The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 24 books · 1964 to 2013 · Set in the fictional Kingsmarkham, Sussex

Ruth Rendell

Crime and mysteryPolice procedural

Chief Inspector Reg Wexford, a well-read and humane detective, polices the market town of Kingsmarkham in Sussex for half a century of books, partnered by the more conventional Mike Burden.

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. Rendell’s standalones and the Barbara Vine novels are left out.

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Who appears in which book

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LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Ruth Rendell 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.

Inspector Wexford

24 books · Set in the fictional Kingsmarkham, SussexPolice procedural
  1. 1From Doon with Death1964With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  2. 2A New Lease of Death1967With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Wolf to the Slaughter1967With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  4. 4The Best Man to Die1969With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  5. 5A Guilty Thing Surprised1970With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  6. 6No More Dying Then1971With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Murder Being Once Done1972With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Some Lie and Some Die1973With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  9. 9Shake Hands For Ever1975With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  10. 10A Sleeping Life1978With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  11. 11Put On by Cunning1981With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  12. 12The Speaker of Mandarin1983With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  13. 13An Unkindness of Ravens1985With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  14. 14The Veiled One1988With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  15. 15Kissing the Gunner’s Daughter1992With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  16. 16Simisola1994With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  17. 17Road Rage1997With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  18. 18Harm Done1999With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  19. 19The Babes in the Wood2002With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  20. 20End in Tears2005With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  21. 21Not in the Flesh2007With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  22. 22The Monster in the Box2009With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  23. 23The Vault2011With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon
  24. 24No Man’s Nightingale2013With Reg WexfordBuy on Amazon

Characters

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

Kingsmarkham