Ruth Rendell – The
Saint Zita Society
Ruth Rendell has long been a favourite author of mine. Her
bottom-up approach to life, which often explains crime without condoning it,
provides unique insight into human frailties, dilemmas and anomalies. Her
sympathies often lie with the underdog and those who are the losers and victims
in life, without simplistic blaming of society and the winners.
Saint Zita is the patron saint of maids and
domestic servants, so you can be sure this book deals with some very
down-to-earth characters.
In The Saint Zita
Society, she brings together a diverse but convincing crew of human beings,
lords, ladies, a self-proclaimed princess and ragged bunch of servants – an
au-pair, a nanny, a cleaner, housekeepers, drivers, a gardener, and even a
non-servant who perhaps serves more and better than the rest, with little
thanks.
She creates a microscopic corner of modern London – Hexham
Place - that brings Downton Abbey into the twenty-first century. Indeed, one of
the servants is descended from a footman to a duke. But these are modern servants
and servility is not a feature!
Rendell is a mistress of subtle, interweaving plotting that
leaves the reader poised over precipices of looming catastrophe. Bliss!
The characters are several disasters waiting to happen, while
random events, neglect, pure misfortune and coincidence spur on the calamities.
Egos compete with selfishness to bring characters undone while Rendell also
explores how the lingering British class system still acts to preserve the
guilty from the consequences of their deeds.
I also love the way she uses technology to explore new
methods of tormenting disturbed minds, with tragic consequences.
Never ignore basic household maintenance again – the
consequences could be tragic!
David Kilner
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