I was excited to begin this book, as I had read "The Bone Collector" and loved it. After I got into "A Maiden's Grave" I found myself searching for any periodical to read to avoid finishing "Grave". Deaver does a great job with narrative, making you feel as if you were there. The problem was that the plot dragged on and on. I felt like shouting "let's be done with this, already!" There also seemed to be a sense of hopelessness that pervaded the storyline - that doesn't make for enjoyable reading.