Books
The 8 most evil duos in fiction
Whodunnit? The search for the murderer is one of the reasons we read crime fiction and the genre has produced some wonderful villains. In reality, however, crimes are not always the result of a single perpetrator, and evil pairings can produce a truly vile dynamic.
The phenomena isn’t limited to the thriller genre and below is our pick of the top eight evil duos in fiction.
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
Millicent and her husband in My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
To their friends and neighbours, Millicent and her husband seem to have the perfect marriage. But behind closed doors, the couple share a morbid interest in seducing lone women – and murdering them. This duo make Gone Girl’s Nick and Amy seem healthy…
The Bridesmaid by Ruth Rendell
Philip and Senta in The Bridesmaid by Ruth Rendell
Philip is a man with impossibly high standards. But when he meets Senta, he instantly becomes obsessed with her. She, in turn, decides to put his devotion to the test: she suggests they both commit a murder to prove their love for each other. This dark novel is everything you’d expect from a Ruth Rendell thriller.
From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming
Rosa Klebb and Tov Kronsteen in From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming
Rosa Klebb, a member of Russian intelligence, teams up with Colonel Tov Kronsteen, a chess grandmasters, and they devise a plan to trap James Bond. Fans of the film are guaranteed to enjoy the book of the same name (perhaps, dare we say it, they’ll enjoy it even more…)
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Dracula and Renfield in Dracula by Bram Stoker
Renfield, an inmate at a lunatic asylum, is under the influence of Dracula – a vampire who has offered him immortality in exchange for his service. While this novel takes many twists and turns, as the vampire wreaks havoc wherever he goes, Renfield plays a key part in helping Dracula’s twisted mission.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
In a modern day vampire tale, the friendship between Louis and Lestat is marked by sexual frisson and a tortured difference in attitudes towards their prey.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Bill Sikes and Fagin in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
The brutal Bill Sikes is part of Fagin’s criminal gang in Charles Dickens’ classic novel. It’s Fagin’s sly denunciation of Nancy’s betrayal that prompts Sikes to murder his girlfriend.
The String of Pearls by Thomas Preskett Prest
Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett in The String of Pearls by Thomas Preskett Prest
A fantastic Victorian penny dreadful where barber Sweeney Todd dispatches his victims in the barber’s chair and his partner in crime, Mrs Lovett, bakes their bodies in meat pies – which are sold on the streets of London. It doesn’t get more evil than that.
This article has been updated; it was originally published in September 2016.
Did we miss out any other criminal pairs? Let us know in the comments below…
Sarah Ward is an online book reviewer whose blog, Crimepieces, reviews the best of current crime fiction published around the world. She has also reviewed for Eurocrime and Crimesquad and is a judge for the Petrona Award for Scandinavian translated crime novels. She lives in Derbyshire.
Follow Sarah on Twitter.
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The couple who appear in John Connolly’s “The Lovers” are quite an unpleasant duo.
Totally loved reading this book. I highly recommend A Deadly Thaw by Sarah Ward.