"Todd's astute character studies . . . offer a fascinating cross section of postwar life. . . . A satisfying puzzle-mystery." — The New York Times Book Review 

Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge

is assigned one of the most baffling investigations of his career: an unsolved

A woman has been murdered at the foot of a megalith

shaped like a great shrouded figure. Chief Inspector Brian Leslie, one of the

Yard’s best men, is sent to investigate the site in Avebury, a village set

inside a prehistoric stone circle not far from Stonehenge. In spite of his

efforts, Leslie is not able to identify her, much less discover how she got to

Avebury—or why she died there. Her killer has simply left no trace. 

Several weeks later, when Ian Rutledge has returned from successfully

concluding a similar case with an unidentified victim, he is asked to take a

second look at Leslie’s inquiry. But Rutledge suspects Chief Superintendent Markham

simply wants him to fail.

Leslie was right—Avebury refuses to yield its secrets. But Rutledge

slowly widens his search, until he discovers an unexplained clue that seems to

point toward an impossible solution. If he pursues it and he is wrong, he will

draw the wrath of the Yard down on his head. But even if he is right, he can’t

be certain what he can prove, and that will play right into Markham’s game. The

easy answer is to let the first verdict stand: Person or persons unknown. But

what about the victim? What does Rutledge owe this tragic young woman? Where

must his loyalty lie?