I've read all the Charlie Parker novels and some of his others, and I've been a loyal follower of his work, but I HATED this book. I didn't care for either story and didn't like his format of having two separate non-connecting stories. Also, Connolly failed to bring either story to a satisfactory conclusion. Instead, he seemed to be just rushing through and cutting both stories off abruptly, not following up or explaining either conclusion in a satisfactory manner. I hope his next will be more Connolly-ish. I was quite disappointed with this one. IMHO, this is his worst book. Do Better, Connolly!