Despite many flaws, the book is readable and engaging. Its problem lies in how many tropes it carts out over its duration -- the snarky heroine private eye, the endless "witticisms", the slightly disturbing romance, and the ultimate romantic fixation reveal. With a bit of editing and a willingness to make both leads less "special", it would have been a far better book. 
 The positives the book brought to the table include the heroine's engagement with people on both sides of the mortality line, the quick pacing, and the incidental background stories -- several scenes of which were truly touching.