I am more than an avid fan of Mr. Martin Cruz Smith. I own a complete collection of his works. Either I read the book hype wrong or else I have mis-judged Mr. Cruz Smith's ability as a writer. Except for the excerpts by established time honored writers: Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Guy de Maupassant, I find the book mundane, deplorable and a disappointment that Mr. Cruz Smith attached his name to it. I found bad usage of grammar, stories that lost the development of the plot, confusion of character identification (Frederick ?)and just poor mystery writing overall.Amaturism personified. Mr. Cruz Smith, did you read the book before you affixed your name to it? I will gladly sell it if I thought I could recoup my costs. This shakes my confidence in Mr. Cruz Smiths future writings and whether or not I may purchase them.