I love Josh Lanyon and so it was a happy early Christmas present to find this as a kindle freebee. A freebee from a known, reputable writer is always a thing of joy. So 4 stars for that. It lost half a star because it was actually not my favorite of his works, and it wasn't as believable as his previous works. I didn't fall in love with either of the two protagonists - James the disgraced antiquarian or Sedgewick,  the unlikely book owner.  Nor did I find the reason for Sedgewick's hatred for the evil potential book buyer sufficiently compelling. So weaker on both plot and characterization, but a weak Lanyon is still a strong book, and certainly worth a read (or reread)