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A Sight for Sore Eyes Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,546 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Having published 45 books, Ruth Rendell is an internationally popular mystery writer. She has won four Gold Dagger and three Edgar awards. She has been presented with the Commander of the British Empire honor, and named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. In A Sight For Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell's exceptional literary talent shines from each word. Teddy Brex is a handsome young man. Raised by parents who never loved him, he has grown to put his trust in objects. Things rarely disappoint him the way people do. Francine Hill is a lovely sight. And, like Teddy, she carries deep psychological scars. What brings these two young people together, however, isn't beauty. It is death. As Ruth Rendell probes the dark forces childhood has created in Teddy's and Francine's lives, an emotionally gripping story unfolds. Narrator Jenny Sterlin voices all the subtle layers of suspense that are the hallmark of Rendell's incomparable work.
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"With excriciatingly-teeth-grindingly awkward characters and situations, A Sight for Sore Eyes is full of a creeping horror--and the murders that are at the core of this book are only part of it. Like Patricia Highsmith's Talented Mr. Ripley before him, Teddy Brex needs to be surrounded by beautiful things, and will do anything to get them. People are merely obstacles in his way. There are a number of threads that come together in an inexorable way...it's all so terrible, but one cannot look away. Now on to the "sequel"--The Vault!"
— Elizabeth (4 out of 5 stars)
A Sight for Sore Eyes Listener Reviews
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" For me Ruth Rendell has to be one of the best crime writers around, as her psychology and depth are so striking. This is no exception. "
— Pippa222, 2/12/2014 -
" I love Ruth Rendell. Her characters are so well drawn and the plotting is masterful! "
— Doreen, 2/6/2014 -
" This is at least the third time I've read this book, and it's just as fascinating although gruesome as it was the first time. "
— Maju, 2/1/2014 -
" One of the worst books I've read in a long time. "
— Missy, 1/18/2014 -
" There was an amazing build up of the suspense in this book. However, the ending fell quite flat. The authour did a good job of tying all the threads together but simply did not deliver at the end of the book. No climax -:( "
— Kemi, 1/7/2014 -
" Actually, I probably read it 3 or 4 times. Another one by my fav mystery writer. "
— Kelly, 1/3/2014 -
" Wow. A crazy book about crazy people. I felt like it was a really long Edgar Allen Poe story. I liked it but I'm glad I'm done with it. "
— Jill, 12/27/2013 -
" A discomforting read full of unlikeable characters. I finished it thinking, "that was weird". "
— marmix, 10/31/2013 -
" I don't know...I didn't love it. "
— Danelle, 10/27/2013 -
" British thriller done by a master. Haven't read her before "
— David, 10/19/2013 -
" My first Ruth Rendell book. There will be more, oh yes. What a great storyteller! "
— Lisa, 9/23/2013 -
" Ruth Rendell is a freaking genius. That is all. "
— C.M., 8/5/2013 -
" Creepy and not very pleasant to read. Crazy character Ted kills without any remorse and Francine, who saw her own mother murdered somehow gets into his clutches. My problem was that I didn't like any of the characters, including those who were supposed to be good and there weren't many. "
— Bachyboy, 6/9/2013 -
" this is pretty bad "
— Sadie, 5/27/2013 -
" The story drew me in from start to finish. Teddy Brex, the main character, is a very disturbed and fascinating individual. Even though he was completely insane, I loved his character. Great character development, fantastic writing style. "
— Carla, 5/22/2013 -
" Rendell's writing is so wonderful that it elevates this fairly light mystery/suspense. Teddy is a well-drawn sociopath, Julia believably troubled and Francine believably immature. "
— Erin, 3/13/2013 -
" I can't stop reading/listening to Ruth Rendell and it embarrasses me a little. "
— Elsbeth, 12/12/2012 -
" Twisty and twisted. "
— Laura, 9/26/2012 -
" I have owned this book for a few years and finally started to read it and found it quite familiar about halfway through realised that it was linked to one of Ruth Rendells latest books "The Vault" which I only read recently!! Enjoyed this one far more then "The Vault" a real Rendell classic "
— Shirley, 9/22/2012 -
" Thanks to Diane for this rec. I definitely enjoyed this one and will be reading more. While I was originally non-plussed by the ending, the more I've thought about it, the more terrifying and unsettling it's become. How many more Teddy's have there been? :: shiver :: Good stuff! "
— Dave, 7/1/2012 -
" Rendell never disappoints. "
— Cheryl, 6/21/2012 -
" So creepy. I could not put it down. "
— Martha, 2/10/2012 -
" Creepy characters, good mystery, but a bit too long. "
— Jennifer, 1/27/2012 -
" A fine, thrilling novel of a boy and a girl of unusual childhoods but not as engaging as, say, Live Flesh. "
— Minnna, 12/6/2011
About Ruth Rendell
Ruth Rendell (1930–2015) wrote more than sixty novels in a career spanning fifty years. She won numerous awards for her writing, including three Edgars—the highest accolade from Mystery Writers of America—as well as four Gold Daggers and a Diamond Dagger for outstanding contribution to the genre from England’s prestigious Crime Writer’s Association. She was also the winner of the MWA Grand Master Award. A longtime member of the House of Lords, she lived in London.
About the Narrators
Tim Pigott-Smith is an award-winning English actor of film, television, and stage and an audiobook narrator. He has narrated several notable television documentaries, including Crimes That Shook the World. He has won two AudioFile Earphones Awards, for The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene and The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyesvky. He was a three-time finalist for the 2006 Audie Award for Best Original Work for the three-part Eyewitness series by Joanna Burke. His film career includes roles in major motion pictures, including V for Vendetta, Quantum of Solace, The Remains of the Day, Gangs of New York, and more. His numerous television credits include Downton Abbey, The Jewel in the Crown, and North and South. He is also a noted radio actor, appearing in many productions on BBC Radio 4, and a regular stage actor in Shakespearean and Greek roles.
Jenny Sterlin, winner of several Earphones Awards, has more than ninety audio titles to her credit, including Laurie R. King’s popular Sherlock Holmes / Mary Russell series. Before beginning her narration career, she helped found England’s experimental Living Theatre.