An adopted child turns 18 learns the shocking story of her real parents identity and determines to reclaim her natural mother. A mild-mannered man vows revenge on the woman who killed his only child. The young identity-seeker is Philippa Palfrey who remembers nothing of her life before age eightwhen she was adopted by a sociologist Maurice and his wife Hilda. And though Philippa has grown into a sophisticated and sharp young lady shes detached from all feeling aware of some great lack. So at age 18 she demands her birth certificate and after just one day of inquiries she knows the truth: ten years ago her father raped a little girl her mother then killed the girl (to stop her screaming) and both went to prisonwhere her father died. But Philippa is only momentarily deflected she insists on contacting her real mother and invites her to spend time with Philippa in a London flat. While all this is happening Norman Scase father of the girl killed by Philippas mother is preparing to take revenge for his daughter and for his wife who died of grief/cancer. The parallel scenes are beautifully subtly balanced: Philippas frustrating seedy search for an affordable two-room London flat; Normans sad selling of his house to gain funds for his revenge mission. And by the time that Norman has tracked down his target Philippa has come to love her pleasant attractive child-killer mum a love that turns to hate and triggers tragedy when Philippa learns some more hurtful truths about her mother. The climax is superbly timed; and James provides gritty ironic details of character and place to anchor it all firmly to reality. James has made the move from straight detection to full-bodied psychological crime-novel with no loss of command or personality.