I love a good UK mystery suspense novel, so when I came across a review for The Janus Stone, I thought it best to start with The Crossing Places. I was able to get right into the scene and the characters from the get-go. I wasn't at all bothered by the fact that it was written in present tense, and in fact, didn't pick up on it until I read through some other reviews. I loved the straightforward personality of Ruth. She was very human, easy to relate to, despite the fact that I have little in common with her other than being a somewhat intelligent 40ish female and not one to shy from spontaneous sexual encounters. Go, Ruth! I loved that although she wasn't okay with her physicality, she was confident enough with who she was as a person to still put it out there with Nelson. The mystery in and of itself wasn't what carried the book, but more the information that supported it, such as the details of archaeology, pagan rituals and the characteristics of the landscape. I was actually disappointed to guess who the 'bad guy' was from the earliest parts. Too many mysteries, maybe? I sped through this in a day and am looking forward to starting the Janus Stone.