Picking this up after reading ‘Shadow of the Wind’ the expectations were inordinately high, it being one of the most engrossing, heartfelt books I’ve read. And the truth is, it doesn’t quite reach the heady heights of Shadow.

Don’t get me wrong: it’s still a good read but it’s an entirely different beast. Yes, they are similarities but this is a far darker effort. Shadow had a playfulness about it, a cohesiveness that glued the diverging narratives which this lacks.

The first half of the book is brilliant but as the story focuses on Cristina more - and moves away from the more interesting storyline of Andreas Correli, with Pedro Vidal, Sempere and Isabella taking more of a backseat - the plot looses itself. I wasn’t gripped at the end; instead loosing interest as David makes yet another mistake.

Indeed, the central problem with this novel is you find it hard to emphasize with the narrator. He becomes too annoying, too moody, too self indulgent. Still, worth a read.