Call number
MYST REN
Collection
Genres
Publication
Crown (2007), 352 pages
Description
Weeks went by when Ismay never thought of it at all. Then something would bring it back or it would return in a dream. The dream always began in the same way. She and her mother would be climbing the stairs, following Heather's lead through the bedroom to what was on the other side, not a bathroom in the dream but a chamber floored and walled in marble. In the middle of it was a glassy lake. The white thing in the water floated towards her, its face submerged, and her mother said, absurdly, "Don't look!" The dead man was Ismay's stepfather, Guy. Now, nine years on, she and her sister, Heather, still live in the same house in Clapham. But it has been divided into two self-contained flats. Their mother had lived upstairs with her sister, Pamela. And the bathroom, where Guy had drowned, had disappeared. Ismay worked in public relations, and Heather in catering. They got on well. They always had. They never discussed the changes to the house, still less what had happened that August day ...… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
I have a long history with Ruth Rendell and she has the ability to either astonish and delight me, or frustrate and disappoint me. In The Water’s Lovely, she manages to do all four. No one is better at building a story, layer by layer than Ruth Rendell, and here she takes a group of people, some
I don’t want to discuss the plot in any way as I wouldn’t want to spoil it for a future readers, but be assured that Ruth Rendell is a master at the craft of psychological mysteries. The pacing is excellent as she brings the story to a slow boil, and her characterizations are spot on. Unfortunately, there were couple of flies in the ointment for me, firstly so much of the story revolved on people not talking to one another which would have been believable with some of these very private people, but using the same plot device with all her characters made me feel as if the author was being a little lazy. Secondly, I really hated the ending and felt she cheated the reader out of seeing certain characters get their just rewards.
So for me, a very good read and one that held my attention but even as I was willing to forgive her the repeated plot device, the ending just didn’t satisfy me.
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virtual strangers to each other, and weaves her magic, blending each character with one another, slowly exposing secrets, and eventually allowing the truth to emerge. You feel the tension mounting but are never sure if a murder has happened, if another one it going to happen, or even who will be the victim and who the killer.I don’t want to discuss the plot in any way as I wouldn’t want to spoil it for a future readers, but be assured that Ruth Rendell is a master at the craft of psychological mysteries. The pacing is excellent as she brings the story to a slow boil, and her characterizations are spot on. Unfortunately, there were couple of flies in the ointment for me, firstly so much of the story revolved on people not talking to one another which would have been believable with some of these very private people, but using the same plot device with all her characters made me feel as if the author was being a little lazy. Secondly, I really hated the ending and felt she cheated the reader out of seeing certain characters get their just rewards.
So for me, a very good read and one that held my attention but even as I was willing to forgive her the repeated plot device, the ending just didn’t satisfy me.
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LibraryThing member Bookmarque
As usual, Rendell puts me into the heart of modern British life and I found the story engrossing and her characters interesting. But this was like Rendell light. There weren’t any clear-cut monsters unless you count Marion who I found more pathetic and annoying than dangerous. Things tended to
Spoilers below-
Marion’s duplicity had hints of the usual deliciously creepy quality Rendell brings to her sociopaths, but she wasn’t scary. I’ve seen her do subtlety to much better effect. Marion’s efforts to worm her way into the affection (and wills) of the elderly were more creepy than harmful. When she ended up with Ismay’s taped “confession” of her suspicions against sister Heather, I wondered why Ismay gave in at all. Marion’s ability to bring her threat to any kind of harmful conclusion was nil and it made me write Ismay off as a moron.
Which I was already half way to over her relationship with the feckless Andrew anyway. What a creep he was. Cheating, unfeeling and a bully Ismay remained loyal and as much in love as her needy psyche would allow. There must be something deficient in her personality since she actually longed for her stepfather’s sexual overtures when she was 15.
