The Water's Lovely Audiobook

" It was okay. I've read other Rendells I liked better. The plot was predictable, but her characters were good, as always. "

" First book I've read by this mystery author, and I am looking forward to more. Intelligently and subtly written. "

" It was good. Up until the end, that is. "

" I haven't read many of Rendell's books, but this one I really enjoyed. It's a fascinating character study of a disturbed mother and her two daughters, and an event that occurred when the girls were teenagers that negatively impacted the rest of their lives. I only gave it three stars because I expected more of a mystery, and didn't get it. Which isn't Rendell's fault as much as it is the publishers, for making this look like such a mystery with that clearly mysterious cover! "

" My cup of tea. Off to find others by Barbara Vine. "

" When I finished this book, I actually slammed it down and exclaimed, "This book was crap!!" Because it was. It focuses on a young woman who's convinced that her younger sister killed their stepfather when they were girls. As she frets over this, a cast of other characters all come into the story, leading to a bunch of totally unbelievable coincidences and interactions. The mystery's resolution is totally predictable, and the end of the book sucks hard. D. "

" Very gripping read - story of Ismay and Heather and the mysterious death of their stepfather in a bath tub nearly 10 years ago. Start off thinking Heather is the nutty one, but interesting how your view changes as you realise she's the sensible one. "

" Ruth Rendell does it again with her psychological suspense! I love the way she's able to weave the threads of so many characters together into a whole at the end, seamlessly. "

" Ruth Rendell delivers in this very suspenseful story. If you know Ms. Rendell, I need not say more. If you do not, this is a good place to start. Wow, I was shivering & cold as this story developed. SUSPENSE!! Good story ! "

" This was an engrossing book. I would have given it 4 stars but for the ending. HATED the ending. I much prefer a book where the "bad" characters get their comeuppance. "

" A woman in love with a complete asshole with no redeeming qualities is at the center of the plot, which leaves me cold. "

" The storyline of The Water's Lovely is twisted and tangly, in typical Ruth Rendell psychological thriller fashion. There are many tense passages that have stayed in my imagination. I even found that my GCSE students wanted to know the story once they had read the opening - and that's some recommendation! "

" really nice, with thoughtfully drawn characters. Typically Ruth Rendell. Need some more Wexford now; he's considerably more redeeming than her characters in the non-Wexford novels. "

" Ruth Rendell is a mystery writer that sure does an excellent job of capturing the quirky side of evil in her characters. The good aren't totally good and the bad aren't totally bad. Odd stories. Strange coincidences. And not always a happy ending. "

" Rendell uses the unreliable narrator to great success here, and the characters in this work are vivid and well crafted. I read this in two or three sittings: I found it enjoyable, if not as gripping as some of the other Ruth Rendell or Barbara Vines. "

" In my recent review of End in Tears, I remarked that Rendell seemed to be getting a little sentimental. Well, the pendulum has swung the other way on this book...she's back to creating tragic outcomes for her characters, and I, for one, am delighted. "

" I thought this was going to be boring at first, it's set fairly recently but the writing doesn't lend to that. So many twists and turns, macabre humor and tone, I thought it was wonderful and not one of those predictable "happily ever after" books. "

" A very strange book with an even stranger ending. I enjoyed it but there were some parts that were rather disjointed. Odd very odd. "

" Good story, though not one of Rendell's best... "

" It went on a bit, but an interesting story. "

" It was a book about some very excentric British people. Very wierd. I got through about 100 pages and gave up. I read some of the ending and it seemed to go on and on and on. Not worth the read. "

" Too much drama and just reminded me of relationships of junior high students. Story was just ok but honestly was time I could have been reading something more exciting! "

" Very gripping read - story of Ismay and Heather and the mysterious death of their stepfather in a bath tub nearly 10 years ago. Start off thinking Heather is the nutty one, but interesting how your view changes as you realise she's the sensible one. "

" Not as good as other Ruth Rendell books, but would still definitely recommend. Characters are real. Themes of father-daughter relationships. "

" In my recent review of End in Tears, I remarked that Rendell seemed to be getting a little sentimental. Well, the pendulum has swung the other way on this book...she's back to creating tragic outcomes for her characters, and I, for one, am delighted. "

" What a terribly disappointing ending. It just didn't seem to fit. "

" Very suspenful. Quick read. Caught my attention immediately. Most chapters start out with a diaglogue and you dont know who's talking until a paragragh or two down which I really didnt like. "

" Great story, interesting exploration of how one decision can affect people throughout their lives. "

" it's not one of her best, but she's still very good. there's not much in the way of plot, and the story unfolds slowly. but in the end it was satisfying, even though it's not one of those "everyone lived happily ever after" endings. "

" I enjoyed this book, the characters were well written and very real. But like many others have said, the end fell flat and seemed disconnected from the story. "

" This book was a tedious waste of time. "

" A disappointing Ruth Rendell novel, especially the ending. "

" I love Ruth Rendall's books, but this one was a disappointment. "

" I just love how at the end of a book you finally get the title! "

" Was not expecting that ending. Ruth Rendell books always make me hold my breath, and this was no exception. Great travel reading. "

" This author Rocks. Can't wait to read some more. "

" This book was okay, not great. I found some of the main characters to be very aggravating, but I did like the way that the characters stories were intertwined. "

" This great mystery novelist writes a non-mystery and it is GREAT. Actually, there is a bit of a mystery but that's the least of it. "

" This is one of Rendell's best. The characters and settings are well-drawn, and there's a good deal of humor along with the suspense. "

" Not really a psychological thriller, more like a psychological meditation. I kept wanting to know what would happne next, but when I got to the end, I couldn't help feeling that very little had actually happened. All suspense and no payoff--the suspense was enjoyable, though. "

" I like practically everything that Rendell writes...though this book is not long on actual mystery as usually is the case...her ability to tell a story and keep the pages turning none the less make it a exquisite read in my book "

" this was an interesting book, but not one of her best. "

" Quite slow pace, not very easy to get into. Well written, but a bit disappointing as suspense goes. "

" It was good. Up until the end, that is. "

" With a cast of nearly universally unlikeable characters and a plot that fizzles like a spent fuse toward the end, this is surely not Rendell's best. But even a mediocre Rendell has its pleasures. "

" I was surprised at how much I liked this book. I will be reading more Ruth Rendell! "

" Not the best Ruth Rendell but even that means very good "

" This was my first book by Ruth Rendell and according to the reviews, this book was below average. I enjoyed the story, but was disappointed with the ending. Anxious to try another book and see if there is more of a conclusion. "

" One of my favorite English authors. Interesting story - did her sister kill their stepfather years ago? Ending was a surprising twist. "