The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 14 books · 1986 to 2012 · Mostly set in London

Barbara Vine

Thriller and suspenseLiterary and generalPsychological suspenseLiterary fiction

Barbara Vine was the pen name Ruth Rendell used for her darker psychological novels, which turn on family secrets and old crimes. Each book is a standalone; Rendell's Inspector Wexford novels are on her own page.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. The spreadsheet lists "recurring ensemble casts", but the Vine novels do not share characters, so each book's lead is charted. Ruth Rendell has her own page.

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Who appears in which book

Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.

LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Barbara Vine books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Standalone

14 books · Mostly set in EnglandPsychological suspenseLiterary fiction
  1. 1A Dark-Adapted Eye1986With Faith SevernBuy on Amazon
  2. 2A Fatal Inversion1987With Adam Verne-SmithBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The House of Stairs1988With Elizabeth Vetch · Set in LondonBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Gallowglass1990With JoeBuy on Amazon
  5. 5King Solomon's Carpet1991Set in LondonBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Asta's Book1993With Ann Eastbrook · Set in LondonBuy on Amazon
  7. 7No Night Is Too Long1994With Tim CornishBuy on Amazon
  8. 8The Brimstone Wedding1995With Stella NewlandBuy on Amazon
  9. 9The Chimney Sweeper's Boy1998Buy on Amazon
  10. 10Grasshopper2000Set in LondonBuy on Amazon
  11. 11The Blood Doctor2002Set in LondonBuy on Amazon
  12. 12The Minotaur2005With Kerstin KvistBuy on Amazon
  13. 13The Birthday Present2008Set in LondonBuy on Amazon
  14. 14The Child's Child2012Set in LondonBuy on Amazon

Characters

8 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Standalone leads