I am a big fan of Minette Walters complex, convoluted books, that ask a reader to work harder than he wants. So, I find this book more than little confusing. The beginning of the novel set in Siera Leone and Iraq is a first class Walters. But when the action moves to England it all starts to fizzle. Ms. Walters portrays the trauma and damage done to victims of violence with utmost precision. That is the strongest part of this book. Its the quirky characters and their not so interesting issues that bogged down the plot.Still this is a very good book, just not the best.