Baroness Rendell of Babergh was a writer who pushed the boundaries of detective fiction and thrillers. She was not afraid to make readers tear up a bit. The quintessential detective of hers Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford appears in 24 odd books. She also went on to write some 60 psychological murder mysteries, some under her name, some under the name of Barbara Vine.
A life of writing
Rendell was born on February 17, 1930 in London to teacher parents. She finished her schooling at County High School in Essex and started working in a daily as a features writer. While she was working there, she met Don Rendell and they got married by 1950. By the age of 22, she had become a top writer in the organisation.
Soon, she quit and started writing (a loss for journalism, a gain for literature). Her novels under the pseudonym of Barbara Vine were intricately plotted and thick with social conscience.
A Dark-Adapted Eye , Asta’s Book , etc. were best-sellers and brought attention to various issues that exist in society. An extremely charitable person, she was a patron of Kids for Kids, an organisation that helps children in rural areas of Darfur. Literature lost a fearless gem in 2015 when Rendell died of a stroke.
