I usually love books set in the UK, especially mysteries. Sadly, I didn't care for this book for a number of reasons. For starters, there were too many pages filled with excessively long paragraphs, without even a pause. A bit too much detail about the business dealings in property management and speculation and the government programs as related to them to keep me engaged. It was part of the plot, but kept bogging down with just too much unnecessary information. Then surround it all with a family who find themselves unfortunately in a family owned business who not only hate one another but exhibit continual abusive behaviors. That got tedious. I was waiting for someone to just bring out the knives and end my misery. Couple that with the long and drawn out details of a seriously bad marriage where both spouses are cheating but one is held seemingly more at fault than the other, when both are equally at fault. Throw in a child with issues, caught between them, with nannies and housekeepers inserting themselves into the midst. All of this not resulting in a well tuned story but simply left begging for at least a partial and sensible resolution that simply would not come. The hinted mystery beneath it all was pretty tame and easily determined early on in the book, so no big reveal there. The resolution I had been begging for did come, but it all came all together in one big package near the ending. One big solution to a whole lot of problems, which I found rather unrealistic.

this is one of those books that is just a really great read. its presented so well from the pacing, plot and characters it just feels smooth.
Julian runs his own business and lives in the French Alps. there is something going on or has gone on between him and his family that means their relationship is complex. it separated them. but then their father gets ill and its brings them all back together. or at least in the vicinity of "together". and within his own family there is even more complexities. i felt bad for Julian. he seemed to be dealing with alot. and wasn't really being helped, or seemed not to be by those closest.
now Julian must face the prospect of his fathers failing company and just what he should, wants, or needs to do to save it, and just how this will leave him with his already fractured relationships.
aside from this(or is it) we have a missing persons case to the mix. this missing person has more to do with the family company than seems to be a coincidence..
oh and lets not forget Cassandra. shes got her own part to play in this book. and is a key part to play with Julian.
and the mix for us as readers in this book is a great one. you get a bit of everything you need and could want from an engaging book.
i really enjoyed this book.