Book description
A gripping tragedy of crime and class, widely regarded as one of multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Ruth Rendell's seminal masterworks and a crime fiction classic. Fans of PD James, Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon will not be disappointed.
'One of her masterpieces' -- Telegraph
'A classic' -…
Why read it?
2 authors picked A Judgement in Stone as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Anybody I’ve ever talked mysteries with has heard me struggle to impart just how much I admire this book: the clarity and precision of Rendell’s narration, the brisk confidence in every characterization, and the way she challenges the conventional structure of the mystery novel from the first line: “Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write.”
With that first line, I know the crime, the victims, the killer, even the motive—and yet I am utterly compelled to read on. I’ve read it four times, maybe more. I’m in awe of her confidence driving this book,…
From Rebecca's list on books that give it all away on the first page.
This is a modern mystery classic by a master of the plot twist. I’ve studied Rendell’s stories for years, to understand how she makes such extraordinary yet plausible leaps.
In this book the revelatory information is contained in the very first sentence. A woman has killed her employers, for a reason that is shocking in its randomness and absurdity. Rendell then backtracks to show us that the victims did nothing rotten enough to deserve their fate. There is no motive. Nothing is gained.
As the author states in that amazing first sentence, the killer is driven to extraordinary violence purely…
From S.P.'s list on women doing terrible things.
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