I found this book when I was desperate for a read--what a disappointment! Cardboard characterizations, actually I take that back as the descriptions on the back of cereal boxes have oft proved more gripping, and how about that ending. If it isn't completely amateurish to kill off a character to resolve a plot snarl then the best of novels start off with, "It was a dark and stormy night." Spend your pennies on a better book. The only beauty in this one is found in the title which is too bad as I'm sure many were drawn to it solely on that basis.