The Babes In The Wood

"Bizarre, isn't it? The teenagers are 15 and 13, the sitter's in her 30s, they can all swim and the house is miles above the floods". As Burden introduces the case to Wexford with these words, the Subaqua Task Force looks in vain for drowned bodies. Yet their mother is sure her children are dead.

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'Rendell is a writing phenomenon. In the 35 years since with From Doon with Death, her debut novel featuring Chief Inspector Wexford, she has produced a body of work unequalled by any other mystery writer for its depth, scope and influence-The way Rendell draws the separate stories together is an object lesson in mystery plotting - utterly absorbing' Peter Gutteridge, Observer'Here are the fears that haunt us, the nightmarish urban myths of our time - One of the most remarkable talents writing today. Ruth Rendell is a peer of the realm, and she deserves to be: she's a national treasure.' Jane Jakeman, Independent'Rendell is not only irresistible because of the brilliance of her descriptions of contemporary life and the sad truth of her characters. She is a great storyteller who knows how to make sure that the reader has to turn the pages out of a desperate need to find out what is going to happen next.' John Mortimer, Sunday Times'It is a fascinatingly scary universe that Rendell creates, riveting and disturbing' Marcel Berlins, The Times