The lake of darkness [Unbound]

Ruth Rendell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1984

Martin Urban is a quiet bachelor with a comfortable life, free of worry and distractions. When he unexpectedly comes into a small fortune, he decides to use his newfound wealth to help out those in need. Finn also leads a quiet life, and comes into a little money of his own. Normally, their paths would never have crossed. But Martin’s ideas about who should benefit from his charitable impulses yield some unexpected results, and soon the good intentions of the one become fatally entangled with the mercenary nature of the other. In the Lake of Darkness, Ruth Rendell takes the old adage that no good deed goes unpunished to a startling, haunting conclusion.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"Ruth Rendell is surely one of the greatest novelists presently at work in our language."- Scott Turow

"Rendell writes with such elegance and restraint, with such a literate voice and an insightful mind, that she transcends the mystery genre and achieves something almost sublime."- Los Angeles Times

"Rendell's clear, shapely prose casts the mesmerizing spell of the confessional."- The New Yorker

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Unbound: 327 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896215121
• ISBN-13: 978-0896215122
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,501,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 63 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 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Lake of Darkness (Paperback)

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.

26 of 28 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

This review is from: The Lake of Darkness (Paperback)

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?

21 of 22 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.