LoveReading Says
One of our Books of the Year 2015.
A stand-alone thriller, insightful and with wry humour, it portrays the psychological downward spiral of the main character, budding author Carl, as a result of his actions and then “non” actions. A simple act has devastating consequences and Carl is open to blackmail. Scattered about the periphery of the central plot are several sub plots, some could easily have been more fleshed out and most have only tenuous connections to each other. This is the author’s last novel so it is perhaps a shame that it is not one of her best. But a new Ruth Rendell is always a treat and so I repeat it is just such a shame this is the last. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
Reviewed by Sarah BroadhurstSarah Broadhurst spent her early working life in the book trade in both retail and wholesale until the arrival of children forced her to look for freelance work she could do from…
More reviews by Sarah Broadhurst About Dark Corners
When Carl sells a box of slimming pills to his close friend Stacey, inadvertently causing her death, he sets in train a sequence of catastrophic events which begin with subterfuge, extend to lies and culminate in murder. In Rendell's dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense, we encounter mistaken identity, kidnap, blackmail and a cast of characters who are so real that we come to know them better than we know ourselves.
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Ruth Rendell Press Reviews
'When many of the literary novelists of our time are forgotten, Ruth Rendell's books will remain, and future generations will see that not only did she keep her readers on tenterhooks with every book, she also wrote stories which held up a mirror to her times.' Daily Mail
'Rendell's work, mapping the manic and malevolent extremes of human behaviour, was distinguished by terse yet elegant prose and sharp psychological insights.' Daily Telegraph
'Rendell's novels have been a major force in lifting crime writing out of genre fiction and into both cutting-edge and mainstream literature.' -- Jeanette Winterson
'Ruth Rendell: one of the all-time greats.'-- Sophie Hannah
'Rendell was a prolific and hugely popular writer of intricately plotted mystery novels that combined psychological insight, social conscience and, not infrequently, teeth-chattering terror.' New York Times
'Rendell was unequivocally the most brilliant mystery writer of our time.' -- Patricia Cornwell
'Every aspect of Ruth Rendell's dark art is splendidly showcased in Dark Corners. One can't say she saved the best for last, because a great many books by Ms Rendell and her alter ego Barbara Vine are so splendid, but it's among the best. You won't put it down. I loved it.' -- Stephen King
'Rendell set an extraordinarily high benchmark in crime fiction that continued throughout her long career. She is revered by all who came after her.' Ian Rankin
'Rendell transformed what had become a staid and formulaic genre into a different kind of crime novel. She turned it into a prism for examining the world around her with a critical eye.' Val McDermid
About Ruth Rendell
Ruth Rendell was an exceptional crime writer, and will be remembered as a legend in her own lifetime. Her groundbreaking debut novel, From Doon With Death, was first published in 1964 and introduced the reader to her enduring and popular detective, Inspector Reginald Wexford, who went on to feature in twenty-four of her subsequent novels.
With worldwide sales of approximately 20 million copies, Rendell was a regular Sunday Times bestseller. Her sixty bestselling novels include police procedurals, some of which have been successfully adapted for TV, stand-alone psychological mysteries, and a third strand of crime novels under the pseudonym Barbara Vine. Very much abreast of her times, the Wexford books in particular often engaged with social or political issues close to her heart.
Rendell won numerous awards, including the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger for 1976’s best crime novel with A Demon in My View, a Gold Dagger award for Live Flesh in 1986, and the Sunday Times Literary Award in 1990. In 2013 she was awarded the Crime Writers’ Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence in crime writing. In 1996 she was awarded the CBE and in 1997 became a Life Peer.
Ruth Rendell died in May 2015. Dark Corners is her final novel.
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