A Judgement in Stone

A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell is, I think, one of her best books even though we know right at the start who has been murdered and by whom. That doesn’t matter – what does matter is why - and in the telling of this story Rendell generates almost unbearable tension and creates a gripping ‘page turner’. The gradual unfolding of the chain of events that led to the tragedy in the opening pages is masterful with its insights into human nature and the consequences of every character’s actions.