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Thirteen Steps Down, Ruth Rendell
Hutchinson
Reviewed by Kath Brown (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

When watching the television adaptations of the Ruth Rendell Mysteries, it was always easy to blame the re-writers for any obvious flaws in plot or characters. All excuses have gone when reading a book.

This story was not difficult to follow (the only mystery is why Rendell bothered); Mix Cellini is a strange young man fascinated with serial killer John Christie, who once lived in the neighbourhood. He immerses himself in every bit of literature he can find about his hero and in doing so reveals a less-than-healthy attitude towards women (surprise, surprise), cats, bosses and his landlady. Oh, and there's a tarot card reader in there somewhere too.

Inevitably, Mix murders a young girl and that seems to be it really. The story meanders through his efforts to get rid of the body, his stalking of a famous model, his problems with his landlady – all characters who are totally one-dimensional.

I lost interest long before the end and flicked to the last chapter to make sure Mix got his beans, only to find it was one of those out-of-body experiences where he took off in one direction and the next thing you know he is in court. Most unsatisfactory.