Review: Twas the day after Christmas ...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2011
I found this book a bit confusing in the beginning, but once I had pieced things together, and got a handle on what was going on, I loved every heart stopping minute of it, and I understood why the beginning was a bit chaotic.  That chaos reflected, admirably, the chaos of the situation, and one experiences it as the characters do, which, in the long term adds to one's involvement in this very dark tale.And this is a book that doesn't draw you in, it yanks you in, and holds on to you until the very end.  The characters are real, although there are a few one hopes never *ever* to meet, and the plot isn't the tangle it appears, but rather an extremely well constructed cats' cradle, which shakes out in the end, while leaving lots and lots of string for more magic.  But the best part is ...it's not just a mystery.  It's not just a police procedural.  It's a study of human nature at its best *and* worst, and gives what I suspect is a very realistic look at racial tensions inside the U.K.  It does all this in a matter of limited space, with some healthy and not so healthy romances thrown in, just for ...um ...interest.  There were a few moments that brought tears to my eyes, one or 2 laugh out loud scenes, and the most incredibly satisfying final scene!  I'm delighted to have read this book, recommend it highly, and will be on the lookout for more from this author ...hopefully a *lot* more, because we don't *really* know how it all turns out, and this reader, at least finds herself caring.