A Review of The Thief by Ruth Rendell
The Mistress of Suspense Strikes Again in This Quick Reads Book
Jul 8, 2009
Ruth Rendell has a reputation of keeping the reader on the edge of the seats and this offering from the 2006 Quick Reads is no exception.
The Plot
Polly is a troubled child, ill at ease with her elders and peers. When people upset her she resorts to lying and stealing, a not uncommon characteristic in small children. But Polly is different. As an adult, she continues to find relief from the trials and tribulations of life by ‘taking’, as she describes it, things from others.
Boyfriends are not immune from her infectious behaviour, until that is she meets Alex. He is set to turn around her life. Seeing her off on a trip to New York they notice a bright orange suitcase, belonging to a Trevor Lant. On the plane she finds herself sitting next to him and her life slowly falls apart at the seams.
The Characters
- Polly is central to the book. Although written in the third person, the reader feels as though they’re inside her head. Her traumas as she fumbles around trying to cope with the consequences of her actions are brought into sharp focus.
- Trevor Lant is an impenetrable, difficult, character whose motives are not always clear - a typical example of Rendell's ability to terrify the reader.
- Alex comes across as a generous individual who is in love with Polly, but his patience is tested to the limits by her actions
Hard to Put Down?
This is an exception to many of the Quick Reads series in the calibre of the author. Ruth Rendell’s ability to capture the reader’s attention and keep them gripped in a state of uneasy suspense is marked. The language, like many Quick Reads series, is simple, but the construction and flow of the narrative stands out. A strong desire to keep reading is a mark of a good story and this is one.
About the Author
Ruth Rendell was born in 1930 in Leyton, East London. After a career in local newspapers she published her first novel, From Doon with Death in 1964. This triggered a stream of award-winning novels, including those written under the pseudonym Barbara Vine. She was awarded a CBE in 1996 and was made a Labour life peer in 1997.
Quick Reads Series
Quick reads are aimed at people who’ve either lost or never developed their reading habit or just want simply that, a quick read. They are short, often only about 100 pages long, and are written in an accessible and appealing style.
There are 32 books in the series including ten published 5 March 2009 to coincide with World Reading day. Learning resources are provided to develop reading skills.
More Reviews of Quick Reads
- John Boyne – The Dare
- Lola Jaye – Reaching for the Stars
- John Simpson – Twenty Tales From the War Zones: The Best of John Simpson.
Ruth Rendell's The Thief (ISBN 978 0 099 49788 2) is published by Arrow (UK) – 2006.
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