Out for the kill Book

Weird, short, highly entertaining. The story of Stanley, married to Vera, and son-in-law to Maud Kinaway, an overbearing, domineering, highly-opinionated churl of a woman who wants nothing more than to have Vera leave Stanley and go live with her in a cozy little cottage. This is Ms. Rendell over-the-top. There are no snide stares or under-the-breath remarks between Stanley and Maud. It's all out there in black and white as Stanley and Maud snipe at each other, back and forth, day after day.

But when Stanley learns how much money Maud has socked away, and supposedly will leave to Vera only if she divorces him, things ramp up quickly. How can Stan have Maud's money - and he'll need it soon as he's involved in a shady, get-rich scam in which he owes his partner some big bucks - and get rid of Maud at the same time? (And of course, get away with it!)

This story is a psychological one, as all Ms. Rendell's stories are, but the tensions between people are all out in the open rather than being revealed a little at a time. There's also an interesting sideline in that Stan is actually a master at solving - and making - crossword puzzles. This gives him an extra dimension not often seen in a story like this. And I did actually felt sorry for Stan, then got mad at him, and at the end, well...

As for the mother-in-law? There are few characters in Rendell's books - and I've read a lot of them - who are even half as despicable as Maud Kinaway. But here's a giveaway - and a personal one at that. My mother had a lot of friends. A LOT. More than anyone I knew as a child and an adult. And among them were some 'beauts' as my family would have put it, including a few who could have beat Maud at her own game. Women like her really do exist.

At any rate, a great, quick read which will keep the reader guessing til the end.

Four stars