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Ruth Rendell

British author best known for the Inspector Wexford mystery series and her acclaimed standalone psychological thrillers. A winner of multiple Edgar Awards and a CBE, her books have sold over 20 million copies worldwide. This page provides the Ruth Rendell books in order, including both chronological order and series reading order.

All books · chronological

1964From Doon With DeathPOoIWB · 1Buy ↗

1965To Fear a Painted DevilPOoSN · 1Buy ↗

1966Vanity Dies HardPOoSN · 2Buy ↗

1967Sins of the Fathers / A New Lease of DeathPOoIWB · 2Buy ↗

1967Wolf to the SlaughterPOoIWB · 3Buy ↗

1968The Secret House Of DeathPOoSN · 3Buy ↗

1969The Best Man to DiePOoIWB · 4Buy ↗

1970A Guilty Thing SurprisedPOoIWB · 5Buy ↗

1971One Across, Two DownPOoSN · 4Buy ↗

1971No More Dying ThenPOoIWB · 6Buy ↗

1972Murder Being Once DonePOoIWB · 7Buy ↗

1973Some Lie and Some DiePOoIWB · 8Buy ↗

1974The Face of TrespassPOoSN · 5Buy ↗

1975Shake Hands ForeverPOoIWB · 9Buy ↗

1976The Fallen CurtainPOoSSC · 1Buy ↗

1976A Demon in My ViewPOoSN · 6Buy ↗

1977A Judgement in StonePOoSN · 7Buy ↗

1978A Sleeping LifePOoIWB · 10Buy ↗

1979Means of EvilPOoIWCB · 1Buy ↗

1979Make Death Love MePOoSN · 8Buy ↗

1980The Lake of DarknessPOoSN · 9Buy ↗

1981Death Notes / Put On By CunningPOoIWB · 11Buy ↗

1982The Fever TreePOoSSC · 2Buy ↗

1982Master of the MoorPOoSN · 10Buy ↗

1983Speaker of MandarinPOoIWB · 12Buy ↗

1984The Killing DollPOoSN · 11Buy ↗

1984The Tree of HandsPOoSN · 12Buy ↗

1985The Convolvulus ClockPOoSS · 1Buy ↗

1985The New GirlfriendPOoSSC · 3Buy ↗

1985An Unkindness of RavensPOoIWB · 13Buy ↗

1986Live FleshPOoSN · 13Buy ↗

1986A Dark-Adapted Eye(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 14Buy ↗

1987HeartstonesPOoSS · 2Buy ↗

1987Talking to Strange MenPOoSN · 15Buy ↗

1987A Fatal Inversion(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 16Buy ↗

1988The Veiled OnePOoIWB · 14Buy ↗

1988The House of Stairs(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 17Buy ↗

1989Collected Short StoriesPOoSSC · 4Buy ↗

1989The BridesmaidPOoSN · 18Buy ↗

1990Going WrongPOoSN · 19Buy ↗

1990Gallowglass(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 20Buy ↗

1991Long Live The QueenPOoSS · 3Buy ↗

1991The Copper Peacock and Other StoriesPOoSSC · 5Buy ↗

1991King Solomon's Carpet(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 21Buy ↗

1992Ruth Rendell's SuffolkPOoNB · 1Buy ↗

1992Kissing the Gunner's DaughterPOoIWB · 15Buy ↗

1992Ginger and the KingsmarkhamPOoIWB · 16Buy ↗

1993The Crocodile BirdPOoSN · 22Buy ↗

1993Asta's Book / Anna's Book(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 23Buy ↗

1994SimisolaPOoIWB · 17Buy ↗

1994No Night Is Too Long(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 24Buy ↗

1995The Reason WhyPOoNB · 2Buy ↗

1995Blood LinesPOoSSC · 6Buy ↗

1995In the Time of His Prosperity(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 25Buy ↗

1995The Brimstone Wedding(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 26Buy ↗

1996The Keys to the StreetPOoSN · 27Buy ↗

1997Road RagePOoIWB · 18Buy ↗

1998ThornapplePOoSS · 4Buy ↗

1998A Sight for Sore EyesPOoSN · 28Buy ↗

1998The Chimney Sweeper's Boy(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 29Buy ↗

1999Harm DonePOoIWB · 19Buy ↗

2000Piranha to ScurfyPOoSSC · 7Buy ↗

2000Grasshopper(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 30Buy ↗

2001Adam and Eve and Pinch MePOoSN · 31Buy ↗

2002The Babes in the WoodPOoIWB · 20Buy ↗

2002The Blood Doctor(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 32Buy ↗

2003The RottweilerPOoSN · 33Buy ↗

200413 Steps DownPOoSN · 34Buy ↗

2005The ThiefPOoSS · 5Buy ↗

2005End in TearsPOoIWB · 21Buy ↗

2005Minotaur(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 35Buy ↗

2006Ruth Rendell: Short StoriesPOoSSC · 8Buy ↗

2006Collected Stories Vol 1POoSSC · 9Buy ↗

2006The Water's LovelyPOoSN · 36Buy ↗

2007Not in the FleshPOoIWB · 22Buy ↗

2008Birthday Present(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 37Buy ↗

