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Ruth Rendell Books in Order
Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, is a renowned English crime writer, celebrated for her masterful psychological thrillers and murder mysteries. She is perhaps best known for her iconic character, Inspector Wexford, a central figure in her meticulously crafted crime novels. As a celebrated author, she has garnered widespread acclaim for her thought-provoking storytelling and complex characters. Writing under her own name and the pseudonym Barbara Vine, she has demonstrated remarkable versatility and skill in the genre. Throughout her illustrious career, Rendell has consistently pushed the boundaries of crime fiction, leaving a lasting impact on readers and fellow writers alike.
Bibliography verified: April 2026
Quick Answer
What are all of Ruth Rendell's book series? Ruth Rendell has written 5 book series. The most notable is the Children's series.
Complete series list with all books in reading order below.
Book Series by Ruth Rendell
- #1
Archie and Archie(2013)
- #1
From Doon With Death(1964) - #2
Sins of the Fathers / A New Lease of Death(1967) - #3
Wolf to the Slaughter(1967) - #4
The Best Man to Die(1969) - #5
A Guilty Thing Surprised(1970) - #6No More Dying Then(1971)
- #7Murder Being Once Done(1972)
- #8
Some Lie and Some Die(1973) - #9
Shake Hands Forever(1975) - #10
A Sleeping Life(1978) - #11
Death Notes / Put On By Cunning(1981) - #12
Speaker of Mandarin(1983) - #13An Unkindness of Ravens(1985)
- #14The Veiled One(1988)
- #15Kissing the Gunner's Daughter(1992)
- #16
Ginger and the Kingsmarkham(1992) - #17
Simisola(1994) - #18Road Rage(1997)
- #19
Harm Done(1999) - #20
The Babes in the Wood(2002) - #21End in Tears(2005)
- #22Not in the Flesh(2007)
- #23The Monster in the Box(2009)
- #24
The Vault(2011) - #25No Man's Nightingale(2013)
- #1
Means of Evil(1979)
- #1
Ruth Rendell's Suffolk(1992) - #2
The Reason Why(1995) - #3
Simply The Best Mysteries, Edgar Award Winners And Front Runners(1970) - #4
The 23rd Pan Book of Horror Stories(1982) - #5
The Web She Weaves(1983) - #6
Murder in the Dark(1983) - #7
Ready or Not: Here Come Fourteen Frightening Stories!(1987) - #8
English Country House Murders(1988) - #9
The Picador Book of the New Gothic(1991) - #10
Mystery Cats(1991) - #11
1st Culprit(1992) - #12
The Man Who...(1992) - #13Women of Mystery(1992)
- #14
The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories 1992(1993) - #15
Fifty Best Mysteries(1993) - #16
3rd Culprit(1994) - #17
Women of Mystery II(1994) - #18
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine: November 1994(1994) - #19
The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories 1993(1994) - #20
Murder Intercontinental(1996) - #21
Murder by the Book(1996) - #22
Win, Lose or Die(1996) - #23
Women of Mystery III(1998) - #24
Crime After Crime(1999) - #25Crime Never Pays(2001)
- #26
The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories 3(2002) - #27
Murder On The Railways(2003) - #28
Feline Felonies(2006) - #29
Unforgettable Ghost Stories by Women Writers(2008) - #30
Great Modern Stories(2009) - #31
Midsummer Nights(2009) - #32Short Stories: The Thoroughly Modern Collection(2009)
- #33
Murder in Midsummer: Classic Mysteries for the Holidays(2019) - #34
Murder Takes a Holiday(2021) - #35
The Dead of Winter: Ten Classic Tales for Chilling Nights(2023)
- #1To Fear a Painted Devil(1965)
- #2
Vanity Dies Hard(1966) - #3The Secret House Of Death(1968)
- #4
One Across, Two Down(1971) - #5
The Face of Trespass(1974) - #6
A Demon in My View(1976) - #7
A Judgement in Stone(1977) - #8
Make Death Love Me(1979) - #9
The Lake of Darkness(1980) - #10
Master of the Moor(1982) - #11
The Killing Doll(1984) - #12The Tree of Hands(1984)
- #13
Live Flesh(1986) - #14
A Dark-Adapted Eye (As: Barbara Vine)(1986) - #15Talking to Strange Men(1987)
- #16
A Fatal Inversion (As: Barbara Vine)(1987) - #17
The House of Stairs (As: Barbara Vine)(1988) - #18The Bridesmaid(1989)
- #19Going Wrong(1990)
- #20
Gallowglass (As: Barbara Vine)(1990) - #21
King Solomon's Carpet (As: Barbara Vine)(1991) - #22The Crocodile Bird(1993)
- #23
Asta's Book / Anna's Book (As: Barbara Vine)(1993) - #24
No Night Is Too Long (As: Barbara Vine)(1994) - #25
In the Time of His Prosperity (As: Barbara Vine)(1995) - #26
The Brimstone Wedding (As: Barbara Vine)(1995) - #27The Keys to the Street(1996)
- #28A Sight for Sore Eyes(1998)
- #29
The Chimney Sweeper's Boy (As: Barbara Vine)(1998) - #30
Grasshopper (As: Barbara Vine)(2000) - #31
Adam and Eve and Pinch Me(2001) - #32
The Blood Doctor (As: Barbara Vine)(2002) - #33
The Rottweiler(2003) - #34
13 Steps Down(2004) - #35
Minotaur (As: Barbara Vine)(2005) - #36
The Water's Lovely(2006) - #37
Birthday Present (As: Barbara Vine)(2008) - #38Portobello(2008)
- #39
Tigerlily's Orchids(2010) - #40
The Saint Zita Society(2012) - #41
The Child's Child (As: Barbara Vine)(2012) - #42
The Girl Next Door(2014) - #43
Dark Corners(2015)
About Ruth Rendell
Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, is a renowned English crime writer, celebrated for her masterful psychological thrillers and murder mysteries. She is perhaps best known for her iconic character, Inspector Wexford, a central figure in her meticulously crafted crime novels. As a celebrated author, she has garnered widespread acclaim for her thought-provoking storytelling and complex characters. Writing under her own name and the pseudonym Barbara Vine, she has demonstrated remarkable versatility and skill in the genre. Throughout her illustrious career, Rendell has consistently pushed the boundaries of crime fiction, leaving a lasting impact on readers and fellow writers alike.
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