ADAM AND EVE AND PINCH ME (2002)

''Creepy'' and ''eerie'' tend to be understated descriptives when it comes to Rendell's novels, and her latest is no exception. An array of meticulously detailed characters -- an obsessive-compulsive woman on the verge of madness; a slightly dim social climber; a loving couple of codependents with eating disorders; a Conservative politician desperately trying to avoid being outed -- all share a common link to a charismatic rake living off the kindness of unsuspecting females. Rendell's trademark London setting, often featured as a character in itself, continues to serve her well, and from its ghost-ridden, heart-stopping beginning, the book's pace never flags.