2008PortobelloPOoSN · 38Buy ↗

2009The Monster in the BoxPOoIWB · 23Buy ↗

2010Tigerlily's OrchidsPOoSN · 39Buy ↗

2011The VaultPOoIWB · 24Buy ↗

2012The Saint Zita SocietyPOoSN · 40Buy ↗

2012The Child's Child(As: Barbara Vine)POoSN · 41Buy ↗

2013Archie and ArchiePOoCB · 1Buy ↗

2013No Man's NightingalePOoIWB · 25Buy ↗

2014The Girl Next DoorPOoSN · 42Buy ↗

2015Dark CornersPOoSN · 43Buy ↗

2017A Spot of FollyPOoSSC · 10Buy ↗

2019BBC Radio Drama CollectionPOoSSC · 11Buy ↗

Book series · browse all →

Publication Order of Inspector Wexford Books25 books · 1964–2013

01From Doon With Death1964Buy ↗

02Sins of the Fathers / A New Lease of Death1967Buy ↗

03Wolf to the Slaughter1967Buy ↗

04The Best Man to Die1969Buy ↗

05A Guilty Thing Surprised1970Buy ↗

06No More Dying Then1971Buy ↗

07Murder Being Once Done1972Buy ↗

08Some Lie and Some Die1973Buy ↗

09Shake Hands Forever1975Buy ↗

10A Sleeping Life1978Buy ↗

11Death Notes / Put On By Cunning1981Buy ↗

12Speaker of Mandarin1983Buy ↗

13An Unkindness of Ravens1985Buy ↗

14The Veiled One1988Buy ↗

15Kissing the Gunner's Daughter1992Buy ↗

16Ginger and the Kingsmarkham1992Buy ↗

17Simisola1994Buy ↗

18Road Rage1997Buy ↗

19Harm Done1999Buy ↗

20The Babes in the Wood2002Buy ↗

21End in Tears2005Buy ↗

22Not in the Flesh2007Buy ↗

23The Monster in the Box2009Buy ↗

24The Vault2011Buy ↗

25No Man's Nightingale2013Buy ↗

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books2 books · 1992–1995

01Ruth Rendell's Suffolk1992Buy ↗

02The Reason Why1995Buy ↗

Publication Order of Inspector Wexford Collections Books1 book · 1979

01Means of Evil1979Buy ↗

Publication Order of Short Story Collections11 books · 1976–2019

01The Fallen Curtain1976Buy ↗

02The Fever Tree1982Buy ↗

03The New Girlfriend1985Buy ↗

04Collected Short Stories1989Buy ↗

05The Copper Peacock and Other Stories1991Buy ↗

06Blood Lines1995Buy ↗

07Piranha to Scurfy2000Buy ↗

08Ruth Rendell: Short Stories2006Buy ↗

09Collected Stories Vol 12006Buy ↗

10A Spot of Folly2017Buy ↗

11BBC Radio Drama Collection2019Buy ↗

Publication Order of Children's Books1 book · 2013

01Archie and Archie2013Buy ↗

Publication Order of Standalone Novels43 books · 1965–2015

01To Fear a Painted Devil1965Buy ↗

02Vanity Dies Hard1966Buy ↗

03The Secret House Of Death1968Buy ↗

04One Across, Two Down1971Buy ↗

05The Face of Trespass1974Buy ↗

06A Demon in My View1976Buy ↗

07A Judgement in Stone1977Buy ↗

08Make Death Love Me1979Buy ↗

09The Lake of Darkness1980Buy ↗

10Master of the Moor1982Buy ↗

11The Killing Doll1984Buy ↗

12The Tree of Hands1984Buy ↗

13Live Flesh1986Buy ↗

14A Dark-Adapted Eye(As: Barbara Vine)1986Buy ↗

15Talking to Strange Men1987Buy ↗

16A Fatal Inversion(As: Barbara Vine)1987Buy ↗

17The House of Stairs(As: Barbara Vine)1988Buy ↗

18The Bridesmaid1989Buy ↗

19Going Wrong1990Buy ↗

20Gallowglass(As: Barbara Vine)1990Buy ↗

21King Solomon's Carpet(As: Barbara Vine)1991Buy ↗

22The Crocodile Bird1993Buy ↗

23Asta's Book / Anna's Book(As: Barbara Vine)1993Buy ↗

24No Night Is Too Long(As: Barbara Vine)1994Buy ↗

25In the Time of His Prosperity(As: Barbara Vine)1995Buy ↗

26The Brimstone Wedding(As: Barbara Vine)1995Buy ↗

27The Keys to the Street1996Buy ↗

28A Sight for Sore Eyes1998Buy ↗

29The Chimney Sweeper's Boy(As: Barbara Vine)1998Buy ↗

30Grasshopper(As: Barbara Vine)2000Buy ↗

31Adam and Eve and Pinch Me2001Buy ↗

32The Blood Doctor(As: Barbara Vine)2002Buy ↗

33The Rottweiler2003Buy ↗

3413 Steps Down2004Buy ↗

35Minotaur(As: Barbara Vine)2005Buy ↗

36The Water's Lovely2006Buy ↗

37Birthday Present(As: Barbara Vine)2008Buy ↗

38Portobello2008Buy ↗

39Tigerlily's Orchids2010Buy ↗

40The Saint Zita Society2012Buy ↗

41The Child's Child(As: Barbara Vine)2012Buy ↗

42The Girl Next Door2014Buy ↗

43Dark Corners2015Buy ↗

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas5 books · 1985–2005

01The Convolvulus Clock1985Buy ↗

02Heartstones1987Buy ↗

03Long Live The Queen1991Buy ↗

04Thornapple1998Buy ↗

05The Thief2005Buy ↗

More authors

Alan Bradley→Alan Dean Foster→Alan Furst→Alan Garner→