Finally, an Australian horror novel that scares. Not only are the characters well developed, there is a sense of loss when the last pages are closed and a wish that the characters would at least drop you a postcard to let you know how they are! The insights in this novel, as well as the vivid dialogue, made this reader nod his head and wonder what he had been missing by not reading the earlier work ( he has since, thankfully, caught up ). It is a very pleasurable experience to be reading characters who talk and act like people you would meet and the setting also added to the connection. Hooray - somebody has finally written a satisfying horror novel (Stephen King, take notes!)