In a vast, gloomy, overgrown London cemetery, a girl is found murdered. A girl with a name that isn't here, and little else that is. A girl with no friends, no possessions and no past.

Chief Inspector Wexford has been sent to London by his doctor for a rest — no late nights, no rich food, no alcohol, and above all, no criminal investigation. To add insult to injury, it is Wexford's own nephew, Howard, who is leading the investigation into the macabre mystery. And even though Howard and his subordinates might think he's out of his league, and even though his doctor wouldn't approve, Wexford can't resist just taking a look at things for himself.