A Sight for Sore Eyes is a compelling but disturbing psychological thriller written by master storyteller Ruth Rendell.   She has written about 70 books and over the years I have read about 1/3 of them.    Every one has been engaging, providing deep insights into characters that are reflections of ourselves and the people we know.   Like Stephen King, she asks “What if?”, but first she builds characters that for various reasons have become vulnerable, or damaged, or predatory, or  angry, narcissistic, hollow, murderous, and many variations and combinations.    Their lives collide with others and plots follow a mystery or thriller pattern to a conclusion that never seems to be cliched.    In this novel, the final section of the story takes an enormous ironic twist, an unexpected, but satisfying turn.

Finishing a Ruth Rendell story is like listening to the Ancient Mariner:

He went like one that hath been stunned,

And is of sense forlorn:

A sadder and a wiser man,

He rose the morrow morn.

This is a recommended book, but if you plan to read the story, brace yourself first.  4.5 out of 5.0 stars4.5