MixedBookreporterRous has picked an ideal setting for her twisty mystery ... But she doesn’t use her spooky setting to full effect. In an author’s note at the end of the book, Rous (who lives in the region) writes about getting lost in the relatively featureless landscape of the Fens as she travels roads surrounded by “silvery sheets” of water. One wishes that more of these types of details had found their way into the book. The strands of Rous’ story neatly and naturally intersect, as it becomes clear that a tragedy at Raven Hall has led to this strange gathering 30 years later. Rous withholds just enough information about her characters and their motivations to keep readers riveted, saving a few key surprises for the final pages. But the plot begins to strain credulity towards the end with a series of dramatic, rapid-fire revelations about the game and its players. The story would have been just as compelling without some of the more outlandish, out-of-the-blue twists.
