Date: 16.02.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Rendell and Wexford
It looks like Ruth rendell's first six Wexford books are being re-launched in November by her UK publisher, Arrow - not before time, some of them appear to have gone out of print in recent years. Is this possibly to tie in with a brand new Wexford novel, maybe...?
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Date: 16.02.2009
From: fiona
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
I noticed that... i hope it means they're planning to re-release all of the out of print tiles.
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Date: 17.02.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
That would be good - and maybe I had too much time on my hands (!) but it also looks like the books are being reset. All the early titles typically ran to about 180-190 pages - no wasted margins or surplus pages in those days! - but the new editions run to 240 pages. Either way, good to see some positive action going back into them...
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Date: 17.02.2009
From: fiona
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
looks like they're also planning to relaunch them in the b-format as well (im right in thinking that's the slightly larger paperback?), like a lot of the more recent paperbacks are (Cornwell, Rankin, etc)
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Date: 18.02.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
B's - yeah, next size up. Apart from helping those of us getting a tad older from squinting at the smaller print of A formats(!), I don't like them. Such as waste of resources, and I thought publishers were trying to be 'green', not use up even more paper! Rant over. Remember, too, when hardbacks were a nice compact size? I'm thinking back to the Collins Crime Club days. Severn House and Allison and Busby are two practitioners of beautiful book production today - no compromise on the quality of the finished product, but without the need for super-size editions...Sorry, a bit off subject there :-)
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Date: 18.03.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
The next Wexford is listed on RR's American publisher's site as ''The Monster in the Box'' and is due in October. Hutchinson are likely to be on or before that date in the UK, with luck!
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Date: 21.03.2009
From: Philip
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
Yes, just saw the surprising news about MONSTER IN THE BOX about 2 days ago - I work at one of the major chain bookstores and found a listing for an "Untitled Chief-Inspector Wexford" novel scheduled for October - some internet surfing led to MONSTER IN THE BOX on Simon & Schuster's website - ironically, no announcement yet from Hutchinson, her primary publisher; Rendell is "moving house" in the U.S. - Scribner/Simon & Schuster is her new U.S. publisher after 16 years and 14 books with Crown - hopefully this means the gap between U.S. and U.K. publication of Rendell will shrink - her 3 main publishers (Hutchinson in the U.K., Crown in the U.S., and Doubleday/Canada) were all under the ownership of Random House/Bertelsmann-BMG and they were more or less competing with themselves - the Rendells were appearing in the U.S. up to a year after publication in England. PORTOBELLO, Rendell's latest stand-alone thriller, is not yet scheduled for U.S. publication. Her latest Barbara Vine, THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT, was just released here last week - reviews have been good.
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Date: 24.03.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
In these days of international internet purchases and the ease of buying overseas editions through importers, it does seem strange that there are still some titles with well-known names that do not receive simultaneous editions. Val is one of them , currrently, though I suppose this has been a relatively small gap between UK and US for A Darker Domain! After all, an author can't tour simultaneously, either...! However, with Rendell, I'd noticed the very lengthy gaps - maybe this change of publsiher will close them now.
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Date: 28.03.2009
From: Philip
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
I hope this change of publishers not only narrows the gap but gets Rendell more exposure in the U.S. - despite the best efforts of some U.S. publishers she's been with, she's still behind P.D. James in name-recognition, and while bookstore shelves often represent her imitators heavily, one is often lucky to find more than a handful of Rendell titles on the shelf. And most of the Barbara Vines have gone out of print here. She still gets great reviews from the U.S. critics, though, under both names.
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Date: 03.04.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
The UK edition is due on 1st October from Hutchinson, it's just not on any selling sites yet, even the rbooks.co uk! I can't help my curiosity - how will the relaunched paperbacks look with 60 extra pages, and in B format...? Something approaching large print editions, maybe! Maybe the entire series will follow.
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Date: 16.04.2009
From: Fiona
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
http://www.wwd.com/lifestyle-news/eye/a-birth-present-from-a-baroness-2104777?gnewsid=cc6b0110862c17527868552afb7f5cfc the last paragraph. No!
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Date: 21.04.2009
From: Philip
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
I can't imagine her doing such a thing, not when she claims to still enjoy writing as much as she does.
