Tigerlily's Orchids

Known for her superb Inspector Wexford mysteries (The Monster in the Box), Rendell also pens psychologically centered suspense novels (Portobello). The plot of her latest is shaped by Lichfield House, a London apartment building, and the people who inhabit it. They are a varied cast, ranging from a narcissistic young man entangled in an unsatisfactory love affair to a misanthropic alcoholic determined to drink herself to death. While the story revolves around a housewarming party that leads to murder, the mystery takes second billing to the characters themselves. Their struggles, unexpected joys, and inevitable disappointments fill Rendell's pages in a slower pace that allows readers to feel as if they are really getting to know these fragile human beings. The penetrating prose communicates moments of tragedy and humor.