Which brings us to the crux of the mystery here; Guy’s apparent murder at the hands of his step-daughter Heather, only 13 at the time. His illness must have REALLY depleted his strength and Heather must have REALLY been a pre-adolescent Amazon to have pulled this off. His bathtub drowning really pushed the limits of plausibility. When late in the story, Heather reveals to Ismay her motive for the killing I wasn’t surprised at Ismay’s misapprehension. All these years she’s believed Heather was protecting her from Guy, not perceiving that she craved his attentions. In reality, Heather was protecting herself and Guy using Ismay as a deflector to his real intent; the younger sister.
It’s this delusion that helps Ismay believe that Andrew’s new girlfriend’s death came at the hands of Heather as well. Especially after she finds out that Heather was trying to convince Eve to leave Andrew so he could return to Ismay (who, dolt that she is, would take him back).
But even this emotional situation seems out of focus and vague. Ismay seems more a caricature of a doormat than an actual doormat. Her declarations and actions are de rigueur for novelists writing a weak and man-obsessed woman. She does nothing unique. Heather’s attempts to separate Eve from Andrew are unique though.
The only intensely real seeming relationship in the whole thing was that of Edmund and Heather. They came together at just the right time and it was good to watch Edmund separate himself from his overbearing mother, Irene. Her guilt trips had no affect on him after a while and he got away. Their love seemed real to me and must have been to Andrew as well since he blamed his desertion on their presence. I guess he didn’t want Ismay to make any comparisons and realize that what he offered her was a lame imitation of real devotion and esteem.
Desperation takes many forms in this novel as we see Pam pursue a relationship whose only merit seems to be a change from the usual routine of taking care of Beatrix (Pam’s sister and Ismay and Heather’s mother) and some non-revolting sex. When she finally decides that this lackluster “partnership” as Ivan calls it is not working, Ivan attacks her, rapes her and throws her out of his apartment where she falls down the stairs breaking many bones. No police charges are brought and she sinks quietly back into her old life, reuniting with an old flame who left in the wake of Guy’s death. This was one of the Binchy moments as was Andrew’s proprietary return to Ismay. It came out of nowhere and seemed tacked on and false.
Marion’s marriage to Irene’s neighbor Barry was weird, too. As was the fact of his being the original investigating officer in the case of Guy’s death – a convenient coincidence that was stretching things. It came in quite handy when Ismay had to extricate herself from Marion’s blackmail scheme. She escaped her life of scheming and duplicity and even the torments of her homeless brother, Fowler. It didn’t seem fair, but then again, she hadn’t done anything really so bad.
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meander to a fairly soppy conclusion more worthy of Maeve Binchy than Ruth Rendell. It pains me to admit that this novel was pretty weak even though I could barely put it down. Anticipation of a great, crackling Rendell ending kept me going. Alas, I got a tacked-on Binchy ending. Spoilers below-
Marion’s duplicity had hints of the usual deliciously creepy quality Rendell brings to her sociopaths, but she wasn’t scary. I’ve seen her do subtlety to much better effect. Marion’s efforts to worm her way into the affection (and wills) of the elderly were more creepy than harmful. When she ended up with Ismay’s taped “confession” of her suspicions against sister Heather, I wondered why Ismay gave in at all. Marion’s ability to bring her threat to any kind of harmful conclusion was nil and it made me write Ismay off as a moron.
Which I was already half way to over her relationship with the feckless Andrew anyway. What a creep he was. Cheating, unfeeling and a bully Ismay remained loyal and as much in love as her needy psyche would allow. There must be something deficient in her personality since she actually longed for her stepfather’s sexual overtures when she was 15.
Which brings us to the crux of the mystery here; Guy’s apparent murder at the hands of his step-daughter Heather, only 13 at the time. His illness must have REALLY depleted his strength and Heather must have REALLY been a pre-adolescent Amazon to have pulled this off. His bathtub drowning really pushed the limits of plausibility. When late in the story, Heather reveals to Ismay her motive for the killing I wasn’t surprised at Ismay’s misapprehension. All these years she’s believed Heather was protecting her from Guy, not perceiving that she craved his attentions. In reality, Heather was protecting herself and Guy using Ismay as a deflector to his real intent; the younger sister.
