Publisher's Weekly
Gardner, resuscitator of James Bond, here weds spy caper to family saga in a narrative that spans the years 19091935. For the most part, the author combines the two genres neatly, though at times readers will find that the intrigues of plot are spelled out in detail that approaches the laborious, leaving too little to the imagination. During the course of the novel, virtually every member of the English Railton family becomes involved in intelligence operations, from the ruthless and manipulative Giles to his grandchildren. Double agents, extramarital affairs and a variety of political movements are worked into Gardner's elaborate tale, which ends with an inventive twist.