Books like The best man to die by Ruth Rendell

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.

A Scotland Yard detective’s family holiday in rural England turns unsettling when a mummified infant is found, revealing dark secrets that threaten those he loves most.

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.

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.

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.

When a woman reports her mysterious death, Inspector Wexford must unravel a perplexing crime that defies motive or suspect.

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.

Former Chief Inspector Wexford comes out of retirement to investigate four bodies found in an underground sewer, tracing the case back to a murder committed 12 years earlier amid a personal tragedy.

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 new Chief Inspector Wexford mystery from the author who Time magazine has called "the best mystery writer in the English-speaking world." When the truffle-hunting dog starts to dig furiously, his master's first reaction is delight at the size of the clump the dog has unearthed: at the going rate, this one truffle might be worth several hundred pounds. Then the dirt falls away to reveal not a precious mushroom but the bones and tendons of what is clearly a human hand.In Not in the Flesh, Chief Inspector Wexford tries to piece together events that took place eleven years earlier, a time when someone was secretly interred in a secluded patch of English countryside. Now Wexford and his team will need to interrogate everyone who lives nearby to see if they can turn up a match for the dead man among the eighty-five people in this part of England who have disappeared over the past decade. Then, when a second body is discovered nearby, Wexford experiences a feeling that's become a rarity for the veteran policeman: surprise.As Wexford painstakingly moves to resolve these multiple mysteries, long-buried secrets are brought to daylight, and Ruth Rendell once again proves why she has been hailed as our greatest living mystery writer.From the Hardcover edition.

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.

A ten‑year‑old crime is revisited, unraveling a tightly plotted mystery that exemplifies Ruth Rendell’s skillful storytelling.