Ruth Rendell: Road Rage

The woods are vanishing, so are the locals...One by one.

With deft skill Ruth Rendell builds a complex psychological thriller on a foundation of compelling issues. A provocative conspiracy of kidnap and murder hits close to home and puts Chief Inspector Wexford to a terrifying test.

When a young girl is reported missing, it could be a case of robbery gone wrong or it could be part of much deeper violence. A massive gathering of angry protesters has taken up residence in Framhurst Great Wood just outside of Wexford's beloved Kingsmarkham. At stake is the life of the woodland itself. A highway planned to cut through its center will destroy its pristine beauty forever.

As tree-cutters violently clash with protesters, it is clear that the old English countryside is doomed to disappear. But, so it seems, are some of the citizens of Kingsmarkham.