Louise North doesn't care what the neighbors think. She lets her lover leave his car just outside her house in broad daylight, telling everyone a cockamamie story about him being a central heating salesman. Still, it's a shock when she's found shot dead, covered by the equally dead body of the "salesman." Now Susan Townsend -- the Norths' next-door neighbor, who discovers the bodies -- must help Louise's husband, Bob, get back on his feet. But is she helping a neighbor . . . or a murderer?
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
Louise North doesn't care what the neighbors think. She lets her lover leave his car just outside her house in broad daylight, telling everyone a cockamamie story about him being a central heating salesman. Still, it's a shock when she's found shot dead, covered by the equally dead body of the "salesman." Now Susan Townsend -- the Norths' next-door neighbor, who discovers the bodies -- must help Louise's husband, Bob, get back on his feet. But is she helping a neighbor . . . or a murderer?
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
Ruth Rendell continues to deserve the high praise she receives for her psychologically complex crime stories. Listeners will avidly follow the story of a London surburban couple trapped in a relationship from which death seems the only escape. Actor Simon Russell Beale narrates this gripping story with a quiet intensity that suits the tale. His vocal approach is understated and pleasant to hear. Evil and treachery lurk in the manicured gardens of Matchdown Park. Beale's performance is outstanding because he controls the listener's experience, building up suspence steadily, and he also makes the listener care about the characters and want the young divorcŽe to be safe and cared for. Beale manipulates feelings, and tells a fascinating story. D.L.G. Winner of AUDIOFILE's Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just what you'd expect from Rendell!,
By Bettye McKee (Fort Smith, AR USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Secret House of Death (Audio Cassette)
A great story from one of the greatest storytellers of our time. This is not an Inspector Wexford tale, but it has all the elements of one. The neighbors are alerted by a barking dog every time the central heating salesman calls on their neighbor Louise. Then Louise and the salesman are found shot to death in her bedroom, an apparent murder/suicide. As the police investigate, friends and neighbors of the victims begin to wonder if the case is as simple as it first appeared . . . .
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM...,
By Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (COMMUNITY FORUM 04) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)
This review is from: Secret House of Death (Mass Market Paperback)
Ruth Rendell is a brilliant writer of psychological suspense and mysteries. She is noted for her quirky characters and unlikely killers, many of whom seem quite ordinary. What they all seem to have is a dark side that manifests itself in the deadliest ways. This book is no exception.
Here, an attractive young woman, Louise North, who lives in a suburban housing complex, is incessantly gossiped about by her neighbors. It seems that that when her handsome husband, Bob, leaves for work, Louise gets a male visitor whom all the neighbors think is her lover. Her neighbors marvel at the brazenness of this hussy living in their well-ordered midst. Imagine the boldness of Louise in having her lover park his car right in front of her home. What if her husband were to come home unexpectedly? When her next door neighbor, divorcee Susan Townsend, is inveigled by a distraught Louise to come over for coffee, Susan only reluctantly agrees, not wanting to be drawn into any sordid disclosures. After all, she does not engage in any of the vile gossip surrounding Louise and her romantic encounters with the mysterious gentleman caller. Still, the next day she goes to Louise's home at the appointed hour, only to find Louise and her ostensible lover locked in a deadly embrace. Naturally, under the circumstances, Susan and Bob find themselves drawing towards each other. Bob seeks out Susan, becoming a regular visitor, and before she knows it, Susan finds that she is more than happy to comfort Bob, and a relationship of sorts develops. Susan, however, gets a feeling as if she were a moth being drawn towards a flame. Something is askew. There is something wrong with the entire picture! She just doesn't know what. Slowly the pieces come together with the help of a stranger named David Chadwick. It may just be that things were not at all what they seemed in that cloistered suburban household inhabited by the Norths. This is an intriguing little mystery, though the characters are not as quirky or edgy as in many of the author's other books. Moreover, the mystery is not that much of a surprise, as the clues are all there for the discerning reader to piece together. Still, there are enough twists and turns to make for an entertaining, fast paced read. It is a book that will be enjoyed by all those who love a well-written mystery.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM...,
By Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (COMMUNITY FORUM 04) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)
This review is from: Secret House of Death (Hardcover)
Ruth Rendell is a brilliant writer of psychological suspense and mysteries. She is noted for her quirky characters and unlikely killers, many of whom seem quite ordinary. What they all seem to have is a dark side that manifests itself in the deadliest ways. This book is no exception. Here, an attractive young woman, Louise North, who lives in a suburban housing complex, is incessantly gossiped about by her neighbors. It seems that that when her handsome husband, Bob, leaves for work, Louise gets a male visitor whom all the neighbors think is her lover. Her neighbors marvel at the brazenness of this hussy living in their well-ordered midst. Imagine the boldness of Louise in having her lover park his car right in front of her home. What if her husband were to come home unexpectedly? When her next door neighbor, divorcee Susan Townsend, is inveigled by a distraught Louise to come over for coffee, Susan only reluctantly agrees, not wanting to be drawn into any sordid disclosures. After all, she does not engage in any of the vile gossip surrounding Louise and her romantic encounters with the mysterious gentleman caller. Still, the next day she goes to Louise's home at the appointed hour, only to find Louise and her ostensible lover locked in a deadly embrace. Naturally, under the circumstances, Susan and Bob find themselves drawing towards each other. Bob seeks out Susan, becoming a regular visitor, and before she knows it, Susan finds that she is more than happy to comfort Bob, and a relationship of sorts develops. Susan, however, gets a feeling as if she were a moth being drawn towards a flame. Something is askew. There is something wrong with the entire picture! She just doesn't know what. Slowly the pieces come together with the help of a stranger named David Chadwick. It may just be that things were not at all what they seemed in that cloistered suburban household inhabited by the Norths. This is an intriguing little mystery, though the characters are not as quirky or edgy as in many of the author's other books. Moreover, the mystery is not that much of a surprise, as the clues are all there for the discerning reader to piece together. Still, there are enough twists and turns to make for an entertaining, fast paced read. It is a book that will be enjoyed by all those who love a well-written mystery.
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