Prolific crime writer dies aged 85

Fuad Lawal 14:16 - 02 May 2015

One of the UK’s most famous authors has died following an illness triggered by a stroke she suffered in January.

One of the UK’s most prolific crime writers and famous authors, Ruth Rendell, has passed away following an illness triggered by a stroke she suffered in January.

Most famous for her creation of Inspector Wexford, Rendell penned over 60 novels, with her most recent The Girl Next Door being published only last year.

Announcing the sad news, publisher Hutchinson said: "It is with great sadness that the family of author Ruth Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, announce that she passed away in London at 8am on Saturday 2 May, aged 85. The family have requested privacy at this time."

Rendell is known for writing cleverly plotted crime novels full of twists and will be a huge loss to the writing world.