Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

Welcome to our discussion of A Judgement in Stone, by Ruth Rendell, which is part of our Fall/Winter Collection Group Reads. Your discussion leader is Lisa.
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Summary

What on earth could have provoked a modern day St. Valentine's Day massacre?

On Valentine's Day, four members of the Coverdale family--George, Jacqueline, Melinda and Giles--were murdered in the space of 15 minutes. Their housekeeper, Eunice Parchman, shot them, one by one, in the blue light of a televised performance of Don Giovanni. When Detective Chief Superintendent William Vetch arrests Miss Parchman two weeks later, he discovers a second tragedy: the key to the Valentine's Day massacre hidden within a private humiliation Eunice Parchman has guarded all her life. A brilliant rendering of character, motive, and the heady discovery of truth, A Judgement in Stone is among Ruth Rendell's finest psychological thrillers.

"Region Restriction
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Needless to say, I'm frustrated! I have always loved her books ... GRRRRR!

I purchased the Kindle edition and am using Text-to-Speech on my Kindle Fire. Bear with me ...

Pam wrote: ""Region Restriction
Sorry, this audio book is not available in your region.
Our system has detected your current region as United States.
If this region is not correct please contact our customer s..."

Pam, did you try Audible? I don't usually use it, but it appears to be available there.

"This title is not available for you
Sorry, this title is no longer available. Please try using the search feature as another version of this work may be available. If you think we've made a mistake, please contact Audible Customer Care at 1-888-283-5051."

Pam wrote: ""This title is not available for you
Sorry, this title is no longer available. Please try using the search feature as another version of this work may be available. If you think we've made a mistak..."

Hmmm...I looked a few other places too, and it seems to be entirely unavailable on audio in the US. I'm sorry about that.

I'll live ... I'm 13% into the Kindle Text-to-Speech ed.

My library doesn't have it but I bought it from Ebay for $5.00. Supposed to be here Monday.

Thanks for making it work, Pam. Sheri, my library system has just a few copies, so, I'm waiting for a transfer to my local branch. I should have it by Monday and be able to start then, too. Looking forward to it - this is my first Ruth Rendell book, and I know she has quite a following!

Our library only has 1 print copy & it’s a request from the stacks - Ugh.
They do have 2 copies of the audiobook but it’s a 4 week wait. Added my name to the waitlist, hopefully it will be available before 4 weeks 🤞🏻

Got my book.

Got mine too! Will start this weekend!

Lisa wrote: "Thanks for making it work, Pam. Sheri, my library system has just a few copies, so, I'm waiting for a transfer to my local branch. I should have it by Monday and be able to start then, too. Looking..."

you wont be dissapointed Lisa!

Chantelle wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Thanks for making it work, Pam. Sheri, my library system has just a few copies, so, I'm waiting for a transfer to my local branch. I should have it by Monday and be able to start then,..."

Great, I’m glad to hear that, Chantelle!

Chantelle wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Thanks for making it work, Pam. Sheri, my library system has just a few copies, so, I'm waiting for a transfer to my local branch. I should have it by Monday and be able to start then,..."

Glad you found us. I'm not usually a fan of what I call flowery writing but the first few pages of this book, even though flowery to me, are really great. Hope to get time to sit down and read this Saturday afternoon.

Well ... I just finished listening to the Kindle edition via text-to-speech; the word Miss was pronounced "Mississippi" and the name Mont was pronounced "Montana" ... I've read others by Ruth Rendell that I preferred, but I rated it 4*s, anyway. Nothing surprised me, with the exception of the way it was read to me.

Pam wrote: "Well ... I just finished listening to the Kindle edition via text-to-speech; the word Miss was pronounced "Mississippi" and the name Mont was pronounced "Montana" ... I've read others by Ruth Rende..."

Wow, that had to have been disconcerting! Way to go for powering through. My copy is from 1978, and it looks it. Has the strangest cover art.

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Chantelle wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Thanks for making it work, Pam. Sheri, my library system has just a few copies, so, I'm waiting for a transfer to my local branch. I should have it by Monday and be a..."

Sheri, I agree about the intro pages. The opening line really grabbed me, and the whole chapter was eloquent and piqued my interest.

Lisa wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Chantelle wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Thanks for making it work, Pam. Sheri, my library system has just a few copies, so, I'm waiting for a transfer to my local branc..."

Mine says "First Vintage Books Edition January 2000" copyright 1977

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Lisa wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Chantelle wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Thanks for making it work, Pam. Sheri, my library system has just a few copies, so, I'm waiting for a transfer to m..."

If you look at my Currently Reading list, you can see my weird cover ;)

Lisa wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Lisa wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Chantelle wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Thanks for making it work, Pam. Sheri, my library system has just a few copie..."

That IS a weird cover. Mine has a heart on it 😊💕

really enjoying this one. having grown up in Suffolk I'm familiar with many of the villages Ruth Rendell uses in her stories, so for me adds that extra special touch...and makes me feel quite nostalgic !

ditto on the enjoying it and way cool that you're familiar with the area.

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "ditto on the enjoying it and way cool that you're familiar with the area."

reading this novel is giving me a nudge to book a few days away in suffolk to do some reminiscing - i will bring this book along too.....what better place to finish reading it

Chantelle wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "ditto on the enjoying it and way cool that you're familiar with the area."

reading this novel is giving me a nudge to book a few days away in suffolk to do so..."

