Queenie is an old Matriarch who shares her Victorian, decaying house with her daughter, Alison, impoverished son in law, Derek, and their granddaughter. Rowan. In exchange for their care and nursing, she allows them to stay rent free in one of the rooms. Queenie's other daughter Hermione, visits to help as often as possible. When Queenie eventually dies, she is buried wearing a locket with hair from her granddaughter and from that moment, Rowan finds a new playmate called "Vicky".

Hermione has an idea of whom it may be, but the rest of the family neither see nor believe the existence of the new playmate. Then bizarre happenings begin.

A very interesting book with a clear plot and believable characters. Some chapters are written through the eyes of the granddaughter, Rowan and therefore the plot is repeated with the new perspective. This can be a little disconcerting at first, but you'll become accustomed to it very early in the book, and find it provides a refreshingly different perspective to some of the action. The menace of the old matriarch, Queenie is quite fascinating and written in an eloquent way with plenty of detail. The book is very well worth reading and quite unusual. I found it very hard to put down.