I only discovered Kate Fenton's novels a couple of years ago, but she immediately became one of my favourite authors. She is quite unlike anyone else I've read, yet with elements of most of the authors I like - Barbara Vine, Elizabeth Peters, even Barbara Pym. I have only two criticisms of this novel. The first is that it is unnecessarily long. By the last 50 pages you've got a pretty good idea which way things are going to go, and you feel the author might as well get on and tell us. Having said that, it's great entertainment. Secondly, I think the moral standpoint is slightly questionable - but I'm sure many people would disagree.