The Babes In The Wood by Ruth Rendell

The Babes In The Wood by Ruth Rendell

'I've just heard a crazy thing, thought it might amuse you. You look as though you need cheering up.' Burden seated himself on the corner of the desk, a favourite perch. Wexford thought he was thinner than ever. 'Woman phoned to say she and her husband went to Paris for the weekend, leaving their children with a - well, teen-sitter, I suppose, got back last night to find the lot gone and naturally she assumes they've all drowned.' 'That's amusing?' 'It's pretty bizarre, isn't it? The teenagers are fifteen and thirteen, the sitter's in her thirties, they can all swim and the house is miles above the floods.' There hadn't been anything like this kind of rain in living memory. The River Brede had burst its banks, and not a single house in the valley had escaped flooding. Even where Wexford lived, higher up in Kingsmarkham, the waters had nearly reached the mulberry tree in his once immaculate garden. The Subaqua Task Force could find no trace of Giles and Sophie Dade, let alone the woman who was keeping them company, Joanna Troy. But Mrs Dade was still convinced her children were dead. This was an investigation which would call into question many of Wexford's assumptions about the way people behaved, including his own family...

Kingsmarkham is wetVery wet and flooding when the call comes in that two teenage children and their carer are missing. Wexford and Burden are faced with the thought that all three have drowned in the high water but when the Kingsbrook subsides no bodies are found. Complicated by the bizarre personalities of the children's parents, the case drags on for several months before all the pieces fit together in Wexford's methodical mind, the pieces being drawn together from random sentences gleaned from police interviews. Ruth Rendell spins the story out cleverly, delving into her characters psyche and exploring their hidden thoughts and fears. The end, when it comes, is an unexpected result, seen in retrospect, revealing Rendell's intuitive quest for suspense and surprise. A first-rate read to be enjoyed, if possible, in one sitting. - Lucy Watson

Ruth Rendell has won many awards, including the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for 1976's best crime novel with A Demon in My View; a second Edgar in 1984 from the Mystery Writers of America for the best short story, The New Girl Friend; a Gold Dagger award for Live Flesh in 1986. She was also the winner of the 1990 Sunday Times Literary award, as well as the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger. In 1996 she was awarded the CBE and in 1997 became a Life Peer.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780091794460
ISBN 10	0091794463
Title	The Babes In The Wood
Author	Ruth Rendell
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Cornerstone
Year published	2002-11-07
Number of pages	336
Prizes	Short-listed for WH Smith Book Awards (Fiction) 2003
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.