This is historical fiction at its best. The atmosphere and details paint a vivid picture, the characters and story all sit correctly within the time and the dialogue is perfectly pitched. There are just the right number of characters and each has their own story, giving them a fullness and depth. I was drawn in right away and the mark of a really good book is that I didn't want to rush it and that's why it took me two weeks to finish it. Not because it was slow, but I was savouring being in it.