In this ironic and darkly comic novel, four aging Anglo-Irish siblings, each physically and psychologically damaged, live together at their isolated, crumbling family estate near Cork. Still emotionally fixed in childhood, the Swift sisters and brother lead separate lives at cross-purposes from one another. The unexpected arrival of their cousin Leda, whom they had thought dead, introduces an element of menace to this dysfunctional household. Leda bears a hidden grudge from their childhood and her intentions are not benign. The author is a master of the indirect and, although this isn't a mystery, keeps you guessing all the way to the conclusion.