Novels of All Time

The human story is warm and the satire made me laugh out loud

—— Simon Shepherd , Daily Express

A great read ... crime fiction at its finest

—— Michael Connelly

A superior, deeply satisfying thriller

—— Evening Standard

A fast-paced and unsettling story ... A compelling and fluid read

—— The Daily Telegraph

The writing is lean and mean, and the climax will blow you away

—— The Independent

Compelling

—— Daily Mirror

a taut, mystical thriller and a thoughtful meditation on humanity

—— Philip Womack , Daily Telegraph

Burnside's story uses suggestion and ambiguity rather than explicit statement, but has the power that comes from leaving plenty of space in which the reader's imagination can go to work

—— Nick Rennison , Sunday Times

remarkable, genre-defying...Glister is a remarkable book...a fusion of styles and genres, and it succeeds magnificently on those terms...powerfully imagines and beautifully written...A haunting tale, not as depressing as you might expect, and highly recommended

—— Simon Appleby , www.bookgeeks.co.uk

Writing 'this dreamy melange of gritty urbanism with poetic crime puzzler, will appeal to the right reader very highly

—— The Book Bag

A dark fable

—— Colin Waters , Sunday Herald

Burnside's writing conveys an almost palpable thrill of discovery, a delight in the play of his imagination over this bleak terrain, an irrepressible joy in cultivating metaphor after metaphor and seeing them all, improbably, bloom...The emotion this brilliant and disturbing novel leaves you with is like the spooked feeling Leonard experiences...It takes your breath away, but you don't know if that comes from awe or terror. The Glister" is that kind of story. It's terrifying, and it feels like a gift.

—— Terrence Rafferty , www.nytimes.com

I'm a year late (quite punctual, for me) in recommending John Burnside's austerely poetic novel

—— David Mitchell , Guardian

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