This is an early work by Ruth Rendell who may now be the best crime writer in the world. She had already won 5 major awards and this is well written, but I don't think reaches the level she obtained later. I found it interesting though as an early attempt to write the kind of pyschological suspense that she has since assigned to her Barbara Vine persona

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This is one of Rendell's more interesting novels, and she seems to be having a lot of fun with the conventions of the genre : in another of her novels she tells us who murdered who, when, where, how and even why in the first paragraph. Here she once again twists the rules of the mystery novel, but in another way of course and any real analysis of that twist of the rules would destroy the fun of the first read, sorry. But I have reread this novel a couple of times, with a great deal of enjoyment at how well she twists expectations and very gently pokes fun at the genre. Great novel.

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An earlier book by the prolific Ruth Rendell. Very suspenseful.

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oldie but well written (published 1966, printed 1985)

an old favorite author, with an old favorite book

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