The best-selling crime writer Ruth Rendell has sadly died at the age of 85. She had suffered a stroke last January,
News of her passing was broken by her publishers, Penguin Random House, at 8am this morning.
Rendell had written over 60 best-sellers, including the Inspector Wexford novels, which were turned into a successful TV series starring George Baker in the title role.
In a statement, Penguin Random House said: “We are devastated by the loss of one of our best-loved authors.
“Ruth has been published by Hutchinson since 1964 and under her pen name Barbara Vine, she wrote 14 novels for Penguin.”