I wasn't sure if I would finish this book while reading part 1, because I was totally confused about what was going on. I stuck with it out of loyalty to the author, whose books I have always enjoyed, and am glad I did. This one was a slow burn, but has an action-packed ending. Creating sympathetic characters that the reader becomes invested in is what sets Michael Koryta's books apart to me, and in the end this was not a disappointment after all.