Barbara Vine

Barbara Vine is Ruth Rendell's self-described "softer, more feminine" alterego. While the Vine novels are considerably longer and they do differ slightly in tone from the Rendell books, don't pick up the books looking for a kinder and gentler version of a Rendell mystery. Regardless of which name she uses, Ms. Rendell is never a particularly kind-hearted author. Entertaining, brilliant, and absorbing, yes. Soft, feminine, or even semi-charitable toward her characters? Not so much.

Aftertaste:
None.

Availability:
Everywhere, and I distantly recall an excellent Mystery! version of A Dark-Adapted Eye. I think it starred Helena Bohnam-Carter.

Other Recommendations:
Anything by Josephine Tey


Anything by P.D. James