Wonder if Sue Grafton read this before starting her Alphabet series - the hero Cordelia Gray reminds me of Grafton's Kinsey Milhone in some ways, a young but tough woman, no gimmicks but a gun! But very British. The mystery is well constructed and ties itself up like a snake eating its tail. James' other detective Adam Dalgliesh is a minor character (he is actually a very strong presence in the book, I think James seems to be in love with him, to the point of losing objectivity!)