I liked the writing, and in some ways this was a very good and interesting crime novel, but ultimately there was too much going on and by the end I was pretty weary of it all. I thought the ending was unfulfilling, and the ending ending didn’t make any sense at all. I mean, I could see how it all fit, but after 551 pages it was more of the same. It was like when you invest yourself in a movie or TV show, something really, really long more along the lines of an entire TV season, and then at the very end you get a "...to be continued." I don't care for that. And nowadays you have to wait for a couple of years for it to continue and by then I couldn't care less, and I probably forgot what is was all about a long time ago.

The characters were pretty good. There were things about Fabian Risk that I liked, but overall he was supremely limp-wristed. He didn't strike me as anyone who would succeed in law enforcement or detection or whatever. Too much of a failed man all around. Also, the scenarios were old and worn out, like uber-smart females being put down and trying to succeed in a man's world et cetera. Then there was just the plain stupid; a couple of times when instead of doing the obvious it's the "not another teen movie" move... I'm going to get naked and take a bath when there is an axe murder / serial killer / etc. on the loose inside my house. Seriously, you went there?

I like it in books when the smart people do smart stuff and come out ahead. It's uphill as expected as the criminal is a few steps ahead, but when the smart people fall down on their faces due to their own stupidity is when I start wondering what the point is. Yeah, yeah, I know that you can't catch the baddies in the first couple of pages, but when every single time it is like... (making ten leaps forward in deduction and)... I know where they are!... and then locking your keys in the car so the baddies drive off with your wife or some such story lengthening trick.

I'm interested to read more in this series as I did like the writing, but I am less interested than I would like to be. ( )

It was a good story but this Fabian Risk is so unlikeable, incompetent and reckless. So I had to deduct 1 star. Another star went for the confusing plot with too many strands and far too many people. Sometimes less is more ( )

Review to follow. ( )