Another great psychological thriller by Rendell... it was a very fast hard-to-put-down read for me, where I knew something bad was coming but I didn't know what... It really gets you into the head and obsessive thoughts of the main character- I was able to feel like I knew him. Recommended to thriller fans, although be aware that much of the action happens inside his head.

FRom Amazon:
Two years ago Gray Lanceton was a promising writer with one successful novel under his belt. But, then he met Drusilla, a bored, rich, unstable yet magnetic young woman, and his life was changed forever.
Now he lives in quiet exile in a small messy cottage, with only the surrounding trees and his own obsessive destroying thoughts for company. Their affair is now over, and he hopes that maybe now he can be free. But, unbeknownst to Gray, tragedy lurks still above him, the shadow of Drusilla and her violent desires will soon threaten to rob him of any of that freedom he thought he had clawed back...

This short book is a little piece of genius. It is a great great shame that many of these early novels of hers remain out of print, because they really are excellent. This one in particular is a wonderful yet chilling character study, which is what several of them tend to be, their lengths being what they are. While her later books are longer and can probe the psychological depths of many characters with greater ease, these early short gems tend to focus their intense insight on one major character, and she manages with effortless ease to present a completely whole, completely real, somewhat disturbing, portrait of a single fascinating character, in this case the reclusive, eerily human writer Graham Lanceton, who is actually quite likeable, which is rare for Rendell. It is a tale of desire, violence, freedom and of obsession, with each element explored wonderfully within a riveting plot.

She has a wonderfully polished writing style, and creates a tale that is both claustrophobic and atmospheric. All the aspects of the plot click together wonderfully. No event is superfluous, every occurrence has its purpose and its effect, which creates a wonderful whole and round effect to the book. Book with stories that weave and interlock so well are a joy, they are more fulfilling and the effect makes the writer seem darn clever, and this is a prime.

The Face of Trespass is dark, compelling, and psychologically brilliant. The final cataclysmic events are shocking and yet sensible. In fiction, this is becoming very rare.

Bookring participants (subject to change)
mysteryfan03 MO ship anywhere
geishabird Canada ship anywhere
aava Finland ship Europe
sunlightbub UK ship anywhere
Icila France ship anywhere
Bechan New Zealand ship anywhere (no response to PMs)
snowy652 Canada ship US/Canada (asked to be skipped)
Luintaurien NE ship US
PokPok CA ship anywhere (near end of list)

RELEASE NOTES:

mailed off today to start the bookray

Got this in the mail today! I have a few rings in front of it and then will get to this one! Thanks

I enjoyed this book, although I guessed Drusilla's intent when she kept the letters that Gray wrote to her husband. But it was interesting to see it play out. This was a book that could have been made into a good movie. I was glad that the author put the last few pages in. Thanks for sharing this book with us!

Received today - thanks! Ooh, this looks like a good one...shouldn't take me too long! I'll be done my current book in a couple of days and will read this next.

Ruthie gives us another great tale. She's one of the best writers around when it comes to writing about obsession, and is marvellous at getting inside someone's head and exploring their motivations and their thought processes, sometimes to the extent that it becomes almost uncomfortably intimate. She's also very good - as illustrated in this book - at setting up an intricate sequence of events that at first don't seem to have much to do with each other, and then suddenly pulling them all together to give her readers a surprising and unexpected conclusion. This was very enjoyable. I can't help but think that if Gray had only invested in a Daytimer, things might have gone so much easier for him... :)

Will be sending to aava on Monday.

Mailed to aava today...enjoy!

Received the book. Thanks!

In my opinion Rendell is one of the best writers in this genre. She really can spin a tale and her characters are flesh and blood with all their secrets and obsessions. This was a good exmaple: quite an ordinary setting which turn out to be quite ugly in the end. I truly enjoyed thsi. Thanks for affinity4books for making this a ring.

I mailed the book today to sunlightbub, hope she´ll enjoy it too.

Rceived this today,,Thanks to Aava for the beautiful photograph (did you take that?)and to A4B for sending the book on it's travels, this is a Rendell book that seems to have slipped under the radar for me, so I'm looking forward to it.

Sent this on to Icila in France today..

I struggled to get into this, as nothing seemed to happen until halfway through the book. Once the pace picked up it was a good yarn but not one of my favourite Rendell... Thanks for sending it on and giving me the opportunity to join the ring xx

I received the book from the hands of the postwoman this morning. Thanks.

Sorry for the delay. The book travelled with me to Congo but I didn't have time to read. Being home in the snow, brrr, I finished it by the fireplace.

It's an old Ruth Rendell and a bit less interesting and her caricature of the french peasants is ridiculous. I was lost with LSD and money but thanks to Silentmiaouw to explain via the french forum.

Nothing from Bechan. Will the book change its destination from New Zealand to Canada ?

snowy652 asks for skipping because of too many rays/rings. What about USA ?

Got it today. Thank you. Will read and pass on ASAP.

Can't get into it so sending on

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Aramena for help with shipping.

PokPok is no longer interesred, so this is going home to affinity4books!

This book has finally made it home after this stage of its journey! Thanks to everyone who passed it along.

RELEASE NOTES:

mailed today as part of my virtual mystery bookbox

Received today as part of a VBB. Will also go onto Mount TBR. Thanks so much for including me.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Will be passing this on to a coworker.