I picked this up from the book-swapping shelves at Roots Coffee in Gloucester. I've thoroughly enjoyed other books by Elton, so although my TBR pile remains impressively high, I hope it won't be too long before I get stuck into this. I read a lot of non-fiction, and sometimes find that I 'overload' myself, so it will be good to kick back with something less intense and which I can be confident will be pacey and engaging.

...and this did not disappoint. What a thoroughly brilliant book, exploring difficult and deep themes whilst keeping the reader engaged with a racy and unpredictable (!) plotline. It left me two firm convictions: that violence will always beget more violence (after all, finding someone key to bump off isn't the only way we could intervene if we had access to the past); and that , despite our problems - climate change being by far the biggest challenge at the present time - this is still the best of all possible worlds. We have to go forward from here, and there is still reason to do so with hope that we can make a better, more peaceful and more connected future.

On window sill.