I just finished this at lunchtime today and wow what a twist! I honestly didn't see it coming, maybe I'm slowing down with old age . But then again I didn't see the end of The Sixth Sense coming either.

Anyway, it was an excellent read, well written and intricately plotted, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

pennyt:

I was the same Elaine - picked up the hints in the first 3 or 4 chapters and then could only read the non-Straitley sections with that particular person in mind, so I was so glad I turned out to be right - otherwise I think I'd have had to re-read it to re-adjust the "voice" I'd been reading it in!   It didn't spoil it for me at all though - and I had the added satisfaction of having "got it"!

That's exactly how I felt about it!

Glad you enjoyed it Tony.

I must be a very gullible reader as I didn't realise the "secret" behind one of the narrative voices and, therefore, did have to read it again - immediately! I didn't mind at all, as I think it is a brilliant read and a fascinating idea for a novel, although a friend of mine disliked it; he doesn't like writers who "play tricks on him"! Quite a departure, I thought, for Joanne Harris, but successful.

Finished reading "Marley and Me" by John Grogan in bed last night - wept myself to sleep!

I've just finished this today, and loved it. And I'm another one who didn't guess the twist at all, though I managed to keep track of the two threads in the narrative without difficulty.

As has been said, very different for this author but fantastic in my opinion, on a par with Holy Fools which I also loved.

I read this a few months ago and really enjoyed it.