The Copper Peacock and Other Stories

by Ruth Rendell

Nine stories from a master of psychological suspense--including one classic detective story featuring Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford--probe the darkest regions of the human psyche. Reprint.

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Thriller, British Literature

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

A.K.A. Barbara Vine

Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, who also wrote under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, was an acclaimed English crime writer, known for her many psychological thrillers and murder mysteries and above all for Inspector Wexford.

Reviews

[Fiona MacDonald]

Ruth Rendell is similar in my opinion to Susan Hill. In that she has numerous short stories and then some longer novels dedicated to a specific detective (that I personally am not very interested in reading). As with Susan Hill, Ruth Rendell can write terrifying short stories, whereas hers are more ghostly, and Rendell's are more psychological. Either way they both scare me, and Rendell's collection of short stories here does justice. The best story by far is the title story 'The Copper Peacock' which explains how a cleaner gives a writer a ghastly looking bookmark in the shape of a peacock as a gift, and turns up at work each time with mysterious bad bruises on her body. 'Mother's Help' is also a rather scary story about the effects of unruly children. A woman takes on looking after a couple's child, and slowly falls in love with the father. When the son mistakenly crashes the car when he is left in it alone, the father comes up with the perfect way of disposing of his wife.
Something very eerie about Rendell's stories, you are always holding your breath waiting for something to happen, and then on the last page you let out a sigh of relief and feel glad you are only reading and not living the story.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nine creepy short stories. Not all about murder. Paperwork was amusing. Mother’s Help had history repeating itself. Long Live the Queen a weird story about a cat. Dying Happy backfiring with a dying man last wish granted but not with the outcome he expected. The Copper Peacock bookmark was sad and the man a egoistic idiot and unobservant. Weeds an odd story and the Fish-sitter bizarre. The last one with Wexford and Burton a good psychological one with reference to Anthony Trollope Cousin Henry story which I enjoyed.

[hawk]

these short stories are likely well written, but I found them mostly boring. they are VERY 'English' and perhaps less boring to that audience?
I wasn't interested in the characters (except a tiny amount in some dogs and cats mentioned, and a woman working as a cleaner), and I found the story twists and endings very predictable.

😬😬 heteronormative... a woman gets slapped more than once in a story... men objectify, lust after, fantasise about and seduce women who aren't their wives in very patriarchal ways... the closer to working class characters are caricatures and used for comedic purposes... 😬😬

the very upper class sounding English reader probably didn't help. I'm guessing tho that the reader was chosen to reflect the content of the stories, and the assumed audience too maybe. it clearly wasn't a book that thought of, let alone included/cared about, me as a potential reader. perhaps I'll look closer next time, rather than getting drawn in by shiny copper, and pretty peacock feathers... 🌟🪶🦚


abandoned 70% thru.


accessed as a library audiobook, read by Penelope Keith.

(looking at dates on gr and the library app, I think the paper-physical book was published quite some years before the audiobook, so the collection isn't as contemporary as it might have seemed at first glance).

[Marie-Antoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book as I did with the other Ruth Rendell books. The Copper Peacock and Other Stories is a short-story collection by Ruth Rendell. The title comes from the 6th story in the collection, in which a copper bookmark in the form of a peacock is gift from a cleaner to her employer, the giving of which has significant ramifications for their relationship. The final story in the collection features her popular series Inspector Reg Wexford.

The collection contains nine stories:
1. A Pair of Yellow Lilies- A mousy woman takes a young lover, enticed by his angelic beauty and vividly embroidered jacket, and a subtle criminal trade-off occurs. He is not who he say he is…

2. Paperwork – a girl is left with her grandparents by her 16-year old mother. She grows up knowing that her grandmother doesn’t like her as she refers to her as “that child” and “it”.

3. Mother's Help - Murder is the theme in this story in which a handsome man enlists the unwitting aid of his two innocent children in getting rid of his two wives.

4. Long Live the Queen – This story features a snarly elegant feline who finds her regal niche after another cat is killed.

5. Dying Happy – a man on his deathbed wants his old mistress to come and see him one last time, but things doesn’t turn out as he wanted especially when his wife is concerned.

6. The Copper Peacock - Egotist Bernard borrows a friend's flat to ensure quiet while he writes a book. Flattered by the awed, pretty maid, Judy, who tidies up and serves him exquisite lunches but arrives for work each day increasingly bruised and battered, Bernard cringes with mortification when Judy gives him an ugly but costly peacock-shaped bookmark.

