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Ruth Rendell Trivia

Ruth Rendell Trivia Quizzes

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You may have seen the television series featuring Inspector Wexford, now explore the books from which he originated, along with other mysteries from the same author.
5 Ruth Rendell quizzes and 65 Ruth Rendell trivia questions.
1.
  Ruth Rendell: Murder Being Once Done    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Another great early 1972 work by Rendell.
Tough, 15 Qns, rosadebon, Jun 29 03
Tough
rosadebon
344 plays
2.
  Ruth Rendell: "A Judgement in Stone"   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
You're told whodunit and why in the first sentence. Yet this is still one of Rendell's most riveting! See if your memory is as good as Eunice's.
Tough, 10 Qns, MissLorna, Mar 14 08
Tough
MissLorna
245 plays
3.
  Ruth Rendell: "The Killing Doll"    
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
This has got to be one of her best suspense novels. Ruth Rendell's gift for making real, many-layered characters (even the minor ones) makes what she writes good enough to be read again and again, each time finding something new in the story.
Tough, 20 Qns, rosadebon, Jun 29 03
Tough
rosadebon
234 plays
4.
  Ruth Rendell: " A Sleeping Life"    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
An early work, from 1978, and another example of her fine development of characters.
Tough, 10 Qns, rosadebon, Jun 29 03
Tough
rosadebon
270 plays
5.
  Ruth Rendell    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Fans of Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford series will find this quiz a piece of cake. Others have a 25 percent chance of getting each question right. Good luck!
Average, 10 Qns, msgene, Sep 21 03
Average
msgene
1279 plays
trivia question Quick Question
How many times was Harold Yearman married?

From Quiz "Ruth Rendell: "The Killing Doll""




Related Topics
  British Literature [Literature] (49 quizzes)

  Mystery & Detective Fiction [Literature] (105 quizzes)


Ruth Rendell Trivia Questions
1. What was the name of the Coverdales' house?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "A Judgement in Stone"

Answer: Lowfield Hall

Combe Park is from "The Face of Trespass." Shrove is from "The Crocodile Bird," and Tancred House is from "Kissing the Gunner's Daughter."

2. Why did Inspector Wexford visit London?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: Murder Being Once Done

Answer: To recover from a thrombosis

He was staying with his nephew, Superintendent Howard Fortune, while Dora and Denise Fortune kept him on a strict diet and enforced rest and exercise schedule. Sheila, in a refreshing change, doesn't appear in this novel.

3. The footpath on which Rhoda Comfrey's body was found was featured in another Ruth Rendell novel. Which one was it?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: " A Sleeping Life"

Answer: "An Unkindness of Ravens"

Down this path the police shadowed Veronica on her way to the tennis tournament. They knew someone was going to try to murder her, but they were very surprised at who the attacker was.

4. How many times was Harold Yearman married?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "The Killing Doll"

Answer: Three times

At the beginning of the book, he was widowed when Edith died of cancer. He married two more times during the course of the story.

5. What town does Inspector Wexford live in?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell

Answer: Kingsmarkham

6. Early in the story, Giles was hoping to go to India. How did he prepare for this?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "A Judgement in Stone"

Answer: He dyed his clothes orange

Too bad he didn't get to go.

7. What is the significance of the phrase "literary chit chat?"

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: Murder Being Once Done

Answer: That was how he and Howard passed their evenings

Howard had received a letter from Dr. Crocker asking him not to allow Wexford to do any police work or strain himself in any way. Howard was utterly frustrated by this since he needed Wexford's help. He was delighted to have his cover blown and discuss the case.

8. Grenville West's secretary had an unfortunate name. What was it?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: " A Sleeping Life"

Answer: Polly Flinders

Pauline Flinders, actually: "... heaven knows what her parents were thinking about." Polly Flinders is a character in an English children's rhyme. I've never heard it, but then I was raised on the other side of the Atlantic.

9. What is the name of inspector Wexfords youngest daughter?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell

Answer: Sheila

10. Why was Eunice afraid to go into Giles' room?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "A Judgement in Stone"

Answer: He posted quotes on his wall

Eunice thought Giles' Quotes of the Month might be messages to her. Rendell notes that they intimidated her in much the same way that a snake might intimidate another woman.

