A murder, an unsolved disappearance of a little girl, family secrets, a revealed adoption. And more: the novel is an exploration of identity; a subtle examination of misogyny versus the impulse toward feminism; a meditation on maternal love and malignity.Anna is a Danish wife and mother. Her diaries begin in 1905, the year she moves to England, and end in the late '60s, with the death of the only man she ever loved. The double-layered mystery is revealed through the investigation of Anna's granddaughter, Ann, who becomes the heroine of this spellbinding detective story.Ruth Rendell's numerous honors for her writing, including the Edgar award of the Mystery Writers of America and the Crime Writers Association's Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement in crime writing. Rendell uses the pseudonym of Barbara Vine to explore the present effects of past crimes. Other titles written using this name include: A Dark-Adapted Eye and No Night Is Too Long.