An Unkindness Of Ravens

Oct 9, 2024 12:27 PM

Author:Ruth Rendell

Fatalities and feminism combine in this captivating mystery from multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling authorRuth Rendell. Perfect for readers of PD James, Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon.

'A brilliant reshuffling of a pack of clues . . . Rendell at her richest' -- Sunday Times

'Well-plotted . . . baffling . . . Still the tops' -- Sunday Telegraph

'A climax as chilling and unexpected as any she's perpetrated before' -- The Times

'Another great novel from this author; she never disappoints' -- ***** Reader review

'Another Rendell worth staying up late reading...' -- ***** Reader review

'Rendell rules!' -- ***** Reader review

'Very hard to put down once you start' -- ***** Reader review

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The raven: not a particularly predatory bird, but far from soft and submissive, adopted as the symbol of a militant feminist group...

Detective Chief Inspector Wexford thought he was merely doing a neighbourly good deed when he agreed to talk to Joy Williams about her missing husband. He certainly didn't expect to be investigating a most unusual homicide.

Rodney Williams was neither handsome nor wealthy - but he had an unerring eye for a pretty girl and when he disappeared and two other men were later attacked by a young woman, Wexford couldn't help wondering if there was a connection. If there wasn't, where was Rodney Williams and why had he vanished? He had committed no crime - apart from telling his wife the occasional lie...

Reviews

A brilliant reshuffling of a pack of clues . . . Rendell at her richest

—— Sunday Times

Well-plotted . . . baffling . . . Still the tops

—— Sunday Telegraph

A climax as chilling and unexpected as any she's perpetrated before

—— The Times

One of Britain's finest thriller writers

—— Time Out

Combines the expert suspense manipulation skills of a Daphne du Maurier romance with those of a John Le Carre thriller

—— The New York Times

Through the quality of her writing she's raised the game of the crime novel in this country

—— Peter James

Rendell's mesmerising capacity to shock, chill and disturb is unmatched

—— The Times

Blacklands caused the hearts of hardened reviewers to flip a beat

—— Independent

Original, unsettling and atmospheric, this is a debut that hits the ground running

—— VAL MCDERMID

Thought-provoking and utterly original

—— MO HAYDER

Exceptional debut . . . A new UK crime writer to shout about

—— Bookseller (Alice O'Keeffe)

Blacklands heralds a fresh new voice in crime: Belinda Bauer inhabits the mind of her 12-year-old hero, struggling to tease the whereabouts of his uncle's body from an imprisoned child-killer, with uncanny conviction

—— Guardian

A compelling story of a fragmented family and the loss of innocence

—— Woman & Home

A tense, well-orchestrated crime novel with a refreshingly unusual premise

—— Spectator (Books of the Year)

A chilling and gripping original thriller by a great new talent. You'll want to race through to the scary climax

—— Grazia

Blacklands... managed to glean the best word-of-mouth for any new crime novel in years.

—— BARRY FORSHAW , Independent (Best Books of 2010)

A gripping read

—— The Times

My big book discovery this time was The Snowman by Jo Nesbo - it's about a Norwegian detective who has to investigate a series of gruesome murders. What could be better for holiday entertainment

—— Bruno Tonioli , Mail on Sunday

THE NEXT STIEG LARSSON

—— Independent

[A] dark, chilling, page-turner

—— Deborah D. Rogers , Times Higher Education, *Summer Reads of 2021*

'Civilised, funny, life-affirming and hugely enjoyable. I can't recall reading crime fiction quite like this before- honest, ironic, and cheerfully unselfconscious. I urge you to share my surprise and delight.'

—— Philip Oakes, Literary Review

One of the most brilliantly playful, witty and original writers we have.

—— Scotsman

'At heart a comic novelist, who explores the relationship between comedy and crime... In Case Histories, these skills have found their literary home.'

—— Heather O’Donoghue, Times Literary Supplement

'Sharp humour, together with a number of unexpected twists, make this a typically pacey and intelligent read.'

—— Daily Mail

Not just the best novel I have read this year...but the best mystery of the decade. There are actually four mysteries, nesting like Russian dolls, and when they begin to fit together, I defy any reader not to feel a combination of delight and amazement. Case Histories is the literary equivalent of a triple axel. I read it once for pleasure and then again just to see how it was done. This is the mind of book you shove in people's faces, saying 'You gotta read this!'

—— Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly

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