What a co-inky-dink! This thriller is so coincidence riddled as to make me think the fluttering of a butterfly's wing in Indonesia might actually affect the results of an election in Panama as well as what the serve for lunch at Apple Valley Middle School. Indeed, so much if this book was so laughable, the bounds of my willingness to suspend my disbelief was so stretched, and the writing so hackneyed that I can't imagine why I am giving it three stars. I was about to say it is because I liked some of the characterization, but, honestly, that was fairly lame too.

I guess I am giving it three stars because I did sort of care what happened to the characters in the end. Plus, it's five days until Christmas and I am feeling generous.

What a ragbag of all sorts: Freemasons, Fenians, Princes, evangelists, presidential candidates, a Carolina girl, professors, journalists, cops and robbers all wrapped up in one of the silliest conspiracy plots I have ever read.

Is this the worst book I have read all year? No. But just about. ( )

What a co-inky-dink! This thriller is so coincidence riddled as to make me think the fluttering of a butterfly's wing in Indonesia might actually affect the results of an election in Panama as well as what the serve for lunch at Apple Valley Middle School. Indeed, so much if this book was so laughable, the bounds of my willingness to suspend my disbelief was so stretched, and the writing so hackneyed that I can't imagine why I am giving it three stars. I was about to say it is because I liked some of the characterization, but, honestly, that was fairly lame too.

I guess I am giving it three stars because I did sort of care what happened to the characters in the end. Plus, it's five days until Christmas and I am feeling generous.

What a ragbag of all sorts: Freemasons, Fenians, Princes, evangelists, presidential candidates, a Carolina girl, professors, journalists, cops and robbers all wrapped up in one of the silliest conspiracy plots I have ever read.

Is this the worst book I have read all year? No. But just about. ( )

What a co-inky-dink! This thriller is so coincidence riddled as to make me think the fluttering of a butterfly's wing in Indonesia might actually affect the results of an election in Panama as well as what the serve for lunch at Apple Valley Middle School. Indeed, so much if this book was so laughable, the bounds of my willingness to suspend my disbelief was so stretched, and the writing so hackneyed that I can't imagine why I am giving it three stars. I was about to say it is because I liked some of the characterization, but, honestly, that was fairly lame too.

I guess I am giving it three stars because I did sort of care what happened to the characters in the end. Plus, it's five days until Christmas and I am feeling generous.

What a ragbag of all sorts: Freemasons, Fenians, Princes, evangelists, presidential candidates, a Carolina girl, professors, journalists, cops and robbers all wrapped up in one of the silliest conspiracy plots I have ever read.

Is this the worst book I have read all year? No. But just about. ( )

If you like books about conspiracies in which shadowy figures with great power control current and future events by devious, amoral and violent means, then read this story and enjoy. I prefer to live with my ignorance believing and hoping that truth and justice are somewhere out there. ( )

This mystery starts with a hook guaranteed to get your attention, then wavers a bit as all the various characters and their plotlines are introduced. But then it returns to and spends most of its time concentrating on investigating policeman, Doug McHarg, who after being removed from the case officially, determines to get to the bottom of things unofficially. Reginald Hill writes a fast-paced, not for the squeamish mystery, with a cast of intriguing characters moving towards the climax. Hill is not shy about killing off major characters unexpectedly, something that I found increased my interest in the proceedings. A minor nit, I thought the story wrapped kind of abruptly. Recommended. ( )