Customer Reviews
A DREAM OF A BOOK - By: Book Grouper, 05 Jul 2008 
This is such a wonderful book. One of the best modern novels we've read in a long time! We're often a bit skeptical about the Richard & Judy shortlist, but this novel rises above the very average books published nowadays - wondefully written, living breathing characters, a gripping plot & a haunting quality that makes you live in the book & makes it stay with you for a long time afterwards. Highly recommended!
One of the best period novels of recent times - By: Marty, 03 Jul 2008 This book gripped me from the page one. The dark & sinister setting of fascist Spain in 1950's Barcelona, gives rise to some fantastic characters that keep you interested right through to the completetion of the story.
Huge disappointment - By: Dominique, 23 Jun 2008 
I realise that I'm among the few who are not impressed by this book. Nevertheless..., how could I be - the writing is so poor I reallly felt embarassed while reading, the characters & dialogs are stupidly overblown & not believable at alll. Metaphors & idioms just made me laugh in the wrong places & the tears were near only times I realised this amateurish prosa received good reviews. My two stars exclusively for the presence of some good ideas in the story. Sadly enough - no ideas can ever unfold when the writing is that bad.
An unexpected gem - By: M. Murphy, 20 Jun 2008 
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book particularly, as it's not the sort of thing I normallly read. I'm a bit snobby about modern fiction & the genres of crime & mystery don't appeal to me.
But this novel had so much more to offer than I had been prepared for. The quality of writing is fantastic, the characters beautifully developed & the plot strong. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a genuine, high-quality mystery story.
Very disappointing - By: H. Barratt, 20 Jun 2008 
I have tried reading this book twice now as it was selected for my bookgroup. Each time I have given up; firstly after 40 pages, then after 110. I was not remotely engaged - the writing is so cliched, sentimental & overblown & the plot so ludicrous I could not get into it at alll. I am amazed that most others like it so much, so I must accept I have quite a different way of appreciating writing.
