Thirteen Steps Down by
Ruth Rendell
hbk out October 04
Published by Hutchinson
at £16.99
No British crime writer has achieved more over the past forty years than the
remarkable Ruth Rendell and it is good to report that this novel of psychological
suspense marks something of a return to form after a few disappointing efforts, such
as 'Adam and Eve and Pinch Me', and 'Grasshopper' (written as Barbara Vine) which
did little but repeat the themes of earlier and much more memorable books. Mix
Cellini and his landlady Gwen Chawcer are social misfits of a kind familiar to Rendell
fans and it is clear from the start that their respective obsessions – with the mass
murderer Reginald Christie, and a supposedly long-lost love – will ultimately doom
them. But the way in which the story unfolds is full of neat touches, especially
concerning the Christie case and Gwen's long-suffering friends. There is rather more
humour than in most Rendell books and this is a welcome and unexpected
development in her writing. Coincidence plays a significant part in the thirteen steps
that lead to Mix's downfall and the unlikely behaviour of some of the characters
preclude this novel from classic status. Nonetheless, it is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Martin Edwards
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)
Thirteen Steps Down by
Ruth Rendell
