Ruth Rendell: Piranha to Scurfy (UK 2001)

From the Publisher:
The title story of this collection features Ambrose, a man terrifyingly encapsulated in his own narrow, obsessive world, whose life is subtly and completely dismantled. In 'The Highwood Fiske', a young man's obsession with a girl whom he knows will die early leads him into the depths of a strange and morbid family. And in 'The Professional', a handsome, well-bred young man's lack of a job leads to high-class theft - until he makes the final error of robbing a woman who knows exactly who he is. These nine short stories demonstrate Ruth Rendell's uncanny insights into the darkest recesses of the human mind.

Ruth Rendell: Piranha to Scurfy. and other Stories. Arrow, ISBN 0099414996 (August, 2001), 305 p., £5.99.