London: Viking, 1990

8vo, pp. 296. Original black boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Illustrated dustwrapper. A near fine copy in a very good dustwrapper with just a little wear to top edge and head of spine.

First edition, third printing, INSCRIBED BY RENDELL TO HER NEIGHBOUR DOUGLAS BROWN: 'To Doug with love from Ruth'.

Douglas Brown [1917-2003] was the BBC's first religious affairs correspondent, and held that position until his retirement in 1977. He and his wife Pat were Ruth Rendell's neighbours in the village of Polstead, Suffolk. Much of her work is set in the county, and on becoming a life peer she took the title Baroness Rendell of Babebergh, of Aldeburgh, in the County of Suffolk.

The fourth novel Rendell wrote under the Vine pseudonym.