Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Pills | 20151130 | 20230501 (BBC7) | Ruth Rendell's final novel is a dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. Budding crime-writer Carl could do with some extra cash. Renting out the top part of his house in Maida Vale - newly inherited from his father - will help his cash flow immensely. And what harm could it do to sell some slimming pills from his late father's stash of 'alternative medicines' to his actress friend Stacey, who's been putting on weight in the wake of a relationship break up..? Abridged in ten parts by Robin Brooks. Read by Patricia Hodge. Ruth Rendell's final novel, a dark tale of psychological suspense. Read by Patricia Hodge. |
| 02 | Lodger | 20151201 | 20230502 (BBC7) | In Maida Vale, London, Carl struggles to accept his part in the untimely death of his actress friend Stacey. The slimming pills he sold her are perfectly legal, after all. Carl also doesn't like the way his new lodger, Dermot, is taking an interest in the case, even going so far as to attend the coroner's inquest. Ruth Rendell's final novel is a dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. Read by Patricia Hodge. Dermot tells Carl he knows he is implicated in Stacey's death. |
| 03 | Pressure | 20151202 | 20230503 (BBC7) | Debut crime novelist, Carl, struggling to make ends meet, bitterly regrets accepting the first person to apply to rent the top part of his house. Dermot has proven to be a slippery and manipulative tenant, making much of his knowledge that Carl sold slimming pills to a friend who subsequently died. Indeed, Dermot has now stopped paying rent altogether. Almost broke, Carl reluctantly faces the prospect of having to confess all to Nicola, his girlfriend... Ruth Rendell's final novel is a dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. Read by Patricia Hodge. Carl's situation goes from bad to worse as Dermot threatens to go to the police. |
| 04 | Confrontation | 20151203 | 20230504 (BBC7) | Dermot's threatening presence in the house in Maida Vale has become all-pervasive. After Carl reveals the hold Dermot has over him, Nicola decides to confront him herself. But Dermot refuses to be cowed and instead turns the focus upon her, describing how abhorrent he finds it that she and Carl are living in sin. Ruth Rendell's final novel is a dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. Read by Patricia Hodge. Nicola defends Carl but is herself threatened by Dermot. |
| 05 | Desperate | 20151204 | 20230505 (BBC7) | Miserable and desperate, Carl is placed under further pressure by Dermot, his blackmailing tenant. Ruth Rendell's final novel is a dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. Read by Patricia Hodge. Dermot puts more pressure upon Carl. Final novel by Ruth Rendell. |
| 06 | Breaking Point | 20151207 | 20230508 (BBC7) | Penniless and desperate, Carl is pushed to breaking point by his blackmailing tenant, Dermot. Ruth Rendell's final novel is a dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. Read by Patricia Hodge. Abridged in ten parts by Robin Brooks. |
| 07 | Relief? | 20151208 | 20230509 (BBC7) | At breaking point, penniless and desperate, Carl killed Dermot on one of Maida Vale's side streets. Now he's waiting to see whether he has 'got away' with the murder... Ruth Rendell's final novel is a dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. Read by Patricia Hodge. Dermot is gone but Carl's relief is fleeting. |
| 08 | Powerless | 20151209 | 20230510 (BBC7) | Carl's relief at getting rid of Dermot is short-lived, when Dermot's girlfriend, Sybil, takes his place in the top floor of the house in Maida Vale. Nicola can't understand why Carl is letting this happen, but he can't tell her about the hold Sybil has over him; that she saw him kill Dermot in the street outside her parent's house in Jerome Crescent. Ruth Rendell's final novel is a dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. Read by Patricia Hodge. Sybil moves in - and Carl is powerless to stop her. |
| 09 | A Plan | 20151210 | 20230511 (BBC7) | Once again, Carl finds himself blackmailed and placed in a desperate situation. He can't afford to let Sybil to live rent-free in the top floor of his house in Maida Vale, but neither can he allow her to go to the police and tell them that he killed Dermot. And so, he begins to formulate a plan to rid himself of Sybil... Ruth Rendell's final novel is a dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. Read by Patricia Hodge. Carl decides he must rid himself of Sybil. Read by Patricia Hodge. |
| 10 | Facing Up | 20151211 | 20230512 (BBC7) | Carl is forced to face up to what he has done. |