What a great idea you lucky duck.

There are some sentences in this book that I just can't figure out what they mean or represent. For example on page 42 in my paperback: (view spoiler)[But it would be true to say that she was uninterested in babies because there are books in the world. (hide spoiler)] What does that mean?

But I do like this very much and think it's so true (view spoiler)[that selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live (hide spoiler)]

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "There are some sentences in this book that I just can't figure out what they mean or represent. For example on page 42 in my paperback: [spoilers removed] What does that mean?

But I do like this v..."
thats funny Sheri.....ive gone back to that sentence about "uninterested in babies" a few times 🤔

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "There are some sentences in this book that I just can't figure out what they mean or represent. For example on page 42 in my paperback: [spoilers removed] What does that mean?

But I do like this v..."

I think it means that Eunice is so isolated, so assailed by the world around her that has excluded her because of the ignorance that she feels, because of her illiteracy. The very existence of books is a symbol of her "otherness" and she refuses to embrace them, or babies, or many other elements that bring others joy and unite the rest of the world, out of a sort of means of self-defense.

I'm really enjoying this book, and I love the way that it asserts how damaging illiteracy is. And the way that it examines how people of more means look at others as though they should automatically have the same wherewithal, motivations, and means, as those who have always been cherished. The lack of empathy that many operate with. Pretty brilliant stuff.

Lisa wrote: "˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "There are some sentences in this book that I just can't figure out what they mean or represent. For example on page 42 in my paperback: [spoilers removed] What..."

my heart did go out to her....damaged girl who desperately needed support and understanding as a child. with the right support things could have been SO different.
good reminder of how our actions/words can be so damaging.....especially towards children who's personalities are developing. every good story teaches us something!! having said that....the family she worked for didn't deserve their fate

I'm looking back and trying to find where George asks Giles what he thinks of Eunice and Giles gives him a one word description that's a perfect description. Giles is good with the one word descriptions. I like him.

Sheri, repellent! Page 101. I like Giles too. I'm loving this book. Joan is something else, too. Such a sense of dread building here...

Lisa wrote: "Sheri, repellent! Page 101. I like Giles too. I'm loving this book. Joan is something else, too. Such a sense of dread building here..."

Thanks. Giles says so much with just one word.

This is a 5 star for me. Loved it.

Five starts for me too, Sheri. This was brilliant. I loved the depiction of the importance of literacy and education, and how ruinous the lack of them can be, and the divide it creates. Also the depiction of the danger of following a religion to the extent of eschewing common sense and kindness toward others.

The author did such a great job of building dread and fear, even though we all knew the outcome of this book after the first sentence. That's quite a feat. I kept hoping for some sort of miraculous intervention that would save this family, all while knowing that was impossible. She was also way ahead of her time in painting a picture of a sociopath. That word is a common one now, and many depictions and discussions thereof, but this had to be a pretty unusual concept in 1977. Moreover embodied by a woman.

Has anyone else finished? Any other thoughts? I also really liked the way the crime was solved. Very clever that despite the written word being Eunice's lifelong enemy, the spoken word was ultimately her downfall.

I enjoyed the book and agree with a previous comment that the author was able to keep you interested in the book even though you know from the beginning who committed the crime. I did struggle to comprehend how anyone could exist in a modern society without even a rudimentary ability to read but I'm sure people find ways to adapt.
I thought the last chapter (all of two pages!) which explained what had happened to some other characters in the story was very poignant. The line of how Melinda's boyfriend had graduated, was now dating another woman and had nearly forgotten her really hit me on how life goes on. You forget the tragedies and keep trying to find happiness.

Gary wrote: "I enjoyed the book and agree with a previous comment that the author was able to keep you interested in the book even though you know from the beginning who committed the crime. I did struggle to c..."

Gary, I agree. The incongruity of Eunice's illiteracy and modern times made me sometimes feel like the book took place longer ago than it did. Although, I suppose, it was 40 years ago. I think that, even currently, there are far more people that are illiterate or barely literate than we realize. I felt like much of the book was poignant and observant, and I need to read more by this author.

Gary wrote: "I enjoyed the book and agree with a previous comment that the author was able to keep you interested in the book even though you know from the beginning who committed the crime. I did struggle to.The line of how Melinda's boyfriend had graduated, was now dating another woman and had nearly forgotten her really hit me on how life goes on.."

Yay, I thought about Melinda's boyfriend too.

˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ wrote: "Gary wrote: "I enjoyed the book and agree with a previous comment that the author was able to keep you interested in the book even though you know from the beginning who committed the crime. I did ..."

Great minds think alike Sheri! :)

Hey everyone! I just started this last night and can't wait to get through it and discuss it with you all. I hope you all had a nice weekend :-)

LTJ wrote: "Hey everyone! I just started this last night and can't wait to get through it and discuss it with you all. I hope you all had a nice weekend :-)"

Great, welcome, LTJ!

@Lisa: Thank you, my friend :-)

I finished it late last night and enjoyed it to a degree! I gave it a 3/5 as the writing was solid and loved everything with Eunice but some parts dragged on for me. The ending was very interesting as it all went down, especially with what was ultimately revealed. Very clever writing for sure!

My full review...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...