Drama•Mystery

The Best Episodes of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries

Every episode of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries!

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The Ruth Rendell mysteries is a British television series made by TVS and Meridian Television for ITV between 2 August 1987 and 11 October 2000.

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Seasons12

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 5 Episode 10 - Means of Evil: Part Two
    8.1/10(31 votes)

    S5:E10

    No description available

    Director:Sandy Johnson
    Writer:Peter Berry

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  2. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 2 Episode 4 - Shake Hands Forever: Part One
    8.0/10(71 votes)

    S2:E4

    Angela Hathall is murdered, but Wexford can find no motive and no suspect. Maybe she picked up a stranger who killed her?The line Wexford follows alienates not just his colleagues, including Mike Burden, but his wife, too.

    Director:Don Leaver
    Writer:Clive Exton

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  3. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 6 Episode 7 - An Unwanted Woman: Part Two
    8.0/10(34 votes)

    S6:E7

    No description available

    Director:Jenny Wilkes
    Writer:Rosemary Anne Sisson

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  4. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 2 Episode 6 - Shake Hands Forever: Part Three
    7.9/10(38 votes)

    S2:E6

    No description available

    Director:Don Leaver
    Writer:Clive Exton

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  5. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 5 Episode 4 - Murder Being Once Done: Part One
    7.9/10(55 votes)

    S5:E4

    Wexford is staying in London with his nephew Howard, a police superintendent, convalescing from over-work and under doctor's orders to drink only water. He is supposed to be resting, but he is bored, and his nephew is dealing with a fascinating murder case. The body of a young woman, Loveday Morgan, was found in Kenbourne Vale Cemetery, strangled with a silk scarf, and the only things in her handbag were a photograph and two telephone numbers. It appears that she had no money and was living under a false name. Wexford, keen to get out and about, is drawn to the case. His unofficial investigation uncovers a story of adoption and parental love.

    Director:John Gorrie
    Writer:Matthew Jacobs

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  6. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 6 Episode 6 - An Unwanted Woman: Part One
    7.9/10(34 votes)

    S6:E6

    Wexford investigates the killing of an elderly woman. Harry and Doreen Betts of Kingsmarkham are suspected of murdering their mother. But did they do it, or have they been framed?

    Director:Jenny Wilkes
    Writer:Rosemary Anne Sisson

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries

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  7. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 2 Episode 1 - A Guilty Thing Surprised: Part One
    7.8/10(77 votes)

    S2:E1

    Wexford finds he is dealing with a very nasty case when nature-loving Elizabeth Nightingale is murdered on one of her nightly walks through the woods around Myfleet Manor.

    Director:Mary McMurray
    Writer:Clive Exton

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  8. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 3 Episode 3 - No More Dying Then: Part Three
    7.8/10(31 votes)

    S3:E3

    No description available

    Director:Jan Sargent
    Writer:Geoffrey Case

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  9. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 5 Episode 9 - Means of Evil: Part One
    7.8/10(70 votes)

    S5:E9

    Inspector Wexford is confronted with a murder in a vegetarian family and wonders how many kinds of mushrooms there are.

    Directors:Sandy Johnson, Sarah Hellings
    Writer:Peter Berry

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  10. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 6 Episode 10 - Kissing the Gunner's Daughter: Part Three
    7.8/10(18 votes)

    S6:E10

    No description available

    Director:Mary McMurray
    Writer:Matthew Jacobs

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  11. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 2 Episode 5 - Shake Hands Forever: Part Two
    7.7/10(37 votes)

    S2:E5

    No description available

    Director:Don Leaver
    Writer:Clive Exton

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  12. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 3 Episode 2 - No More Dying Then: Part Two
    7.7/10(34 votes)

    S3:E2

    No description available

    Director:Jan Sargent
    Writer:Geoffrey Case

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  13. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 3 Episode 5 - A Sleeping Life: Part Two
    7.7/10(31 votes)

    S3:E5

    No description available

    Director:Bill Hays
    Writer:John Davies

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  14. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 3 Episode 6 - A Sleeping Life: Part Three
    7.7/10(30 votes)

    S3:E6

    No description available

    Director:Bill Hays
    Writer:John Davies

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  15. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 4 Episode 5 - The Best Man to Die: Part Two
    7.7/10(28 votes)

    S4:E5

    No description available

    Director:Herbert Wise
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 4 Episode 6 - The Best Man to Die: Part Three
    7.7/10(30 votes)

    S4:E6

    No description available

    Director:Herbert Wise
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 5 Episode 3 - A New Lease of Death: Part Three
    7.7/10(33 votes)

    S5:E3

    No description available

    Director:Herbert Wise
    Writer:Peter Berry

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  18. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 6 Episode 2 - The Speaker of Mandarin: Part Two
    7.7/10(21 votes)

    S6:E2

    No description available

    Director:Herbert Wise
    Writer:Trevor Preston

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  19. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 6 Episode 3 - The Speaker of Mandarin: Part Three
    7.7/10(20 votes)

    S6:E3

    No description available

    Director:Herbert Wise
    Writer:Trevor Preston

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  20. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 9 Episode 5 - The Secret House of Death: Part One
    7.7/10(69 votes)

    S9:E5

    Susan Townsend is a young woman who goes to see her reclusive next-door neighbour and finds him hacked to death. When another body is found on the neighbour's property, Susan gets mixed up in a tale of mayhem and murder, with the killer adding her to his list of future victims.

    Director:Jim Goddard
    Writer:John Harvey

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  21. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 10 Episode 5 - May and June: Part One
    7.7/10(63 votes)

    S10:E5

    May Thrace and June Symonds are sisters, but their lives are very different. While June lives in the lap of luxury, May is struggling. And May becomes convinced that she has been done a great injustice.

    Director:James Cellan Jones
    Writer:Ken Blakeson

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  22. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 2 Episode 3 - A Guilty Thing Surprised: Part Three
    7.6/10(44 votes)

    S2:E3

    No description available

    Director:Mary McMurray
    Writer:Clive Exton

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  23. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 4 Episode 7 - An Unkindness of Ravens: Part One
    7.6/10(45 votes)

    S4:E7

    Rodney Williams disappears and then his body found in the woods. Wexford investigates and finds more than one mystery.

    Director:John Gorrie
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 5 Episode 5 - Murder Being Once Done: Part Two
    7.6/10(27 votes)

    S5:E5

    No description available

    Director:John Gorrie
    Writer:Matthew Jacobs

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  25. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Season 5 Episode 8 - From Doon with Death: Part Two
    7.6/10(30 votes)

    S5:E8

    Although Mr. Parsons is under the impression that he and his wife knew nobody in Kingsmarkham it turns out that Margaret had two school acquaintances in the town, Helen Missal and Fabia Quadrant, who are now both married to very wealthy men. Wexford assumes that one of these men is Doon, and was having an affair with the victim, but appearances can be deceptive

    Director:Mary McMurray
    Writer:George Baker

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Best Episodes Summary

"Means of Evil: Part Two" is the best rated episode of "The Ruth Rendell Mysteries". It scored 8.1/10 based on 31 votes. Directed by Sandy Johnson and written by Peter Berry, it aired on 12/1/1991. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Shake Hands Forever: Part One".