I normally really like Cate Tiernan. Which is why I can't seem to figure out why this book ended up being only so-so for me. I liked the injections of history. I laughed out loud at times (Nastasya is a pretty funny character). I even enjoyed reading about Nasty's "major project." But something was lacking. Maybe it was the slow build to the plot, or maybe there just wasn't enough in this novel to catch my interest. This was a good end to the series, but I can't shake the feeling that there was something crucial missing here.