While the story and characterizations are as strong as always, I am again put off by the fractured, fragmented sentence structure of Rickman's work. I realize that this stream-of-conciousness- slang-speak narrative is probably intended to make the prose more immediate, more real. For me, all it does is irritate and confuse. If I had not read the previous books in the series, I woud have been totally cluless for the first ten pages. Then, there is the character of Lol; and the endless music/rock band insider references that bog the story down. This is an on-going theme in the series, and I feel that it is becomming an elephant in the living room. Similarly, the character of Merrily's daughter, Jane, is becomming tiresome. Please, Mr. Rickman, have Lol take a job in the USA, have Jane move to Wales and leave Merrily to her work. I've come to enjoy Rickman's style. He pulls a reader into the story by being deliberately opaque at a plot point but with the implicit promise that in a few pages you will understand. He always keeps his promise.The cast of characters for this series are an intriguing group of flawed and fallible people who, for all their faults, strive to do the right thing. I would like to see Jane start showing some signs of maturity, however.The plot moves at a good pace, neither dawdling nor rushed. The layers of plot and the subplots are rich and the author ties them all together at the end of the tale with a neat bow.I think this is the best of series and I recommend it.
What do You think about The Secrets Of Pain (2000)?
Having listened to 11 of these books back to back I am devastated there are no more...
—axy
I loved it...hope the next book will be out soon!
—laurikee
Hurry up Phil Rickman, I want the next one!!
—cheyennem
