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  • One Across, Two Down

  • By: Ruth Rendell
  • Narrated by: Nicky Henson
  • Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (69 ratings)

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One Across, Two Down cover art

One Across, Two Down

By: Ruth Rendell
Narrated by: Nicky Henson
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Publisher's Summary

There are only two things in life that interest Stanley: solving crossword puzzles, and getting his hands on his mother-in-law’s money. For 20 years, the puzzles have been his only pleasure, the money his only dream. It has never occurred to Stanley that his mother-in-law would try to outsmart him and the money would never be his. Until now.

It is only now that Stanley, so clever at misleading double meanings and devious clues, decides to construct a puzzle of his own - and so give death a helping hand.

©1971 Ruth Rendell (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about One Across, Two Down

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Suspenseful and entertaining

A book like this is well suited to the audio format, being both entertaining and easy to follow. It has an intriguing set-up in the battle of wills between a rich old woman scheming to drag her downtrodden daughter away from her no-good husband, and the no-good husband scheming to inherit his mother-in-law's money. There is a current of suspense running through the story that is Hitchcockian in tone, with twists in the plot to the end.

Nicky Henson is a clear and expressive narrator. True, the mother-in-law does sometimes sound like she's wandered out of a Monty Python sketch, but otherwise the characters are well differentiated and the pacing and phrasing are excellent.

Ruth Rendell's writing features precise and descriptive language with well-rounded characters. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and will seek out more of her backlist I've never got around to reading.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good wee tale

Ive just started listening to the Ruth Rendel stories on Audible and enjoyed this short story and thought the narration was ok.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Good story

I did enjoy this, but must admit, not a patch on the Inspector Wexford series.
Excellent narration as is usual

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Weird ending

This audiobook just left me confused at the end. Too many questions left unanswered. Great narration though!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Sound up and down

Great story and reader but missed some of it due to fluctuating sound Shame

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kept me awake!

i put stories on to put me to sleep and the re listen the next day....this one didnt put me to sleep, it kept me awake! thoroughly enjoyed it!

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Quick Listen

Loved that this was based in a simpler time, it was lovely to go back to that time. The storyline was good and kept me listening to hear what happened next

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Good story

Quite and enjoyable story ,with a predictable storyline and good narration. overall worth a listen

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Rendell at her very best

A very clever cautionary tale about where greed and selfishness leads to. Based around a protagonist who is a crossword fanatic this is a brilliantly wrtten British working class crime that is addictively engaging. Only Ruth Rendell could write with such genius. Fabulous!! Thank you audible!!!

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