It’s this delusion that helps Ismay believe that Andrew’s new girlfriend’s death came at the hands of Heather as well. Especially after she finds out that Heather was trying to convince Eve to leave Andrew so he could return to Ismay (who, dolt that she is, would take him back).
But even this emotional situation seems out of focus and vague. Ismay seems more a caricature of a doormat than an actual doormat. Her declarations and actions are de rigueur for novelists writing a weak and man-obsessed woman. She does nothing unique. Heather’s attempts to separate Eve from Andrew are unique though.
The only intensely real seeming relationship in the whole thing was that of Edmund and Heather. They came together at just the right time and it was good to watch Edmund separate himself from his overbearing mother, Irene. Her guilt trips had no affect on him after a while and he got away. Their love seemed real to me and must have been to Andrew as well since he blamed his desertion on their presence. I guess he didn’t want Ismay to make any comparisons and realize that what he offered her was a lame imitation of real devotion and esteem.
Desperation takes many forms in this novel as we see Pam pursue a relationship whose only merit seems to be a change from the usual routine of taking care of Beatrix (Pam’s sister and Ismay and Heather’s mother) and some non-revolting sex. When she finally decides that this lackluster “partnership” as Ivan calls it is not working, Ivan attacks her, rapes her and throws her out of his apartment where she falls down the stairs breaking many bones. No police charges are brought and she sinks quietly back into her old life, reuniting with an old flame who left in the wake of Guy’s death. This was one of the Binchy moments as was Andrew’s proprietary return to Ismay. It came out of nowhere and seemed tacked on and false.
Marion’s marriage to Irene’s neighbor Barry was weird, too. As was the fact of his being the original investigating officer in the case of Guy’s death – a convenient coincidence that was stretching things. It came in quite handy when Ismay had to extricate herself from Marion’s blackmail scheme. She escaped her life of scheming and duplicity and even the torments of her homeless brother, Fowler. It didn’t seem fair, but then again, she hadn’t done anything really so bad.
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LibraryThing member knittingfreak
This is the first book by Ruth Rendell that I've read. Having heard glowing reviews, I've wanted to read one of her books for a long time. I was not disappointed by her latest, The Water's Lovely. The book tells the story of two sisters, Ismay and Heather, who have grown up with a terrible shadow
Their stepfather drowns in the bathtub after an extended illness, and it is ruled an accident. However, both Ismay and her mother both suspect Heather who was home that fateful afternoon. She is covered in water and obviously distraught when they arrive home. They all lie to the police and say that Heather was with them shopping for school uniforms the afternoon that Guy drowned. Ismay and her mother, Beatrix, never ask Heather if she killed Guy. Though they both discuss it often.
Needless to say, this leaves a lasting mark on the lives of everyone involved. Beatrix can't cope and loses touch with reality. She has to be cared for by her sister, Pamela. Heather and Ismay have a very close bond, and Ismay feels she must protect Heather at all costs.
Rendell includes several other story lines with characters that are involved in the lives of the two sisters. Despite the dark overtone, she does include some dry humor, which helps to alleviate some of the tension.
This is a great book that I would highly recommend.
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hanging over their heads. When they were teenagers, their stepfather made advances to Ismay, who was fifteen at the time. Though inappropriate, things never crossed the line. Ismay, being young and confused, is somewhat flattered by the attention. Heather, who is thirteen at the time, witnesses the flirtation between her stepfather and her sister. Their stepfather drowns in the bathtub after an extended illness, and it is ruled an accident. However, both Ismay and her mother both suspect Heather who was home that fateful afternoon. She is covered in water and obviously distraught when they arrive home. They all lie to the police and say that Heather was with them shopping for school uniforms the afternoon that Guy drowned. Ismay and her mother, Beatrix, never ask Heather if she killed Guy. Though they both discuss it often.
