Ruth Rendell

“Ruth is a wonderful writer. She creates such vivid characters that they leap off the page. You sense a huge vitality and energy. She’s so marvellous on mood, setting and atmosphere, which is always important” — Christopher Ravenscroft

Ruth Rendell is one of Britain’s most prolific and interesting contemporary writers. Her first novel, From Doon with Death (1964), introduced Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford - ‘Fifty-two years old, the very prototype of an actor playing a top brass policeman’.  In July 1997 she was conferred a life peerage and appointed to the House of Lords as Baroness Rendell of Babergh.

“I don’t have the joyous relationship with the Chief Inspector that people assume. I am often asked if I am in love with him, as lady writers of detective fiction are supposed to love their heroes. I always say that he should be in love with me - look what I’ve done for him!

Women love him. He seems to exude a particular sexual attraction which has something to do with an air of security and reliability and absolute safety. I know because women are always writing to me about it. They want me to kill off Dora so that they can marry Reg. They think that with such a man they would be safe for ever. They probably wouldn’t, of course. But that’s how they feel about him.

Freud wanted to know what it is that women want… Well, one thing women want is someone to make them laugh. Wexford is quite witty, I think. He is also a big, solid type, very cool and calm. He also likes women very much and always has time for them. What more could you want in a man?

Wexford was always going to be a very big man … but I described him as an ugly man with irregular features and George is certainly not that. George is very handsome. But then, after a time, I began to see him as Reg. And now I could not imagine Reg Wexford any other way. Christopher was always Mike Burden. As soon as I saw him he was my Burden made-flesh.  Of all the TV adaptations, the Wexfords are my favourites.  And I’d say that owes even more to those two wonderful actors than to the adaptors.”