Hello everyone,
It is back to the alphabetical list! To recap, I have been creating a series of posts with a comprehensive look back at the titles, authors, characters, and settings I came across during the years between 2018 and the end of 2022. I realise we are in the second half of 2024 – the posts just take time…
Anyway, we are on to ‘R’, and while I have not read that many books beginning with that letter, the list of characters certainly makes up for it. Here we go.
Rabbit hole
When I read Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland in early 2019, the first scene involves her following a white rabbit down a hole, and it leads her into Wonderland.
Raphael
One of the leading artists of the Renaissance period. He appears prominently in The Woman In The Painting by Kerry Postle, where one of his apprentices silently interferes in his relationship with one of his muses, Marguerite.
Rasbach
A police inspector who appears in Shari Lapena’s first two books, The Couple Next Door and A Stranger In The House. Sharp and shrewd, Rasbach is an enjoyable character to read, so it was a shame he did not return for any of her other novels.
Rat
The Rat is a mysterious character in The Betrayals by Bridget Collins, lurking in the corners of Montverre. The chapters they narrate are ambiguous and intriguing, and you are never sure quite who they are.
Ravi Singh
The brother of Sal Singh in A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, who was accused of murdering his girlfriend Andie Bell before killing himself shortly after. Ravi assists Pippa Fitz-Amobi in her investigation of what really happened, and they strike up a close, easy-going relationship. I love their dynamic in the books, and Ravi overall was probably my favourite character.
Ravka
The main setting for the Shadow And Bone series by Leigh Bardugo and one of the main countries of the Grishaverse. Ravka is ruled by the Lantsov dynasty and is also the location of the Little Palace.
Rebecca
A classic novel by Daphne Du Maurier, which I read for the first time in early 2021 and eventually received a Folio Society copy. The eponymous character is dead, but her presence permeates throughout the novel and her widow Maxim’s new wife lives in her shadow when she arrives at Manderley.
Rebecca Bosman
A stage actress in The House Of Fortune by Jessie Burton. She becomes a friend and close confidant of Thea Brandt, who watches her at the theatre regularly.
Rebecca Pert
My former work colleague, who in 2022 released her debut novel Still Water. She gave me a free copy and it ranks as one of the books I am most proud to own. Beccy is lovely, down-to-earth, and by all accounts her next book is on the way!
The Rebel Suffragette
Another book which I own that was gifted to me, this was written by my online friend Beverley Adams, who is a historian in the North West of England. The book is about local suffragist Edith Rigby.
Rhys
A tragic teenage boy in The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell. Part of a highly dysfunctional family, his mother Lorelei does not notice the decline in his mental health.
Richard Osman
A British television personality and more recently, a wildly successful author with his Thursday Murder Club series. He has released four to date and they are some of my favourite books; cosy mysteries infused with his own gentle humour. I also read the non-fiction World Cup Of Everything by Osman in 2018.
Richard Shuttleworth
A wealthy Lancashire landowner in the seventeenth century, who owned Gawthorpe House, a stately home. He is interested in being a member of parliament and becomes involved in the persecution of witches in nearby Pendle – much to the horror of his wife Fleetwood.
The Right Sort Of Girl
The autobiography of television presenter Anita Rani, which I listened to on audiobook in 2022. It was very empowering and discussed at length her upbringing in a Punjabi household.
Riley Sager
One of the most popular and well known thriller authors, but to date I have only read one of his books. That was Last Time I Lied, and I really enjoyed it. Thankfully I did not read the blurb beforehand, so was stunned by the twist!
Rise Of Gaia
A novel by Kristin Ward that I read for a blog tour in 2020. It features a girl who is possessed by Mother Nature, and atrocities are committed against those who harm the planet, acting as a cautionary tale against climate change.
Rita
A character in Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield. She is an unassuming nurse who was formerly a nun, and attends the needs of the community in this folklore inspired novel.
Rizeki
The beloved pet dog of Johannes Brandt in The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton.
Robbie
One of the main characters in All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban, who gets locked in a room with a ticking time bomb. He is the former boyfriend of the narrator Amber, and as we see during flashbacks he is much more interested is own sporting career than supporting her life ambitions.
Robert Solomon
A famous actor who becomes accused of murder in Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh. His barrister is Eddie Flynn, who finds creative ways of proving he is not guilty as the real killer is sitting on the jury.
Roma Montagov
The heir to the White Flowers, one of the two gangs waging war on each other in 1920s Shanghai as part of a blood feud, in These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong and its follow-ups.
