Ruth Rendell's One Across, Two Down features Vera and Stanley Marsh, a middle-aged couple struggling to endure a miserable marriage that's grown worse by the inclusion in their tiny home of an insufferable in-law.Rendell's character development and plot presentation are masterfully woven, leading the reader to speed through the book. Rendell's use of language never disappoints as the mystery reaches its culmination.I highly recommend this book as a starting point for dealving into Rendell's other mysteries.