"Heartstones" by Ruth Rendell is a dark and twisted tale that revolves around Elvira, a disturbing and self-centered teenager, and her father Luke. The story delves into the dysfunctional dynamics within their family, especially after Luke introduces his new wife, Mary Leonard, into their lives. As the plot unfolds, unexpected twists and unsettling events lead Elvira to question her own sanity and actions, creating a suspenseful and gripping narrative. The writing style is described as elegantly crafted, with a build-up of tension, fantastic plot development, and a clever twist at the end that keeps readers engrossed until the final page.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of murder, mental illness, and child neglect.
From The Publisher:
In a college town two schoolgirls live with their widowed father Luke, a gentle well-educated man, meticulous and orderly. Elvira and Spinny are watchful however for Luke plans to remarry and has chosen Mary. The threat to the girls world is removed, however, when Mary falls to her death.
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Heartstones?
About the Author:
Ruth Rendell was an exceptional crime writer, and will be remembered as a legend in her own lifetime. Her groundbreaking debut novel, From Doon With Death, was first published in 1964 and introduced the reader to her enduring and popular detective, Inspector Reginald Wexford, who went on to feature in twenty-four of her subsequent novels. With worldwide sales of approximately 20 million copies, Rendell was a regular Sunday Times bestseller. Her sixty bestselling novels include police procedurals, some of which have been successfully adapted for TV, stand-alone psychological mysteries, and a third strand of crime novels under the pseudonym Barbara Vine. Very much abreast of her times, the Wexford books in particular often engaged with social or political issues close to her heart. Rendell won numerous awards, including the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for 1976's best crime novel with A Demon in My View, a Gold Dagger award for Live Flesh in 1986, and the Sunday Times Literary Award in 1990. In 2013 she was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence in crime writing. In 1996 she was awarded the CBE and in 1997 became a Life Peer. Ruth Rendell died in May 2015. Her final novel, Dark Corners, was published in October 2015.
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