Roma is in love with the heir of the Scarlet Gang, Juliette Cai, but they are also sworn enemies. He is a likeable character, very practical and keeps the more impulsive Juliette in check when they are forced to work together to fight the madness that grips the city.
Ron Ritchie
A member of the Thursday Murder Club, Ron is a working class trade union activist who despite his breezy exterior, actually comes across as quite lonely. Unsophisticated but likeable, he is best friends with Ibrahim, and his son is a famous boxer.
Rosa
The main character in The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea, who marries a man called Jon Eriksson. Her husband is very distant and Rosa is consumed by what happened to his first wife Anna.
Rosa Hartung
A government minister in The Chestnut Man by Soren Svelstrup. A serial killer is at large and is waging a campaign against her. This informs the selection of his victims, and she is ultimately his main target.
Rosalind Lang
A member of the Scarlet Gang and Juliette Cai’s cousin, she works as a dancer at a burlesque club but when Shanghai descends into revolution and debauchery, she is forced to choose sides and totally messes up.
Rose
I have read about lots of characters named Rose. Firstly we have the eponymous character in Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan, who died and the woman responsible for killing her enters a relationship with her widower. There is one of the main characters in The Confession by Jessie Burton, who seeks out an elusive author in a bid to find the mother she never knew.
Also, we have a character in The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal, who becomes jealous when her sister Iris becomes romantically involved with an artist, and a young girl who is helped through her diabetes by stories of her grandfather in How To Be Brave by Louise Beech.
Roshani Chokshi
The author of the Gilded Wolves trilogy, a set of young adult fantasy heist novels based in the world of art and antiquity. With a loveable group of main characters and lots of clever puzzles, they are fun and intellectually challenging, so I would love to read more of her books.
Rowan
A member of the coven of witches in Threadneedle by Cari Thomas. She was raised as a witch and has a quirky, happy-go-lucky personality which made her pretty likeable.
Ruby
The title character in Who Killed Ruby? by Camilla Way. She is the daughter of the main character who died years ago, and the person convicted of killing her has just been released from prison after 32 years, still claiming he is innocent.
Ruby May
The main character in Mrs England by Stacey Halls. She takes up a position as a governess in Yorkshire at the home of Charles England, and develops a bond with his three children. But something is amiss at the house and Ruby is haunted by a tragic incident which she is still hiding from.
Rufina and the Lion
A artistic masterpiece that is exhibited in London during The Muse by Jessie Burton. The painting has a secret history and the artist has never been identified. The way it was used as a plot device in this book was ingenious and it provided one of the main tangible connections between the two timelines.
Ruin And Rising
The final book in the Shadow And Bone trilogy, where Alina Starkov and the Ravkan Second Army lead a resistance against the Darkling, resulting in an eventual showdown at Os Alta.
The Rumour
The debut novel by Lesley Kara, which I read back in 2019. A really popular mystery/thriller at the time, it centres on a rumour that a notorious child killer is living in a seaside town. The question is, who is it?
Rusalka
A lake where a German woman known simply as Die Jagerin shot dead a group of people, in The Huntress by Kate Quinn. This crime is investigated by self-proclaimed Nazi hunter Ian Graham.
Ruslan
The main villain of the Gilded Wolves trilogy. Ruslan is dastardly, yet extremely ruthless, trying to lure Severin to his side to encourage his ambitions of becoming a god.
Russia
The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden is inspired heavily by Russian folklore, with a number of mythical creatures appearing. The series itself is set in Medieval Russia, in the fourteenth century.
Ruth Butterham
A 16-year-old girl who is at Oakgate Prison and stands accused of murder, in The Corset by Laura Purcell. She is adamant that she did not commit the crime and tells phrenologist Dorothea that the thread she weaves as a seamstress has unworldly power.
Ruth Ware
One of the most popular and prolific mystery and thriller authors in the UK. I have read her first three books and had mixed experiences. My favourite so far was easily The Woman In Cabin 10, while I struggled to connect with her others. It has been over three years, but I do plan to continue reading her books.
Ryan Brotherhood
A police officer in Wrong Place Wrong Time, who enters the world of undercover policing and works to expose an organised crime group. It turns out his story is part of an extremely tangled web that leads to a lot of unexpected twists.
Let’s Chat
Have you come across any of these books, settings, authors, or characters? Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading 🙂
Stephen Reads Books 