This is so much more than just a spooky murder mystery--although it is definitely that! It has nicely developed characters, a love story begging to happen, and a psychological edge that are seamlessly merged into a wonderful page-turner of a book. The investigation of a …more recent murder in the woods behind a suburban Dublin neighborhood is linked to an older murder, and one of the police detectives has a special link to the old case. As the details become more harrowing, the reader wonders if he can continue his work--until his partner takes a daring but shrewd chance. My only complaint is that some ends are left dangling and unanswered, but then, that is the reality of life. Recommended! (less)

I devoured this book in a day. Like another reviewer, I find it difficult to describe this story. Much of it consists of the narrator ruminating over what memory is (or isn't), which I sometimes found a bit annoying---and yet, his ruminations are the heart and soul of the …more story. He is searching for what we all search for: truth and meaning in our lives. As he is drawn back in time by by an old letter, he is forced to reconsider his views on memory and the passage of time, history, and happiness. Why did I like this book? It's a short, compelling read; it is well-written; the characters are powerfully drawn; there is a mystery involved; the end result is rather shocking. The concept, as well as the title of the book, are brilliant. Most of all, I liked it for its honesty in presenting life and our memory of the past as a messy, uncertain business. As the narrator sums it up in the last sentences, "There is accumulation. There is responsibility. And...... there is unrest. There is great unrest." (less)