The Lake of Darkness (Paperback)

by Ruth Rendell (Author) "Scorpio is metaphysics, putrefaction and death, regeneration, passion, lust and violence, insight and profundity; inheritance, loss, occultism, astrology, borrowing and lending, others' possessions..." (more)
Key Phrases: grey van, honey chile, wall heater, Martin Urban, Anne Blake, Fortis Green Lane (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Released in 1976, 1980, and 1971, respectively, these present a bevy of Rendell's signature characters, who, although seemingly normal, well-balanced individuals, in actuality are nut cases. Though her books are formulaic, Rendell has managed to amass a huge following, who will enjoy a second crack at these.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
As in the superb Make Death Love Me (1979), Britain's queen of dark irony is again doing nice tricks with parallel, interlocking plots - but here, though Rendell is never less than swiftly readable, the fabrication doesn't quite soar: the characters are an unlikable crew; the balance between the two halves of the story is lopsided; and, most crucially, the reliance on contrivance or coincidence (which almost marred Make Death Love Me) pretty near shatters the narrative spell. Thirtyish, rather priggish (perhaps latently homosexual) accountant Martin Urban has secretly won a small fortune in the football pools, thanks to his old acquaintance, journalist Tim. But instead of sharing the loot with Tim, Martin decides to play benefactor to five needy souls caught in London's dreadful housing shortage. This doesn't turn out to be so easy, however. Moreover, Martin gets distracted by the arrival in his life of beautiful, semi-mysterious Francesca - a married woman (with a child) whom he is soon intently trying to woo away from her (never-seen) husband. But what Martin doesn't know is that sneaky faker Francesca is really Tim's girlfriend; they're out for nasty revenge, out to get some of the money that Martin declined to share with Tim. And just about the time that Martin starts to suspect something fishy with Francesca, he happens to select mad old Mrs. Finn (his mother's former charwoman) as one of his five lucky charity cases. So what happens when Martin starts offering money to Mrs. F.'s son - a childlike psychotic who's recently begun a career as a mystical-minded hit man? That's right: total misunderstanding - which, combined with a coincidence or two, ends up with crazy, creepy Finn zeroing in on naughty Francesca. . . A neat set of premises, a fine sense of place, a witty fugue on the themes of greed and real estate - modestly entertaining if read as a not-quite-for-real black comedy. But Rendell (whose uncharacteristic sloppiness here includes such gaucheries as "paranoidly") has made only a half-successful chiller out of her inspired plot notions this time around, a wily tale with middling credibility and minimal emotional grab. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Crime/Black Lizard ed edition (January 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375704973
• ISBN-13: 978-0375704970
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #150,512 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY..., July 27, 2003

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Ruth Rendell is a fabulous British author who has churned out mystery after mystery filled with dark, demented twists. This is another tautly plotted, well crafted mystery with characters that, though seemingly normal, are just a tad off the beaten path.

This book features Martin Urban, a staid and somewhat stuffy young man who would have felt at home in Victorian England. Martin wins a very large sum of money in a football pool with a little help from Tim Sage, an old friend of his. Altruistic and given to some rather god-like pronouncements, Martin wishes to give the money away to the deserving poor, in order to enable them to buy a home. Poor Martin, there are none so blind, as those who will not see.

Beset by subliminal homo-erotic thoughts regarding Tim Sage, he meets a mysterious young woman named Francesca, who is as demure and submissive as a Victorian maiden and captures his heart. Unfortunately, she is bound to another. All, however, is not as Martin thinks that it is.

Enter Finn, the twisted son of Lena, former cleaning lady to Martin's mother. When Finn's path crosses that of Martin's, during one of Martin's fumbling attempts to give some of his winnings away, a very clever dialogue ensues between these two with some unexpected, deadly results.

Fans of Ms. Rendell will not be disappointed by this book. It is filled with the slightly off-beat characters for which she is known, some of whom harbor dark twisted thoughts, while others are entirely socio-pathic. Well-written is spare, clear prose and filled with enough twists and turns to satisfy the most discerning of readers, this is another gem in Ms. Rendell's treasure trove of mysteries.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Inspector Wexford, August 15, 2000

By	George Dellagiarino (Reston, Va. United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Lake of Darkness (Audio Cassette)

Martin Urban wins a tidy sum at the football pools and, since he is not financially destitute, decides to share his good fortune with those less fortunate than himself. Martin, however, will learn that no good deed goes unpunished. One of his benefactors is a fellow named Finn, who, while being the son of a friend of Martin's mother, is also no stranger to receiving strange bundles of cash - for "services rendered". There is also Francesca, who is Martin's love interest, if that's the right word. These three form an eternal triangle, only they don't know it. For you see, once Finn receives Martin's sum, he's not quite sure who he is suppose to kill.

This book is reminiscent of Elmore Leonard in that it is not a mystery per se - not Inspector Wexford - but more of a crime novel, a psychological treatise where the characters dictate the action. While neither Martin, Finn, nor Francesca evokes our sympathy, their interwining does. The plot is woven among these three much like a loom.

The strength of the book is Rendell's emphasis on the psychological make up of her main characters as well as her ability to draw them into relationships without their necessarily being in the same scene. I gave the book 4 stars and not 5 because this could have been a bigger story. However, if you're looking for a mystery, go read Sherlock Holmes. There's more deeper psychological angst here.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rendell is amazing, October 3, 2002

By	nadia cowen (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

The woman never ceases to amaze me. I have read so many Rendell/Vine books and just can't stop. So few authors can look into the warped, secret side of someone the world perceives as normal in the acutely fascinating way she does. No skipping words or pages in her books.
'Darkness' ranks as one of the most perfectly crafted mysteries ever written. When all the pieces fit so beautifully--without stretching and reaching, without the reader thinking he's on a fictional ride--so perfectly, it is physically satisfying. The reader feels like one of the gods on Olympus looking down on these characters who stumble inexorably into what is to be their fate.
At the end of this book, I sat back and sighed with satisfaction. Yes, brilliant, Ruth. How do you do it?