The book isn't bad, but David doesn't spend enough time with the characters in the beginning for the reader to become properly acquainted with them. Normally this isn't an issue, for most books have enough time for character development, but he throws so many characters in that I found it rather difficult to keep up with who was who even half way through the book. Because of that, I felt the plot became more muddled and a bit too much like "Catch 22" or the Faulkner novel, "The Sound and the Fury" with the constant shift among perspectives. But David is still a great author and I'm now on to another of his amazing books.