I love the whole series of these (though I am finding it hard to get hold of the 'Dark road to Darjeeling', disaster!). I enjoyed this one very much indeed, though I felt that it does improve upon a second reading, I suppose because you understand better all the nuances that you might have missed the first time. Perhaps the considerable focus on Nicholas and Julia's attempt to settle into their married life means that the other characters are not quite so well developed as usual but it is still a very brilliant and absorbing read with an excellent, twisty plot. Definitely destined to become another treasured favourite. The only problem is that I never know quite what to do with myself once I have got to the end of any of these books- everything else seems vaguely unsatisfactory!