Reviews by Cathy

I really wanted to like this book having read the previous reviews but I gave up with 2 hours left as I really couldn't bare it any longer. There are levels of detail that are just unnecessary, and although she really does conjure up the feel of wartime London I would find myself drifting off just waiting for something to happen. The authenticity was enhanced greatly by Juanita's amazing narration - the accents were perfect.

I was quite unsure when choosing this book due to the mixed reviews, so if you are feeling the same here are my thoughts.
If you are looking for a literary masterpiece you will not find it here, but if you were browsing the detective fiction section you were probably looking for a well-crafted detective story; and this is what you will find. I think other readers’ disappointment may stem from the Americanisation of detective fiction on screen and page. Grace is not a gritty, brooding NYPD cop; he is a rather sensitive Englishman from Sussex, and there is a car chase, but not a trashcan-spilling epic through the Bronx, but round the Hove bypass! Over exposure to American crime fiction does leave its English counterparts looking rather parochial but it is an unpredictable story that is gripping and claustrophobic. It’s such a ripping yarn that I listened too quickly and now have to wait another week for my next Audible credit, but I will be choosing James again.

Ellory has done it again - a gritty tale that uses the device of consultations with a psychologist to tell a tale of now and then. The strands of several stories come together satisfyingly, but not for the faint hearted.

A brilliantly constructed novel with intrigue right to the last line. Unpredictable twists and turns by completely believable characters. A wonderfully British read.