A superbly plotted suspense novel. A delicate and persuasive study of the sexual awakening of a highly intelligent girl. This is more then a tense thriller. It is a subtle and powerful study of pathos and character. Winston Graham is a master of pure story-telling in the same class as Graham Greene.

          Deborah, cultured and intelligent, has been handicapped since childhood. Convinced of her lack of attractiveness, her work has become her life. Leigh, a painter, refuses to be discouraged by her rejections. As Deborah blossoms into a woman in love, she is drawn into a sinister unknown world.