I am a Peter Dickinson fan from way back, for both his mysteries and his fantasies. That said, I had difficulty engaging with this one. The difficulty may be that I did not reread The Ropemaker before I started this sequel. I definitely remember really liking the Ropemaker, both the book and the lead character. Another, less kind explanation, is that, at eighty, Dickinson is losing his power. What is almost certainly true is that I unintentionally set higher standards for this author based on previous experience and respect. I intend to try again, reasonably soon, and to start by rereading Ropemaker. ( )