A Dark-Adapted Eye

It started slow at first but after the first few chapters, the sense of menace grew. It's not such a whodunit as a why the murder took place.
The setting is an English countryside and most of the story takes place during WW2. Faith recounts the personalities of her aunts and the events that led to the murder.
Ruth Rendell's characters are fascinating individuals and it's through her sharp portrayals of them that a scene involving women and a child can become as suspenseful as an action thriller.
This was a quiet family drama-tragedy, laying open ugly conflicts and the cruelty that exists within relationships - overt and subtle.