A Fatal Inversion by Ruth Rendell | BBC Radio 4 Mystery Thriller 🎧

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"A Fatal Inversion" on BBC Radio is an adaptation of the psychological thriller novel by Ruth Rendell, writing under her pseudonym Barbara Vine. The story unfolds across two timelines, primarily focusing on the long, hot summer of 1976 and then revisiting the events a decade later.

The central premise revolves around the discovery of two skeletons – those of a young woman and a baby – buried in the animal cemetery of Wyvis Hall, a secluded country estate in Suffolk. This gruesome find, made by the current owners burying their dog, sends shockwaves through a small group of individuals who spent that fateful summer of 1976 at the hall.

Back in 1976, Wyvis Hall was unexpectedly inherited by nineteen-year-old Adam. He, along with his friend Rufus, decided to turn the stately home into a kind of bohemian commune, a "free-spirited" idyll they called "Ecalpemos" (someplace spelled backward). Over the summer, they were joined by other young people, including the enigmatic Zosie and the more earnest Vivien and Shiva. Their days were filled with hedonism, experimentation, and a general disregard for conventional responsibilities.

Ten years later, the discovery of the bodies forces Adam, Rufus, and Shiva to confront the buried memories and guilt from that summer. Now established in their adult lives (Adam as a computer designer, Rufus as a gynecologist, and Shiva in a less ambitious life), they are terrified of the implications of the police investigation. The narrative skillfully weaves between their present anxieties and their increasingly vivid recollections of the past, slowly revealing the disturbing truth of what happened at Wyvis Hall and how the woman and child came to be buried there. The story delves into themes of youth, irresponsibility, the dark side of freedom, and the long-lasting consequences of past actions.