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Date: 21.04.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
I looked at the synopsis for Monster in the Box - interesting. It's not that many years since RR was producing roughly 3 books every 2 years, and is one of the few authors who can maintain the standards in doing this. As long as she wants to, and publishes one a year now, I'll be happy!
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Date: 21.04.2009
From: Philip
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
Interesting plot-line - a peek at the pre-DOON life of Wexford! I found some info on Amazon.co.uk, but there's still nothing up on Hutchinson/Random House-UK about it, very little on Scribner/Simon & Schuster's website, and no prospective cover-art from either yet. And still no word about U.S. publication of PORTOBELLO! I wonder if it's been "orphaned," whether it will appear as the last book under her Crown/Random House contract, or whether Scribner/Simon & Schuster picked it up and will publish it after MONSTER IN THE BOX?
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Date: 23.04.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
I also suspect her books in the UK (or at least the Wexfords) will be getting a new look with the relaunched paperbacks. But you're right - absolutely nothing on the Random House site about them, not even their own on-line book store!
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Date: 11.05.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
Oh well - no new look for MITB, but trees again on the cover, Fiona!
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Date: 13.05.2009
From: Philip
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
STILL nothing on the Random House UK site! All the controversy over whether or not she'll continue with Wexford will undoubtedly create interest in MONSTER IN THE BOX, but considering that it's due for release a mere 2 weeks after the new Dan Brown...
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Date: 21.09.2009
From: Philip
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Subject: Re: THE MONSTER IN THE BOX
I finally obtained an Advance Reading Copy from Scribners - I'm about 100 pages in and forcing myself to read VERY SLOWLY!!! Longtime fans may be a little surprised at how open-minded the young Reg Wexford was about some things. Wexford does a lot of looking back here, not only at himself and a series of unsolved crimes, but on Kingsmarkham and the changes in lifestyle and technology over the years.
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Date: 22.09.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
Just arrived in stock here - expecting to receive a copy soon. Good to see that the first 12 Wexfords have finally been scheduled for relaunch - the first six next week, then six more in February. I expect the rest will follow in similar batches, although I have to say I'm now surprised how many non-Wexfords are out-of-print. I recently re-read Lake of Darkness, which had never been one of my favourites, but it has shot up in my estimation. Amazing what a new perspective can do after 20 years!
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Date: 17.11.2009
From: Philip
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
According to Ruth Rendell's comments during her recent U.S. tour, Reginald Wexford WILL return, but not, however, in his usual capacity. I think the rumor got started sometime back that THE MONSTER IN THE BOX would be the last Wexford because an interviewer possibly misinterpreted Rendell commenting there won't be any more Wexford TV films (not starring George Baker, anyway). I met her last Thursday evening in Denver, and she was everything I'd anticipated from listening to and watching interviews with her. She was also very indulgent, signing the many books I'd had shipped out there - since I have signed copies of just about everything from the mid-1980s through today, it was a matter of getting the ones from 1965 through the mid-1980s signed, and who knows when I'll get another chance . . . ?
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Date: 17.11.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
Philip, well done on having so many signed copies! Think I probably have about 15 or so books signed from various Book Festival/Bookshop events over the years. Think the earliest First Edition I have is from 1981, when I first started reading her and buying the HBs as they were published. As ever - looking forward to seeing what she will give us in 2010!
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Date: 01.12.2009
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Ruth Rendell's 2010 title
...and therefore probably a non-series book, is listed as Tigerlily's Orchid, due in August 2010.
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Date: 21.12.2009
From: Philip
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
RR mentioned TIGERLILY'S ORCHID in Denver, but no date had been set yet - bless Amazon for setting us up for nearly EIGHT MONTHS of anticipation!!!! A signed copy of the Hutchinson MONSTER arrived at last on Saturday - the London bookseller I order from was running a lit-tle behind (and, to be fair, RR had been traveling). RR inscribed it "Nice to hear from you again."
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Date: 28.01.2010
From: Chris
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Subject: Re: Rendell and Wexford
There is a synopsis available on this title now... (well, it is on one major UK book-retailing website!) - different, but certainly very intriguing.
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Date: 30.01.2010
From: Philip
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Subject: Re: Tigerlily's Orchids
In the dark world of Ruth Rendell, even a housewarming party can be something sinister!!! Can't wait!
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