Before I started reading this book, I noticed a paragraph on the back that mentioned that it was a debut novel, then all the way through I kept thinking: How on earth can anyone write anything this good at the first go? It is a really clever novel that nibbles at the edges of 'cosy crime', but is much darker than most in that genre. There are no sweet little old ladies putting together clues in between Pilates and dinner, and not everyone in it is necessarily on the side of the police, so that gives it an interesting twist. It seems that among the upper classes, it is quite possible to be a pillar of society while still being capable of covering ones tracks if anything unsavoury occurs. Edward, who has come from more humble beginnings, has managed to earn himself a private education through scholarships and good fortune, ending with an assisted place at Oxford. While he was at the university he met Stanza, who was grieving for her recently deceased mother, and q...