Ruth Rendell

Throughout the beginning of this new millennium, Ruth has completed 23 more titles including, six more Wexford novels, seven more standalone novels, her second novella, five novels written under the pen name of Barbara Vine, three more short story collections, and one children’s fiction titled Archie and Archie; published in 2013. La Demoiselle d’honneur, based on Ruth’s novel, The Bridesmaid, was filmed in 2004 and another version of The Tree of Hands was filmed in 2001. In 2004, Ruth received the Mystery Ink Gumshoe Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The best place to start is the Inspector Wexford series, the earliest of Ruth Rendell's multi-book series: it opens with From Doon With Death (1964) and runs to 25 books across 1964–2013, ending with No Man's Nightingale (2013).

Ruth Rendell has 121 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1964 and 2021. 26 of them belong to 2 named series — the largest being the Inspector Wexford series with 25 books — and 95 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.

Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Ruth Rendell's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Inspector Wexford (1964–2013, 25 books) and Inspector Wexford Collections (1979, 1 book).

This guide splits Ruth Rendell's 121 books into 2 named series and 95 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Inspector Wexford (25 books, 1964–2013); Inspector Wexford Collections (1 book, 1979).