The Best Ruth Rendell Books

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September 16, 2014 382 votes 106 voters
Voting Rules
Vote for the Ruth Rendell novels you just couldn't put down. If you haven't read a book, don't downvote it.

List of the best Ruth Rendell books, ranked by voracious readers in the Ranker community. With commercial success and critical acclaim, there's no doubt that Ruth Rendell is one of the most popular authors of the last 100 years. She is best known for her popular mystery novels, as well as her classic character, Chief Inspector Wexford. If you're a huge fan of her work, then vote on your favorite novels below and make your opinion count. This poll is also a great resource for new fans of Ruth Rendell who want to know which novels they should start reading first. With memorable characters and excellent storytelling, there's no reason why you shouldn't check out her work if you're a big reader.

List books include To Fear a Painted Devil, A Dark-Adapted Eye, and many more. What are Ruth Rendell's best novels? Vote on this list and help us definitively answer that question.
Ranked by
  • A Sight for Sore Eyes
    1

    A Sight for Sore Eyes

    Ruth Rendell
    30 votes
    • Genres (Book): Crime Fiction, Suspense, Mystery
    • Original Language: English Language
  • The Rottweiler
    2

    The Rottweiler

    Ruth Rendell
    15 votes
    • First Published: 2003-10-02
    • Subjects: Police procedural, Police, London, England
    • Genres (Book): Crime Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Fiction
    • Original Language: English Language
  • A Fatal Inversion
    3

    A Fatal Inversion

    Ruth Rendell
    23 votes
    • First Published: 1987-03
    • Genres (Book): Crime Fiction, Mystery
    • Original Language: English Language
  • A Dark-Adapted Eye
    4

    A Dark-Adapted Eye

    Ruth Rendell
    16 votes
    • First Published: 1986-03-01
    • Genres (Book): Crime Fiction, Psychological thriller, Mystery
    • Original Language: English Language
  • The Crocodile Bird
    5

    The Crocodile Bird

    Ruth Rendell
    23 votes
    • First Published: 1993-09-02
    • Genres (Book): Crime Fiction, Children's literature, Mystery, Fiction
    • Original Language: English Language
  • The Keys to the Street
    6

    The Keys to the Street

    Ruth Rendell
    10 votes
    • First Published: 1996
    • Subjects: Crime, Adventure
    • Genres (Book): Crime Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
    • Original Language: English Language