Books like Simisola by Ruth Rendell
In the small English town of Kingsmarkham, a close-knit community of eighteen black residents finds itself shaken when Raymond Akande’s daughter, Melanie, a recent university graduate, goes missing after a routine trip from the benefit office to a bus stop. The town’s chief police officer, Inspector Wexford, who has a personal connection to the Akande family, investigates the disappearance with both professional diligence and personal concern. Shifting rumours, broken relationships, and a complex social landscape make the search for Melanie a tense mystery set in a contemporary England.
First publish date: 1995
Genre: Mystery & Detective/Police Procedural
Authors: Ruth Rendell
★
★
★
★
★
5.0 (1 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for Simisola by Ruth Rendell are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to Simisola (23 similar books)
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Inspector Wexford, sent to London for rest, finds his nephew Howard leading a grim investigation into a girl’s unsolved murder in an overgrown cemetery.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After World War I, Inspector John Madden investigates a brutal murder in a quiet village, using the emerging science of criminal psychology to unravel a serial killer’s plans.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When a woman reports her mysterious death, Inspector Wexford must unravel a perplexing crime that defies motive or suspect.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A psychological thriller that explores how damaged children confront their pasts.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A collection of five Inspector Wexford mysteries, written by Ruth Rendell.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Inspector Wexford travels to China, where a mysterious incident involving an old woman with bound feet fuels a fatal shipwreck. Back in England he probes the murder of a tourist and uncovers a baffling crime linked to the East.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Ruth Rendell’s thriller follows a young woman confronting her violent mother, where a child’s death sparks deception, kidnapping and murder in a tangled family drama.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Inspector Wexford investigates a mysterious murder in a London shopping centre, while a personal threat looms over him and his aide.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
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.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Inspector Wexford investigates a perplexing case in the small English town of Kingsmarkham, unravelling a mystery that tests his skills and conscience.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Inspector Wexford investigates the suspicious lake‑side death of celebrated musician Sir Manuel Camargue, navigating motives of his young fiancée and possibly estranged daughter.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A gripping psychological thriller about two pregnant women whose unlikely friendship leads to a life‑altering mystery.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Detective Chief Inspector Wexford investigates the sudden disappearance of a rural husband, uncovering a puzzling case that turns into a unique homicide mystery.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
A Judgment in Stone by Ruth RendellKing Solomon's Carpet by Barbara Vine
A Dark Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine
The Ghosts of Sleath by Ruth Rendell
Thirteen Steps Down by Ruth Rendell
The Minotaur by Bartholomew Gill
The House of Stairs by William Sleator
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!