A New Lease of Death is a novel by British writer Ruth Rendell, first published in 1967. It is the second entry in her popular Inspector Wexford series. The novel was re-titled Sins of the Fathers in the USA for its initial paperback release.
Albert Edwards of the Ledger-Enquirer opined: "Well-written and with an abundance of suspense, "A New Lease of Death" rates an A plus for the author." The Buffalo News called it a "slow English gambit at its whodunit best." Pattie Lambert of the Rocky Mount Telegram wrote: "The plot is well-drawn, the reader's understanding is hampered by a profusion of characters â several juvenile delinquents in particular â who are not all distinctly sketched."