Our theme this year is "Villains." And this was a good choice for that theme - we had a great discussion of "evil." My reservation is that this was a very difficult book to read - whether it was the tiny print, the cultural time frame, Conrad or British Modernism - only half of us got through the scant 96 pages. The reader who listened to it on cd had to listen twice because she was sure she missed something, even though she hadn't. The best description was that the book was "too foggy." Still, it is considered a classic which has been widely critiqued.

Alexander does a great job of describing the last days of the Romanov's, especially their familial devotion. I was so caught up with the details of their day to day life and with hints of a rescue attempt, I had forgotten there was going to be a plot twist. What a surprise!

Fascinating characters who come together to solve a horrific crime. Historically set prior to the turn of the 20th Century, the descriptions and use of "new" crime-detecting techniques was interesting and informative.

A great family story where an action of one will impact all and a satisfying end when the circle closes.