content: Bayard is a startlingly fine writer who has made a number of smart decisions with this novel. It's not a sequel to A Christmas Carol, as some readers assume. It's a great thriller that makes just the right use of its source material, slyly dropping in details that are a delight if you know your Dickens, but in no way detract if you're just reading it as a tightly contructed historical thriller.Remarkable. Definitely a writer to watch.