Books like Shake hands forever by Ruth Rendell

Joseph Conrad’s 1907 political thriller follows London spy Adolf Verloc as he navigates anarchism, espionage and moral compromise, revealing a bleak portrait of the city and the exploitation of the vulnerable.

A poignant look at the complexities of marriage, friendship, and societal expectations in early 20th‑century Europe.

In the cathedral town of Barchester, the warden of an almshouse battles a reformer's campaign and his own family's turmoil, offering a sly satire of Church life and the clash between public moral crusades and private suffering.

Inspector Wexford investigates the brutal strangulation of timid housewife Margaret Parsons in the quiet town of Kingsmarkham, a case that launches a harrowing detective novel.

When the Coverdale family is killed in a brutal, televised act on Valentine’s Day, Detective Vetch must unravel the motives behind the housekeeper’s shocking method and the hidden key to a long‑guarded family secret.

Inspector Wexford investigates the mysterious disappearance of Anita Margolis, a wealthy and controversial woman, following only an anonymous letter and the name Smith, as he and Inspector Burden confront unanswered questions.

When a new road threatens the ancient woods of Framhust, environmentalists mobilize and an extremist group kidnaps five people—including Inspector Wexford’s wife—in a race against time to stop the destruction.

John le Carré’s Cold‑War spy thriller follows British agent Alec Leamas as he takes one last perilous assignment to outwit East German intelligence.

At London’s Vulcan Theatre, opening night is shattered when the lead actor is found dead backstage, and Sir Roderick Alleyn must untangle a murder that haunts the venue’s past.

Roderick Alleyn faces an assassination attempt at London's Ng'ombwana embassy, navigating rival police forces, a tribal court, and a clever black cat to solve the murder.

When Melanie Akande, a university graduate, disappears between a benefit office and a bus stop in Kingsmarkham, Inspector Wexford takes a personal interest in finding her amid the town’s 18 black residents.

Chief Inspector Wexford investigates a puzzling car accident that turns into a double mystery when a supposed deceased daughter resurfaces alive, and a bloody canal scene demands a fresh, urgent inquiry.

Chief Inspector Wexford returns to investigate a cold case in Kingsmarkham when new evidence from a family member forces a reexamination of the decades‑old murder of Mrs. Primero.

During a rock festival in the fictional English village of Kingsmarkham, Inspector Wexford confronts a brutal quarry murder and investigates the tangled links between a troubled local girl and an influential pop star.

Chief Inspector Wexford investigates a series of teenage girls’ murders in the quiet streets of Kingsmarkham, where a concrete block from a bridge sets a deadly chain in motion.

This book is a personal memoir of a retired senior intelligence officer who served in various arms of the South African security forces at the height of the Cold War. The memoir describes the role of the National Intelligence Service in stabilizing South Africa at a time when the Armed Struggle was at its peak. It also explains how the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) was established as a foundation for the transition to democracy in 1994. A detailed timeline is given of the military confrontation between CODESA (which was opting for a unitary state) and COSAG (Concerned South Africans Group) who preferred a federal structure in which group rights were recognized. This was a pivitol moment because full-scale civil war would have resulted, the military might well have opted for a coup d'etat and Zuland and other areas might well have seceeded.

Chief Inspector Wexford returns to Kingsmarkham to confront a serial killer who once haunted his early career, stirring memories of past murders and personal loss.

Inspector Wexford investigates a mysterious murder in a London shopping centre, while a personal threat looms over him and his aide.

Detective Chief Inspector Wexford uncovers hidden secrets after the brutal murder of Elizabeth Nightingale, turning a seemingly simple case into a complex web of family secrets and undercurrents.

A medieval masterpiece by Boethius that blends prose and verse to explore fate, fortune, and the nature of happiness through a dramatic dialogue between the author and his philosophical muse.

Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot investigates a mysterious murder in the Yorkshire Dales, while Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks, once a lover, comes to help and uncover the darker aspects of his family's past.

In August, Chief Inspector Wexford returns home early and discovers a woman stabbed to death in a field near Kingsmarkham, setting the stage for a tense investigation.

Inspector Wexford investigates a perplexing case in the small English town of Kingsmarkham, unravelling a mystery that tests his skills and conscience.

Inspector Wexford investigates the suspicious lake‑side death of celebrated musician Sir Manuel Camargue, navigating motives of his young fiancée and possibly estranged daughter.

Detective Chief Inspector Wexford investigates the sudden disappearance of a rural husband, uncovering a puzzling case that turns into a unique homicide mystery.