11. What did Loveday Morgan plan to do for the rest of her days?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: Murder Being Once Done

Answer: Watch TV and cradle her baby

Having been raised in the Temple of the Revelation, an isolationist cult, she had never seen television before and was enthralled with it. She naively believed she could use the adoption money she got to support her and the baby.

12. Ruth Rendell commits one of her rare howlers in this book. Why was it absurd for Wexford to consider Rose Farriner as being the murder victim?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: " A Sleeping Life"

Answer: Rose Farriner was divorced

Rhoda Comfrey was a virgin. Odd of Inspector Wexford to have forgotten that. Odder still that Mike Burden did, because when Dr. Crocker reported on the autopsy he said the victim had nothing unusual except for being a virgin. That (of course) had Inspector Burden sputtering, "Good heavens, she was an unmarried woman, wasn't she? Things have come to a pretty pass, I must say, if a perfectly proper condition for a single woman is called abnormal."

13. Pup sold his soul to the devil when he was 15. What did he ask the Devil to do for him?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "The Killing Doll"

Answer: Make him taller

By the end of the book, he was delighted to find he had grown to five foot eight -- the last inch when he was twenty.

14. And what is the name of Inspector Wexfords eldest daughter?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell

Answer: Sylvia

15. The book was full of people wanting to have or adopt children. Who, besides Stephen Dearborn was going through a tortuous adoption?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: Murder Being Once Done

Answer: Sergeant Clements

He and his wife agonized over whether they would be allowed to finally keep the son they had been fostering for three months. Louise Sampson was Melanie Dearborn's grown-up daughter and Verity Bate was a classmate of hers.

16. Why did Yvonne want Pup to cast a spell on her husband?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "The Killing Doll"

Answer: He wanted to leave her and marry another man

He wanted to marry Ashley Clare, in whose apartment he spent most of his nights.

17. What is Burdens first name?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell

Answer: Mike

18. What prompted Eunice to walk to the village store, where she met Joan for the first time?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "A Judgement in Stone"

Answer: Her TV broke down

Eunice did buy chocolate that day, but if the TV had been working, she would not have left the house.

19. What was unusual about Stephen Dearborn taking his daughter, Alexandra, around Kenbourne Vale to show her the architecture?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: Murder Being Once Done

Answer: She was less than a year old

And Dearborn was obsessed with her, buying her baby finery and furs, and running to her crib whenever she cried.

20. Where did Rhoda Comfrey's aunt, Lillian Crown, spend her days?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: " A Sleeping Life"

Answer: In the pubs

Marinating away in gin and cigarettes.

21. Diarmit Bawne believed he had become what person?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "The Killing Doll"

Answer: Conal Moore

Conal was the cousin with whom Diarmit roomed when he came to London. Diarmit was semi-literate and could not read the postcards Conal sent him, so he had no idea when or if Conal would return. He believed that he himself had disappeared and began insisting his name was Conal Moore.

22. What is the occupation of Wexfords youngest daughter?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell

Answer: Actress

23. When Joan joined the Epiphany People, her confession scandalized many people, and caused her husband a lot of embarrassment. What did she confess about her past?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "A Judgement in Stone"

Answer: She had been a prostitute

Fortunately, Joan never had children!

24. What, other than her obvious naiveté, did Ivan Teal find striking about Loveday Morgan?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: Murder Being Once Done

Answer: She had absolutely no accent

Cindy Crawford has a million dollar walk and if Loveday Morgan had ever been put in a car, she wouldn't have known which end the driver's seat was at.

25. How did Grenville West write his books?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: " A Sleeping Life"

Answer: He based them on classic plays

Not as bad a technique as it sounds. Remember "Clueless" being based on Jane Austen's "Emma"? He would put them in different time frames and nationalities.

26. Pup introduced himself to his girlfriends as "Peter" to all of his girlfriends but one. Who was the exception?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell: "The Killing Doll"

Answer: Yvonne

He fell deeply in love with her.

27. What is the term Wexford uses to describe the people in his village?

From Quiz Ruth Rendell

Answer: customers

Wexford refers to the residents of Kingsmarkham as his customers.

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