As the novel, 13 Steps Down, opens, readers are introduced to Mix Cellini. It soon becomes apparent that Cellini, who installs and maintains fitness equipment for a living, is obsessed with Reggie Christie, a killer who had been put to death fifty years ago. Obsessed also with the supermodel, Narissa Nash, Cellini delves deeper into Reggie Christie's life as he sets his sights more and more on the beautiful Narissa. Cellini grows determined to snake his way into the supermodel's life, fantasizing along the way about how life would be once he had succeeded in his quest.
When Cellini's attainment of his main goal grows more difficult to reach, he turns to Reggie Christie for inspiration. There to help further complicate Cellini's life, however, is his elderly spinster landlady who has her own goals she seeks to meet and her own fantasies to realize.
Overall, Ruth Rendell knits an entertaining, complex, chilling tale expertly connecting the characters throughout the story.
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My single complaint about 13 Steps Down was that as I neared the end of the book, the story began to feel a bit drawn out. I was tempted to skip a few pages ahead, but Rendell's skillful prose, her ability to create good suspense and to keep me rooted in her characters' heads ultimately kept me reading.
While how the story would end grew somewhat obvious, Rendell still managed to treat me to an interesting, satisfying twist. She successfully creates a suspenseful tale of murder, obsession, and disillusionment that also hints at the adage "be careful what you wish for, sometimes."
I first became familiar with Ruth Rendell's fiction through her collection titled The Fallen Curtain and Other Stories. After reading that particular collection of Rendell's short stories, I was able to discover why she is referred to as the UK's "Queen of Psychological Suspense." So, when I recently came across her novel, 13 Steps Down, I eagerly snatched up the book. And was not disappointed that I did. I recommend 13 Steps Down to readers who enjoy solid, engaging, psychological suspense fiction.
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