Rating: 
Summary: One of her best
Review: I love Ruth Rendell, whether it's an Inspector Wexford or just one of her suspenseful stories, she claims my attention throughout the book...this is the story of an illiterate housekeeper that murders the family she works for...only this author can tell it in such an entertaining and enlightening way!!
Rating:
Summary: Stunning!
Review: I read in reviews that many consider this to be Ms. Rendell's best work. Not having read all of her books, I can't agree or disagree, but I don't see how she could get much better than this. From the first page, you know what happened, but seeing each piece of the puzzle fall into place is chilling and inevitable. There is no real mystery, a "just the facts" kind of tone to the story, but you realize that it can end no other way. This book is frightening, believable, and perfect. It will stay with you for a long time. Ruth Rendell is truly a master!Kathleen
Rating:
Summary: A stunning & wonderful book
Review: I read this book years ago and never forgot it -- I am delighted it's back in print so I can buy a copy again. Genberally, I like Rendells' Wexford books but find her other titles too overwrought and creepy. However, this book is a masterpiece. You know what happened on the first page but the novel keeps you solidly hooked while you find out the why. When you come to the end, there's a strong feeling of the horrid inevitablity of it all. A skillful and powerful book.
Rating:
Summary: A Judgement In Stone
Review: I really enjoyed this book. From the very first sentence, I was hooked. Knowing whodunit from page one is a very effective way of capturing the reader's attention, because as the story unfolds the tension mounts, and you find yourself reading nonstop, just to find out what events led to these untimely murders. Definitely creepy!
Rating:
Summary: Hooray! It's Back!
Review: I was delighted to see this book re-issued. It's one of Rendell's most poignant, and once again she shows that she's the best psychological suspense writer today and possibly ever. This book is disturbing--and unforgettable.
Rating: 
Summary: Solidly written story
Review: I was surprised this time, and maybe even a little bit relieved when this story didn't rely on Rendall's usual 'plot twist' device which she does excel at, but also tends to rely on a bit too heavily at times. This time we got to see another one of her strengths - character development. The people and situations in this story were so well drawn that you could have almost believed it was based on a true story. Great stuff!
Rating:
Summary: She's the Best
Review: I've read this book twice,and it has the rare quality of being even scarier the second time around. It is an absolutely brilliant tour de force. Rendell begins in a flat, factual, true-crime style. She tells you immediately Whodunnit, and Why They Did. Then, at a seemingly leisurely pace, she recounts how it happened, and the result is absolutely chilling. All the characters are well-done, but the two teen-agers who are step-siblings are especially vivid, enough so to break your heart. Ruth Rendell is, to me, the best suspense writer in the business, and this book doesn't even make my top five favorites among her novels--but it's still awesome. She's the best.
Rating:
Summary: This is Ruth Rendell at her very best!
Review: If you like Rendell, you'll love this. I was lucky to have found it in a used bookstore. It is a psychological thriller and keeps you guessing throughout the whole story. The only problem is that it's unavailable (out of stock) in every bookstore I ask. What a pity for us Americans. However, I was recently in London, England and ALL the bookstores carried it; I immediately bought another copy. If you're in London, pick up this book; you won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Rendell at her best
Review: Im a huge fan of Ruth Rendell and still think this is one of her best books. Rendell is a consistently engaging writer with a sharp eye for social commentary, but I find she tends to drag in the longer books. Thats why I prefer shorter pieces like this one or "A Guilty Thing Surprised" (from the Inspector Wexford series). After reading check out the great 1995 film adaptation by Claude Chabrol: La Ceremonie, with excellent performances by Isabelle Huppert and Sandrine Bonnaire.
Rating: 
Summary: Dumbing down
Review: Interesting book in that the villain is a lady who can not read nor write. She is not from the "back-country" of ignoramuses who never had the opportunity of education but rather from London, one of the world's capitals. She is really, carried to the extreme, an example of "dumbing-down" of our educational system. The result is we accomplish "leaving no child behind" by "leaving no child ahead". As a child, she was given an education but she took the lazy person's way out by pretending to read and write. She ends up seeking friendship with someone that is as socially demented as herself. As a consequence, all those who can understand the written word become her enemies to the extent that she kills them in a very horrifying fashion. The fascinating thing about the book is that it enables the reader to understand to some degree what it is like to not to comprehend the written word. The author illustrates this very graphically by having the subject character use the metropolitan transportation system for the first time wherein it becomes a horrifying nightmare. From what I can see of our high school/colledge graduates, this is more common that we, as a society, care to admit. To me it is a wonder that Amazon.com has so many customers. They must sell a great deal of picture books. Outside of this aspect of a social commentary on our educational system through the understanding of an illiterate as well as a good horrer story there is little to recommend the book.
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