A gripping, literally page-turning, thriller laced with atmosphere and little police procedural. Craftily plotted, two stories, seemingly unrelated, gradually interwine as a pair of student card sharks become obsesssed by poker and a police man is on the tracks of serial sexual assualter. The prose is at times dreamy and lyrical, creating a deceptive juxaposition with the quiet violence and careless cruelty which exudes from every page. Self-deception and self-knowledge are the central themes, and it's not a pleasant place to go. I really enjoyed it.

Read July 2008