The Vault - by Ruth Rendell (Paperback)

About the Book

Retired Chief Inspector Reg Wexford finds himself in danger after being recruited as adviser on a case. Three bodies have been discovered in a house's coal hole, along with a string of pearls, a diamond, and other valued jewelry.

Book Synopsis

INCLUDES AN EXCERPT OF RENDELL'S FINAL NOVEL, DARK CORNERS

In the stunning climax to Rendell's classic 1998 novel A Sight for Sore Eyes, three bodies--two dead, one living--are entombed in an underground chamber beneath a picturesque London house. Twelve years later, the house's new owner pulls back a manhole cover, and discovers the vault--and its grisly contents. Only now, the number of bodies is four. How did somebody else end up in the chamber? And who knew of its existence?

With their own detectives at an impasse, London police call on former Kingsmarkham Chief Inspector Wexford, now retired and living with his wife in London, to advise them. Wexford, missing the thrill of a good case, jumps at the chance to sleuth once again. His dogged detective skills and knack for figuring out the criminal mind take him to London neighborhoods, posh and poor, as he follows a complex trail leading back to the original murders a decade ago.

But just as the case gets hot, a devastating family tragedy pulls Wexford back to Kingsmarkham, and he finds himself transforming from investigator into victim. Ingeniously plotted, The Vault is a "masterful" (The Seattle Times) sequel to A Sight for Sore Eyes that will satisfy both longtime Wexford fans and new Rendell readers alike.

Review Quotes

"Ruth Rendell is bidding to join Defoe and Dickens in creating one of the great criminal cities of literature."--The Independent (UK)

"[A] fiendish plot... Wexford hasn't lost his touch."--Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

"Ruth Rendell has written an astounding 59 novels. All are reason to rejoice, but this 60th, starring the beloved Reginald Wexford, is worth shouting about from the rooftops... [A] classic Rendell tale."-- Carol Memmott, USA Today

"This is Ruth Rendell at her authoritative best."--Muriel Dobbin, Washington Times

About the Author

Ruth Rendell (1930-2015) won three Edgar Awards, the highest accolade from Mystery Writers of America, as well as four Gold Daggers and a Diamond Dagger for outstanding contribution to the genre from England's prestigious Crime Writ­ers' Association. Her remarkable career spanned a half century, with more than sixty books published. A member of the House of Lords, she was one of the great literary figures of our time.