7. Weeds – what can I say…. Things aren’t always as it seems…..

8. The Fish-Sitter - In the ghoulish ``The Fish Sitter,'' an aquarium claims human prey.

9. An Unwanted Woman (an Inspector Wexford story) - Chief Inspector Wexford, from Rendell's Kingsmarkham series, appears in ``An Unwanted Woman,'' his equanimity threatened by a spooky teenage runaway.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[RatGrrrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this, prompted by it leaving the Audible Included catalogue at the end of the month, has really made me aware of how biased and just how much of a hipster class warrior I am and that I should get over myself and read as widely as possible because, it turns out I had been sleeping on Rendell.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection! Some stories more than others, but the title story sticks out as one of those stories that truly gave me the shivers. I absolutely loved it, in spite of the bleakness of its subject matter.

Rendell renders self-obsessed, cruel, callous, bastard men exquisitely. Her writing reads, especially with the wonderful Peneolpe Keith Narration, in a rather play-like fashion, both morality and stage.

This definitely left me wanting to read more of her work and I will be looking out for and welcome recommendations from her wide library.

[Kasey Jueds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to think of anything about the amazing and incredible Ruth Rendell that I haven't already written before. I love her, she's a genius, I hope she lives forever, etc. These stories are dark and smart and completely compelling--in part because Rendell is such an incredible stylist, and in part because she has such a profound and often startling understanding of human nature. I especially noticed, in this book, her skill with unattractive narrators. The one in the title story is a great example: I could recognize his creepy nastiness, and at the same time felt drawn in (against my will) to seeing things from his point of view--so I had a deliciously complicated reaction to this story, and really to all of them.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rendell is always amazing but some of these stories fell a bit short for me (pun!). Some of the tricks that are so effective in her novels didn’t quite work as well in shorter form I found. But regardless I still loved reading it and immediately ordered another book of her short stories!

[Miglė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tikiuosi, kad jau imu biškį pavargti nuo Rendell apsakymų, nes šitas rinkinys man mažiau patiko negu kiti skaityti. Apsakymai tokie asmeniškesni, tarsi jautresni, subtilesni.
Kas irgi faina, kodėl gi ne, bet man trūko to Rendelliško apsukimo, kur žmogaus trūkumas / manija / elgesio modelis / sprendimas susiduria su pasauliu, o pastarasis apsuka situaciją visiškai kitaip, dažnai sukeldamas tragiškas pasekmes.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rendell is a master of her craft, and The Copper Peacock is congruent with such aptitude. The only complaint might be the seemingly inverse relationship of length to predictability; nevertheless, the prose flows effortlessly to both sneakily coax English sensibility and reward those who trust their instincts.

[Cyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth Rendell's short stories are tasty morsels, bite-sized versions of the various ways her novels surprise, chill, thrill, discomfit, and delight the reader. I love the variety here. This little volume includes, in its final tale, the added surprise of an addition, in miniature, to the Wexford & Burden series.

[Sharon Mensing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was short stories, not my favorite, but well executed by Rendell. The stories were each somewhat ironic and I found the twists very interesting. The people in these stories were not terribly sympathetic, but were well drawn given the short story format.

[Laila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Rendell is a master of the short story - especially unsettling ones. The one about the cat lady, Long Live the Queen, is one of the creepiest short stories I've ever read. And I like cats.

[Amy]

I haven't read short stories in a while. She really is staying away from tidying up all the loose ends in this one. More like "choose your own ending." Like life, I suppose.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stories, especially the title one.

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed rereading these. Not as enthralling as her novels, though.

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of short stories.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rendell packs a lot into a short story. Minimal pages, maximum impact.

[Tinylittlewars · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy these kind of stories a lot, they're great when you don't feel like committing to something longer or heavier.. Rendell's writing is easily relatable, with situations and characters that often feel familiar. The title piece, T͟h͟e͟ C͟o͟p͟p͟e͟r͟ P͟e͟a͟c͟o͟c͟k͟, actually made me cry a little, as it concerns a subject close to my heart.. but of course that's really a compliment on the author's ability to evoke emotional responses and this one just got under my skin. Many of her stories explore the dark side of relationships, and she has an understated yet poignant way of describing these things that is very accurate and insightful of human nature. The endings are always satisfying, if occasionally a bit ambiguous, which I personally don't mind.. I like the ones that make me think. And even when you know what's coming they still draw you in.. Rendell is accomplished at creating a suspenseful anticipation in the reader that leads up to a satisfying "ah ha" at the end. Anyone who enjoys murder mysteries should check her out for sure.

[Jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Pair of Yellow Lilies - Theft in a library. Full circle ? Tit for tat?
Paperwork - a deep one.
Mother's Help - delicious!
Long live the Queen- never been quite a cat person.
Dying Happy - am I reading too much into it? " lesbianic " or "platonic" new formed best mates?
The Copper Peacock - started off real promising
Weeds - I'm not sure I got this as intended. Just about the cheating madame?
The fish sitter - was a little distracted while reading this one
The Unwanted Woman - I've not quite taken to Wexford and the series. This was an OK quick read.

Just came from another short stories collection - Fallen Curtain. And that has better stories. I don't quite get all the ones here, my fave is Mother's Helper.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth Rendell (1991) THE COPPER PEACOCK AND OTHER STORIES (AUDIOBOOK)
Audible - Kingsmarkham Enterprises Ltd

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 out of 5 stars

Audible writes, "With deceptive economy in these nine short stories, Ruth Rendell indicates hidden depths in ordinary events and creates a sense of profound unease. The stories are: 'A Pair of Yellow Lilies', 'Paperwork', 'Mother’s Hel'p, 'Long Live the Queen', 'Dying Happy', 'The Copper Peacock', 'Weeds', 'The Fish-Sitter', and 'An Unwanted Woman'."
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The problem with these stories is they were too short which is a me problem totally.
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[Karen M · Rating 4 out of 5]

As ever Randell creates and explores human psychology, here with a variety of settings and characters but always with the same sense of eerie foreboding suffusing the words. It’s hard to select one as a favourite as they are all so good but for me the obtuse selfishness of the writer in the Copper Peacock story was so skilfully unravelled and turned on him - and as a reader even this wasn’t enough but as a man he would escape any consequences. Similarly the wolffish Bluebeard father in Mother’s Help is uncannily depicted … why we wonder does no-one question him ( more to the point how does he continue to attract young women?) and the ending to this story is superb , if sadly inevitable.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange little collection of short stories by Rendell—they definitely left me wanting more. Most revolved around women who take decisive action when their choices are limited, often with drastic consequences for those around them. One exception is the title story, in which a writer develops an elaborate fantasy about the cleaner in the flat he has borrowed, until she makes the mistake of giving him a gift he considers in poor taste, shattering his dream. Sometimes the endings are head-scratchers; it tools me a minute to make sense of ‘Weeds.’ But each story represents a puzzle of a life worth unraveling.

[constellations · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice easy read. nothing really stood out or spoke to me personally but that's not much of a flaw. after a few stories the general gist of it was understood — establishing a character with some discontent (done very nicely), setting up the situation, and a twist at the end. somewhat predictable in that respect but at least held my attention the whole way through. for the record, mother's help was probably my favourite, and the fish sitter my least.

[Cameron Trost · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent collection of short stories examining psychology, society, and crime. However, being used to Ruth Rendell's exceptionally high standard, I wasn't overly impressed. These are by no means her most original or well-written stories. For the uninitiated, I'd recommend starting with her collections, The Fallen Curtain, Blood Lines, and Piranha to Scurfy.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are creepy and well written. I can't say that I loved them, though. My appetite for creepy fiction has lessened in the last few years. The last tale, which is a Wexford one, was my favourite, with references to Trollope's "Cousin Henry," that I read a year or so ago. Very clever work with the allusions there.

[Marie-Christine Blandin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce sont des nouvelles avec donc plusieurs histoires mystérieuses. Meurtres machiavéliques. Pour découvrir Ruth Rendell, je trouve ce livre très intéressant ! Je ne regrette pas de l'avoir lu et je commence maintenant une série de livres policiers de cette auteure. Et le charme des romans à l'anglaise.

[Nick Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so much as whodunit as a series of tales of the unexpected. Crimes are mostly (though not entirely) questions of moral ambiguity and few perpetrators receive their comeuppance.

A great set of short stories and highly recommended.

[Nick121235 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually ended up liking this a lot more than I initially thought I was going to because at first I expected a very different sort of mystery thriller. What I got was more drama, emotionally charged and really very dated, but insightful and witty stories with a thriller element to them.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this short story read . A quick easy read , probably the shortest book in pages i'll read this year.
To be back in the company of such a great character as Inspector Wexford is a joy and testament to how good Ruth Rendell's writing is.