Needless to say, this leaves a lasting mark on the lives of everyone involved. Beatrix can't cope and loses touch with reality. She has to be cared for by her sister, Pamela. Heather and Ismay have a very close bond, and Ismay feels she must protect Heather at all costs.
Rendell includes several other story lines with characters that are involved in the lives of the two sisters. Despite the dark overtone, she does include some dry humor, which helps to alleviate some of the tension.
This is a great book that I would highly recommend.
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LibraryThing member annafdd
One of the good ones (not all Rendell books work for me) but very very cruel
LibraryThing member Mooose
It's a fine line between keeping your readers in suspense and having them scream, "Just get on with it already!" and this book walked it. I was second guessing everything we were told by Ismay and, and more than point, desperately wanted to give her a shake. Rendell is not afraid to have difficult
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characters or endings, don't expect to have everything neatly tied up. Show Less
LibraryThing member carolmt
Not as good as other books by her. It was hard to get into the characters. It was a slow moving book.
LibraryThing member readingrat
While not exactly a thriller (or even the least bit suspenseful) and not without it's flaws, this book makes for a pretty interesting and quirky character read. The level of irony is pretty high and the author relies heavily on the 6-degrees-of-separation theory - although I could never figure out
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which one was in a movie with Kevin Bacon ;-) Show Less
LibraryThing member stonelaura
For those mystery readers that favor in-depth character development with just a hint of suspicion thrown in, The Water’s Lovely will be just the refreshing dip that’s called for. Rendell, the three-time Edgar Award-winning author of the Wexford series, has created a stand-alone gem that reads
No sex scenes, no graphic violence. The reading by Rosalyn Landor is perfect.
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like literary fiction foremost and mystery-to-be-solved secondly. The story evolves slowly with multiple characters being developed. Central to the story is the relationship between sisters Heather and Ismay and the dark secret they share – a secret so dark it has driven their mother, Beatrix, to a life of restless insanity. Along with these two complex sisters we meet their boyfriends, Edmund and Andrew, two men whose outlook on life is so vastly different they can hardly be in the same room together. In fact, Andrew’s intolerance drives the sisters apart causing reverberations to the other characters in the story. Pam, Beatrix’s sister and live-in care-giver, is spiraling downward toward spinsterhood as a succession of online dates prove unsatisfactory and Marion, the conniving gold-digger, feels spurned by Edmund and is more driven than ever to reap the rewards she hopes her fawning attention to her coterie of doddering old folks will provide. If only her panhandler brother, Fowler, hadn’t tossed out her coveted vial of morphine. Although there is a random murder, the story really isn’t about who-done-it, it’s really about developing the characters well enough that we understand why-it-was-done, and Rendell has certainly resolved that task with eloquence and imagination.No sex scenes, no graphic violence. The reading by Rosalyn Landor is perfect.
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LibraryThing member nyiper
I loved the layers of this book. The characters were wonderful and the way they were overlapped in each other's lives---fascinating and colorful details make this an amazing book. I was delighted to read this and realize she has written so much more!
LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
Another clever novel by Rendell; the psychology of her characters is well-developed, if a bit repetitive at times, which leads the reader down all sorts of wrong paths. While the ending to the mystery ends in a twist, the novel itself ends on a curious note which I did not really care for.
LibraryThing member lauraface21
The beginning of this book hooked me. The middle dragged on and got a little boring. After the climax a very good climax i thought that the end of the book would be a positive. However, it proved to be a depressing one. I wasn't very satisfied with the book but, felt obligated to finish it just the
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same. Show Less
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
Not one of Rendell's best, The Water's Lovely is really the story of the relationship between sisters. Ismay, the elder sister, knows a secret about the other sister, Heather, that has had life-changing consequences, including driving their mother Beatrix a bit insane. Now Heather has a serious
As noted, it's not my favorite Rendell work, and it's more of a character study than a mystery. I did not find a single character that I liked in this book. There are several subplots in this book, and at times the dialog was a bit inane. The real mystery here is how I manage to finish it. I think if you're a fan of Ruth Rendell fan you might want to give it a go, but it's eminently skippable among her books.
