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"A Fatal Inversion," a novel by Ruth Rendell writing under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, unravels a haunting mystery tied to a group's summer spent at Wyvis Hall in Suffolk during the scorching 1976 heatwave. The story begins a decade later, when the discovery of a woman and baby's skeletons at the estate reawakens the suppressed guilt and secrets of the group who once used the hall as a commune. The main characters, including the inheritor of the hall, Adam Verne-Smith, and his friends, are confronted by their past actions and the unresolved question of the identities of the deceased. As the narrative weaves between the present and flashbacks to that pivotal summer, the psychological depths and complexities of the characters are explored, emphasizing themes of guilt, consequence, and the inescapable past. The novel is celebrated for its intricate plotting and atmospheric tension, leading it to win the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger award.