Welcome to Litsy!

So good! I was hooked from the very first sentence and loved Rendell‘s writing. Will definitely be trying more of her work.

Thanks to @Cathythoughts for putting this stellar crime novel on my radar!

“Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write.”

What provoked a modern-day St. Valentine‘s Day massacre? I can‘t wait to find out!
#FirstLineFridays

This was great. Suspense, some lovely writing, and I loved the narrator‘s little shocking comments:

‘ No doubt he did. One wonders what Joan Smith would have done with children if she had had them.
Eaten them , perhaps. ‘

You just don‘t expect these random comments , they are so matter of fact, and unexpected!
Loving Ruth Rendell , have ordered more of her books. A good thriller writer. A good writer.

Trying another thriller ( the last one didn‘t work out too well)
So far this is really good 🤞🏻

If I you like mysteries that are more creepy than cozy, Ruth Rendell is for you. In this one, she gives away who did it and why, and yet I found myself absorbed into the story and on edge. Illiteracy is at the heart of the story and makes for a murderer who is pathetic and terrifying. https://cannonballread.com/2021/03/a-judgement-in-stone-elcicco/

A perfect book-in-a-day binge read for a particularly quiet, grey lockdown day. I ordered this after seeing someone post the first page on twitter and the book lived up to all expectations. Really gripping. (Pictured here with the two (two!) calming knitting projects have on the go. Be calm!!!!)

This book is a ruthless, crisp and ironic insight into how two seemingly harmless misfits can perpetrate such a hideous crime simply to fulfil their psychological satisfaction. My ticket to the 'Rendelland' 😁
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Pssst.. for folks who would rather watch a movie, 'La Ceremonie' is one of the most satisfying adaptations. Unadulterated homage to the book !

A disturbing thriller considered one of Rendell's best. It really takes off once Eunice meet her friend and accomplice, Joan. There are some vaguely preachy and some outdated bits (did watching American cop shows influence her?) but overall it's not just a story about class, but about how people of different communities can live side by side, even in the same house with no understanding of each other.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this book! Even though we know what will happen by the end of the novel, it was interesting to find out what happened leading up to the end. And a very unique way to examine how one‘s life can be altered based on their education or lack thereof.

4.5 🌟
Rendell anchors the mystery in the motive. The motive, revealed with the crime in the first sentence, was illiteracy. This could be dismissed as a gimmick. But it‘s clear illiteracy IS the focus: because she feels alienated & ashamed; because she lacks empathy & imagination; because her options are limited; because of all these factors in Eunice, Rendell makes it clear that something awful is waiting to happen. And so, one day, it does.

I'm not one for puns, but killer opening line ☠️🔪😱

With this #greatfirstline, Ruth Rendell examines what happens when people fall through the cracks. Eunice's illiteracy drives her antisocial behavior, as it drives a wedge between her & the rest of the world. She can't bear her shameful secret being exposed, so she separates herself from society as much as she can. And this separation fosters a lack of empathy from all sides, until Eunice breaks under it.
Read this book 😍❤️📚
#booktober