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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Much like the only other Rendell novel I've read I found this to be an incredibly realistic fictional account of a murderer. Nothing particularly exciting happens (other than a rather violent mass murder) and that's how it should be. I'm not sure how so many people consider this a thriller or "suspenseful" but it is absolutely worth your time. 4.4 stars.
I love the novels of Ruth Rendell, but somehow I managed to miss this earlier (1974) story that begins: “Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write.” The book builds up to that event and its aftermath. The exploration of character is one of the consistent strengths as well as the contrast between the normality of the family and the aberrant woman they employed. The close calls of someone nearly discovering Eunice’s illiteracy add to the powerful suspense of the second half of the book.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm not going to finish this. It's not Rendell's usual characters, and its premise is that if someone is unfortunate enough to slip through the cracks and be illiterate in 1970's Britain, it'll make them so demented they'll murder the people who are kind to them. Blechhh.
A good thriller, although it was a long read (almost 800 pages). The book reminded me a little of the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series with a lot of complex characters and settings. The subject matter was a little disturbing and had a couple more graphic parts (pedophiles, dismemberment, etc.). However, the graphic parts were necessary to the storyline. 4/5 stars.
I read this one for my book club. What a grim book. I did not like it.
The premise of the book is stated in the first sentence, "Eunice Parchmann killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write."
The Coverdales didn't seem very likeable in the beginning (other than Giles, an introverted teen), but I had warmed to them somewhat by the end of the book. Really, though, their story was a depressing march toward death because you already knew what was coming. (Is watching their march toward a gruesome death supposed to be compelling reading? It's not. It's just dark & grim.)
The text itself was too repetitive. Thankfully, the book is under 200 pages. (Another gripe. The title. I'm having a hard time connecting it to the story.)
The only "mystery" part of the book was the police involvement (last 20 or 30 pages), a red herring of two other suspects (who had never been seen or heard from in the entire book up to that point -- a huge issue I have with many mystery writers), & whether or not the police would figure out who committed the killings.
This book is seen as one of Rendell's better works? Not my cup of tea, thanks.
P.S. If you want a mystery where you know "who done it" at the beginning & want to know if the police can figure it out, I would instead suggest [b:The Devotion of Suspect X|8686068|The Devotion of Suspect X (Detective Galileo #3)|Keigo Higashino|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312051518s/8686068.jpg|13558363] by Keigo Higashino.
The premise of the book is stated in the first sentence, "Eunice Parchmann killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write."
Spoiler
Rendell overworked & pounded the illiteracy angle too much. It was tiresome. (I'm a huge literacy advocate, but this was ridiculous.) It also simplifies the killing in that there were two murderers, one definitely unhinged, egging each other on. And, Eunice herself had already been a blackmailer (of acquaintances) and murderer (of her father) long before she ever knew of or killed the Coverdales. So while illiteracy might have been a latent factor, it was not the only one.The Coverdales didn't seem very likeable in the beginning (other than Giles, an introverted teen), but I had warmed to them somewhat by the end of the book. Really, though, their story was a depressing march toward death because you already knew what was coming. (Is watching their march toward a gruesome death supposed to be compelling reading? It's not. It's just dark & grim.)
The text itself was too repetitive. Thankfully, the book is under 200 pages. (Another gripe. The title. I'm having a hard time connecting it to the story.)
The only "mystery" part of the book was the police involvement (last 20 or 30 pages), a red herring of two other suspects (who had never been seen or heard from in the entire book up to that point -- a huge issue I have with many mystery writers), & whether or not the police would figure out who committed the killings.
This book is seen as one of Rendell's better works? Not my cup of tea, thanks.
P.S. If you want a mystery where you know "who done it" at the beginning & want to know if the police can figure it out, I would instead suggest [b:The Devotion of Suspect X|8686068|The Devotion of Suspect X (Detective Galileo #3)|Keigo Higashino|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312051518s/8686068.jpg|13558363] by Keigo Higashino.
Another wonderful mystery from Fred Vargas, this time with Matthias, Marc, and Lucien: three down-on-their-luck historians, the "Three Evangelists"--and one cunning ex-flic, who struggle to find a missing neighbor and to misdirect the police at the same time. In addition to wonderful portraits and a great whodunit, Vargas' fascination with the psychology of problem solving (feeling, intuiting, obsessing, sleepwalking to the truth) pushes at the boundaries of the genre and makes for a great read.
You didn't wake up a sleepwalker, because apparently it will make them fall over. Whether that was true or false he didn't know, but it was certainly true of Marc. You shouldn't wake Marc up when he was launched, trance-like, into his research. Or he too would fall over. The Three Evangelists
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail