Ruth Rendell's new psychological thriller is a gripping examination of society. And the darkness is never far away . . .
Hexam Place in Pimlico is an elegant place to live. To own a property in this area requires not only a sizable income, but hired help. The people who work there don't necessarily consider themselves to be servants. But a group of them decide to form the Saint Zita Society. (Zita was the patron saint of domestic servants, who gave her food and clothes to the poor.) Inevitably, each one has an axe to grind, but the meetings at the local pub resolve little. Dr Jefferson's gardener is a strange man called Dex. He has been invited to join this motley group, but is ill at ease with other human beings. Messages from his mobile phone reassure him that there is some kind of god who will protect him and who will also give him instructions about ridding the world of evil spirits… Accidental death and pathological madness cohabit in Hexam Place. In her new novel, Ruth Rendell examines the many layers of human society - with its foibles, eccentricities, ambitions, kindnesses and despairs. And the darkness is never far away.
About the Author
Ruth Rendell is crime fiction at its very best. The author of over 50 novels, she has won many significant crime fiction awards. Her first novel, From Doon With Death, appeared in 1964, and since then her reputation and readership have grown steadily with each new book.
She has received major awards for her work; three Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America; the Crime Writers' Gold Dagger Award for 1976's best crime novel, A Demon In My View; the Arts Council National Book Award for Genre Fiction in 1981 for The Lake Of Darkness; the Crime Writer's Gold Dagger Award for 1986's best crime novel for Live Flesh; in 1987 the Crime Writer's Gold Dagger Award for A Fatal Inversion and in 1991 the same award for King Solomon's Carpet, both written under the pseudonym Barbara Vine; the Sunday Times Literary Award in 1990; and in 1991 the Crime Writer's Cartier Diamond Award for outstanding contribution to the genre.
Her books are translated into 21 languages. In 1996 she was awarded the CBE and in 1997 became a Life Peer.
Industry Reviews
Rendell deploys her unadorned prose style to create memorable characters and nail-biting suspense. * Sunday Times *
This is a rip-roaring crime caper that will have you on the edge of your seat and will keep you guessing until the very last pages. * Daily Express *
Probably the greatest living crime writer in the world -- Ian Rankin
As a page-turner there are few who can match Ruth -- Colin Dexter
Unequivocally, the most brilliant mystery writer of our time. She magnificently triumphs in a style that is uniquely hers and mesmerising -- Patricia Cornwell
