To Fear a Painted Devil [Mass Market Paperback]

Ruth Rendell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 1987

Gossip in tiny Linchester is raised to new heights when young Patrick Selby dies on the night of his beautiful wife's birthday party. The whole neighborhood was there, witness to the horrible attack of wasps Peter suffered at the end of the evening. But did Peter die of the stings? Dr. Greenleaf thinks not. After all, wasps aren't the only creatures that kill with poison . . .

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Gossip in tiny Linchester is raised to new heights when young Patrick Selby dies on the night of his beautiful wife's birthday party. The whole neighborhood was there, witness to the horrible attack of wasps Peter suffered at the end of the evening. But did Peter die of the stings? Dr. Greenleaf thinks not. After all, wasps aren't the only creatures that kill with poison . . .

From AudioFile

This old work is almost unworthy of Ruth Rendell. Considering that Chivers has other fine works and presentations of Rendell, this could be skipped. S.G.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (October 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345349512
• ISBN-13: 978-0345349514
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.5 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #645,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Minor but Entertaining; A Fast Read, January 18, 2004

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Fear a Painted Devil (Mass Market Paperback)

I usually find Rendell an extremely predictable writer who does not so much resolve her murder mysteries as bring them to an open-ended resolution--so I was quite surprised by this early work, which is tightly constructed and offers several clever sleight of hand twists.

The story presents us with an affluent and extremely private community and centers on an unhappily married but extremely wealthy couple, Patrick and Tasmin. Almost every one in the community has good reason to dislike Patrick--and when he unexpectedly dies of what seem natural causes following Tasmin's disastrous birthday party tongues soon begin to wag. Dr. Greenleaf, goaded by the speculation, finds himself becoming an extremely reluctant detective in the matter, repeatedly attempting to silence the gossip but unable to still his own mounting questions.

One of my ongoing complaints with Rendell is that I often find it difficult to distinguish one character from another until well into the novel--and to a certain extent that holds true here. But once the characters come into focus, the story moves at a smart pace, and although Rendell provides several characters with unseen motivations they actually work within the context of the premise she establishes. While this novel has not changed my opinion of Rendells' work in general, it is nonetheless a fast and entertaining read, one that even those who generally dislike the author's work will likely enjoy.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A seminal work by Ruth Rendell, April 24, 2000

By 

Kathleen Casey "kathleenmavourneen" (dallas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Fear a Painted Devil (Audio Cassette)

This is one of Ruth Rendell's first suspense/mysteries and while it may not compare to what she writes today, it is still a fascinating glimpse of early Rendell as well as a look into one strata of British society circa 1965. Ruth Rendell has a remarkable talent for characterizing interesting people and than confounding us as she slowly reveals their machinations and hidden agendas. I feel lucky to have found this book @ Amazon.com.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A TRADITIONAL WHODUNIT..., January 17, 2005

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: To Fear a Painted Devl (Mass Market Paperback)

This mystery by Ruth Rendell is one of her earlier efforts. It offers none of the well-drawn psychological portraits for which she would later become known. Instead, she offers the reader a somewhat traditional whodunit sort of mystery with a tightly woven plot that has a few twists and turns. It makes for a quick, easy read.

The plot is simple and direct. It centers around an unhappily married, wealthy couple, the dictatorial Patrick and the put upon Tamsin, who live in a well to do community. When they have an ill-advised celebration in their home to celebrate Tamsin's birthday, Patrick becomes ill after an accident involving some wasps. Lucky for him, there was a doctor in the house. So, Patrick takes to his bed, none the worse for wear, only to never wake up again. His death is later deemed to be of natural causes.

It turns out, however, that many people had reason to dislike Patrick and wish that he were out of the way: his own wife, her lover, the twin brother of his mistress, and a local business man that he was in the process of ruining. When gossip begins to churn in their close knit community, rumor has it that Patrick's death was anything but natural. Who could have done it?

That is for the reader to discover. If one is a fan of mysteries and of Ruth Rendell, one will, undoubtedly, enjoy this breezy little mystery and delight in trying to figure out who might be the killer.