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boyfriend to whom she becomes engaged, and Ismay wonders if she should share that secret with him so that he knows what kind of wife he's getting. Meanwhile, Ismay runs into some serious obstacles of her own, and between the two sisters, their choices have an effect on all of the other characters in the novel.As noted, it's not my favorite Rendell work, and it's more of a character study than a mystery. I did not find a single character that I liked in this book. There are several subplots in this book, and at times the dialog was a bit inane. The real mystery here is how I manage to finish it. I think if you're a fan of Ruth Rendell fan you might want to give it a go, but it's eminently skippable among her books.
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LibraryThing member nldavis
Not Rendell's best. Powerful psychological insight, but none of the characters are sympathetic. Young woman is obsessed by an incident in the past, makes some very poor choices. The ending comes out of the blue and does not relate to the plot nor the themes.
LibraryThing member TheoClarke
The greatest strength of this is the writing style and its greatest weakness is the abrupt resolution. Several interesting subplots are woven around what amounts to a study of the relationship between two sisters and their immediate family.
LibraryThing member Bookish59
Rendel's books are enjoyable because they flow exceptionally well, have deeply developed characters, aren't formulaic, and are very compelling and readable. This one is no exception.
LibraryThing member memasmb
Ruth Rendell is one of my favourite authors. In this new book, she takes us into the world of English where there is always the "proper" way of doing things.
Events in the past turn one family of all women into a complex study of human emotions that are needed to cope with sexual abuse.
How Rendell
The ending was unexpected but does tie into the book's title. Recommended for reading.
Events in the past turn one family of all women into a complex study of human emotions that are needed to cope with sexual abuse.
How Rendell
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weaves the other surrounding lives into the main family unit follows a twisting, suspenseful, and entertaining path. How each individual character decides to live their life is thought provoking.The ending was unexpected but does tie into the book's title. Recommended for reading.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
Ismay has always thought that her sister Heather was responsible for the drowning death of their step-father. Now that Heather is likely to be married, Ismay struggles with whether or not she should reveal her suspicions. This novel is more of a psychological thriller than a mystery like the
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author's Inspector Wexford series. This got off to a very slow start, but once it got going it picked up. Unfortunately, the ending was disappointing for me. If I read more Rendell novels, I think I'll stick to her Wexford series. Show Less
LibraryThing member E.J
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.
LibraryThing member Jcambridge
Not among my favorite Rendell mysteries, but I did find the relationship between the various female characters very interesting.
LibraryThing member JackMassa
Compulsively readable "psychological suspense." I might even call it "quiet horror." Excellently written, with an entertaining cast of characters who range from the disturbingly quiet to the obsessively neurotic, "unrepressed criminal," and just plain crazy.
My first experience with this writer, and
My first experience with this writer, and
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I'm not sure whether to recommend her or not. I found the novel enthralling, and missed reading it when it was over. Yet Rendell's vision is so dark, her world so sad, I don't think I'll plan on re-entering that world any time soon. Show Less
LibraryThing member Belles007
Ruth Rendell is a fabulous author who writes wonderfully believable characters.
LibraryThing member charlie68
I read this book for some light reading after reading works from the eighteenth century and perhaps it was a little to light. A good ending with some flat characters, there is better works by Rendell than this. The non-Wexford novels arent as good. The characters in those novels make them a joy to
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read. Show Less
LibraryThing member porte01
Not the best Ruth Randell. Female characters were weak, whiny, psychotic and all of them needed men to complete them. Male characters were creeps or villains with one exception, Edmund, who felt one dimensional. The plot had some interesting elements but went on far too long with an abrupt and
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unsatisfying ending. Show Less
Awards
Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year (Mystery — 2007)
Pages
352
ISBN
0307381366 / 9780307381361