I love Murdoch. I was very pleased with this book. My favorites of hers are "A Severed Head,"(a near masterpiece) and "The Sea, The Sea." . ( )

I've not read much Murdoch, but I found this book reasonably enjoyable. Some of the snapshots of family life were evocative, and I warmed to one or two of the characters, However, in the end, the scenario seems too contrived in its attempt to remodel the theme of Gawain and the Green Knight: it does not seem plausible that a murder trial could proceed if the victim revived, and I felt that the character of Lucas didn't really gel, either in terms of its coherence as a portrait, or in his interactions with other characters. MB 30-iii-07 ( )