A Sleeping Life - (Inspector Wexford) by Ruth Rendell (Paperback)

About the Book

A wallet found in the handbag of a murder victim leads Inspector Wexford to Mr. Grenville West, a writer whose plots revel in the blood, thunder, and passion of dramas of old and whose current whereabouts are unclear. When a second Grenville West comes to light, Wexford faces a dizzying array of possible scenarios--and suspects!

Book Synopsis

Rhoda Comfrey's death seemed unremarkable; the real mystery was her life.

In A Sleeping Life, master mystery writer Ruth Rendell unveils an elaborate web of lies and deception painstakingly maintained by a troubled soul. A wallet found in Comfrey's handbag leads Inspector Wexford to Mr. Grenville West, a writer whose plots revel in the blood, thunder, and passion of dramas of old; whose current whereabouts are unclear; and whose curious secretary--the plain Polly Flinders--provides the Inspector with more questions than answers. And when a second Grenville West comes to light, Wexford faces a dizzying array of possible scenarios--and suspects--behind the Comfrey murder.

Brilliantly entertaining, exceptionally crafted, A Sleeping Life evokes the dark realities, half-truths, and flights of fancy that constitute a life.

From the Back Cover

Rhoda Comfrey's death seemed unremarkable; the real mystery was her life.

In A Sleeping Life, master mystery writer Ruth Rendell unveils an elaborate web of lies and deception painstakingly maintained by a troubled soul. A wallet found in Comfrey's handbag leads Inspector Wexford to Mr. Grenville West, a writer whose plots revel in the blood, thunder, and passion of dramas of old; whose current whereabouts are unclear; and whose curious secretary -- the plain Polly Flinders -- provides the Inspector with more questions than answers. And when a second Grenville West comes to light, Wexford faces a dizzying array of possible scenarios -- and suspects -- behind the Comfrey murder. Brilliantly entertaining, exceptionally well-written, A Sleeping Life evokes the dark realities, half-truths, and flights of fancy that constitute a life.

Review Quotes

"Rendell is a master of the form." --The Washington Post Book World

"An unusual detective story. . .intelligent, well-written, with a surprising twist." --The Times Literary Supplement

"Ruth Rendell. . .retains her place of highest distinction in the field." --The New York Times Book Review

"The best mystery writer anywhere in the English-speaking world." --The Boston Globe

"No one can take you so totally into the recesses of the human mind as does Ruth Rendell." --The Christian Science Monitor

About the Author

Ruth Rendell is the author of Road Rage, The Keys to the Street, Bloodlines, Simisola, and The Crocodile Bird. She is the winner of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award. She is also the recipient of three Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and four Gold Daggers from Great Britain's Crime Writers Association. In 1997, she was named a life peer in the House of Lords. Ruth Rendell also writes mysteries under the name of Barbara Vine, of which A Dark Adapted Eye is the most famous. She lives in England.