Questions about 'A Fatal Inversion' by Barbara Vine (Spoilers!!!)

[Willowcat77]

I've just finished 'A Fatal Inversion' and really enjoyed it, the writing, character building and sense of place was so good! I was just left feeling a bit confused about the ending and couldn't find any discussion on the internet, so thought I would start a new thread here!

So, Adam and friends got away with the crime because the dead woman was mistakenly identified as Zosie and her baby, by her mother. But to me this doesn't quite make sense as wasn't Zosie's baby adopted? So why would the police think it was Zosie's baby? I can understand why they would think the young woman was Zosie, because of the gold ring, but the baby???
Also, did Zosie deliberately bury her ring with the baby to switch identities with Vivien? In the very last chapter I assume the woman called 'Viv' buying Ecalpemos was Zosie? Why would she want to come back to the scene of such a sad crime and live there?

So many questions! Would love to hear other readers' thoughts 🙂

Not much help as I can't remember, but I enjoyed the book and I think it was made onto a film or TV series?

Omg, I've just re-read the last chapter and now realise that Zosie must have switched identities with Vivien straight after the burial and taken the nanny job with Mr Tatian - the clue is when the seller of the house says of the prospective buyers, "She hadn't quite caught their name on the phone, Lathom or Heysham or Patience or something..." !

It's making more sense now, but still doesn't explain why the police thought the dead baby was Zosie's. Or why she wanted to come back to live there!

Yes I see now, Zozie took Viviens job as Nanny & married Mr Tatian which is why it was said the 2 older boys couldn't be hers in the family.
I agree with your baby issue, if Zosies baby was adopted then why would police assume the dead baby bones were Zosies child?? Because of the twisted gold ring I suppose. Unless her mother never knew about the adoption & just assumed she kept the baby?
Also what of the poor couple the Ryehards who lost their baby? Surely that would have become a national hunt & searches taking place in the news etc. I don't recall reading anything more about them?
I guess Zosie feels happy there because she knew & loved the 2 dead people in the animal cemetery.

Wow! I haven't read this book for years. It was a tv series too wasn't it? Excellent book.
Fairly typical not all ends tied up ending though I agree