I thought it was very readalbe, engaging, and I never got bored with it. It isn't exactly earth shattering, and I didn't expect it to be. It is exactly what it purports to be, a detective novel. It has some flaws, namely in character developement. Holly stands out as being a poorly sculpted character IMO. Everything about her screamed pouty,sullen teenager....except her age. It was quite jarring for me when I discovered she was 40 years old and it never felt right to me. Also the interaction between Jerome and Holly seemed forced and irritatingly flirty which did not sit well with me considering their age difference. Also, I thought it was pretty lame that King used the name Jerome as a name for the main characters sidekick given the character from Duma Key. Final thought, it would have made a better ending for Hodges not to make it.