Cathi Unsworth

Over time, my score could conceivably go a touch higher on this one, but for now, I think the three-star is fair.

This isn't a bad book. There's much to love, from the local patois dialogue, to the unflinching look at the various strata of society. There's a lot of tortured souls in this novel and each is well-defined.

However, for all of that, I found the first half dragged somewhat. Yes, there's a lot of set up to this story, and it's further complicated by setting up in two time periods. So, while you may be meeting the same characters in both, with nearly thirty years between them, they still need an introduction.

The second half definitely picks up speed and is much more enjoyable, as pieces slowly fall into place.

That being said, there were four things that grated on me by the end. The first two are fine, but the third and fourth enter spoiler country, so uncover and read at your own risk.

1 - While it was fun having each chapter named after an 80s song, it became a touch tedious having a reference or mention to some 80s band or song or album in every single chapter set in that time period. It's the 80s. We get it.

2 - There's far too many characters in this novel. I get that it's a mystery and you have to add a smoke layer so it's not obvious, but there was a point when they started to blend together and I really had to stop and figure out who was who. It didn't help that they all talked the same.

3 - It didn't become extremely apparent until the last few pages, but when it did, I sat back and wondered...Exactly how many characters in this novel assumed a different identity in this town? Answer: Far too many.

4 - At the end, when Noj grabs the book. Seriously? In a book that spent a great deal of time setting up the gritty realism of it all, you then have a character get a vision and then run into a house to grab a book that she shouldn't know is there? Nope. Weak.

But overall, it was a decent read. Not a great one, not a crappy one, but okay.… (more)