The Water's Lovely
A Psychological Mystery by British Author Ruth Rendell
Ruth Rendell's latest novel, The Water's Lovely, garnered praise and a well-deserved favorable review from the New York Times
The Water's Lovely-Storyline
“Come on in, the water’s lovely”—a phrase commonly associated with pleasantness, a seaside visit or a dip in the lake. Not so in Ruth Rendell’s latest novel.
Two sisters share a house in London which contains a couple of separate apartments. The place has been recently renovated, and only memories remain of the upstairs bathroom, where stepfather Guy Sealand drowned under suspicious circumstances. But the women who live there are still haunted by what happened years ago.
The current inhabitants on one side of the house include Ismay and her younger sister Heather. Heather, who was a pre-teen at the time of the drowning was discovered in a damp dress near the bathtub where Guy drowned—on the scene of what may have been a murder. She refuses to speak of what happened that day, leaving her older sister Ismay to imagine the worst.
Living in the adjoining side of the house is their mother, Beatrix, and an aunt, Pamela. The mother, Beatrix, is emotionally traumatized and lives in a world of her own with Pamela taking care of her.
Main Characters and Psychlogical Aspects
All four women’s lives are tragically affected by this secret from the past, their relationships shadowed by their suspicions, speculations, and misconceptions of what happened the day of Guy’s death.
Ismay’s suspicions concerning her sister’s possible involvement in Guy’s death—was it murder-- influence both their lives and their relationships with others. Ismay has mixed feelings about Heather’s new romantic interest, Edmund Litton, because she is not sure whether or not she should tell him about the dark family secret concerning Heather.
Subplots and Side Characters
The book is filled with colorful side characters and intricately woven subplots about the contradictions in human nature. Aunt Pamela discovers that her new boyfriend is not as perfect as she first imagined. The way she justifies his increasingly abusive behavior is a chilling addition to the storyline. Ismay’s relationship with her fiancé, the well-heeled Andrew Campbell-Sedge, also tends toward dysfunction. Ironically, the only one who has a healthy relationship with a member of the opposite sex is Heather with Edmund Litton, even thought Edmund’s mother and Ismay’s boyfriend try their best to ruin their relationship. Ismay too, seems to hope the romance between her sister and her new beau will fail.
The novel is filled with images of water, which build up to a strange and disturbing conclusion. After finishing The Water’s Lovely, the reader will never think of that phrase without a shiver again.
About Ruth Rendell
Ruth Rendell is an extremely prolific British mystery writer. She is the winner of three Edgar awards. Known for her Inspector Wexford series, she also writes complex psychological mysteries under the pen name Barbara Vine and produces single title mysteries under her own name, Ruth Rendell. Some of her earlier work has recently been shown on PBS Mystery. This set, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Set I, is available on DVD from Amazon.
Some of her more recent single-title Ruth Rendell works include 13 steps Down and The Rottweiler. Other current books include The Minotaur (Barbara Vine) and The Babes in the Wood and Not in the Flesh. (Inspector Wexford)
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