The qanats were a perfect place for the neighborhood children to play. Daphne found the name which means a subterranean passage for carrying water.  The children loved the name because it started with a q without a u.   It was a series of tunnels that only they knew about, and in the closing days of World War II there were not many amusements available for children living on the outskirts of London.   And so they brought food and candles and played games and explored.  It was a fine place.  The children then grew up and grew apart, as children will do.

Now, sixty years later, builders have found in the foundations of a house on the same land, a biscuit tin containing skeletal hands of a man and a woman.  The discovery makes national news and these children, now grown old, begin to remember those magical days.  Those still alive come together renewing old friendships, reevaluating their lives and the choices they have made.  This novel is a bit of a departure for Ruth Rendell, more about relationships than murders.  I liked it very much and highly recommend it.

eGalley review      Publication date 11.4.14