Author:Ruth Rendell
Perfect for fans of PD James, Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon, this haunting insight into the mind of a pathological criminal is one of multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling authorRuth Rendell's most terrifying novels...
'Rendell is unrivalled at depicting psychologically warped people and at creating unease through the simplest things. This is another triumph' -- Observer
'Wonderful at exploring the dark corners of the human mind, and the way private fantasies can clash and explode into terrifying violence' -- Daily Mail
'Brilliantly written' -- ***** Reader review
'Absolutely fantastic!' -- ***** Reader review
'Mesmerizing' -- ***** Reader review
'Intensely absorbing' -- ***** Reader review
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Arthur Johnson doesn't look like a murderous psychopath; he is a mild-mannered man who has never known how to talk to women.
Years of loneliness has warped his mind, turning his desire for a woman's love and respect into a pathological need for carefully controlled violence. Locked in the cellar of his building is the perfect willing victim, a woman who can be murdered over and over again, a woman who waits for Arthur every night...a mannequin in the form of a female.
But when a young scholar of psychopathic personalities moves in downstairs and Arthur's mannequin disappears, where will he turn to satisfy his urgent craving for violence?
As well as being a classic of suspense, this book marks the high point of Rendell’s gift for seeing the comedy in tragedy. Her portrayal of the pompous and pious bachelor Arthur Johnson and his struggles to control his regrettable inclination towards serial murder is as hilarious as it is disturbing.
—— Jake Kerridge , TelegraphWonderful at exploring the dark corners of the human mind, and the way private fantasies can clash and explode into terrifying violence
—— Daily MailThe best mystery writer anywhere in the English-speaking world
—— Boston GlobeRendell is unrivalled at depicting psychologically warped people and at creating unease through the simplest things. This is another triumph
—— ObserverA Victorian whodunnit of brooding power
—— GuardianOne of his best works
—— Contemporary ReviewNow, as in his lifetime, cab drivers, statesmen, academics, and raggedy-arsed children sit spellbound at his feet... No wonder, then, if the pairing of Holmes and Watson has triggered more imitators than any other duo in literature
—— John Le Carre[Wexford] has become an old friend who gets better with age.
—— The HeraldPsychologically acute and extremely disturbing, Ruth Rendell's work is outstanding.
—— The TimesIt's not often you pick up a book where the plot is technically perfect, where the characters all come off the page perfectly formed and the writing is so good that it's impossible to spot an unnecessary word, but which still managed to be a damn good story. I was still reading at 2 o'clock this morning...
—— TheBookbag.co.ukPatterson knows where our deepest fears are Patterson knows where our deepest fears are buried... there's no stopping his imagination.buried... there's no stopping his imagination.
—— NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEWPatterson is in a class by himself.
—— VANITY FAIRSharp, sassy and guaranteed to send shivers down your spine, this is a tense thriller
—— WOMANCross is one of the best and most likeable characters in the modern thriller.
—— SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER
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