I'm starting to find Schmidt a little...I don't know if formulaic is the right word, but a lot of his books seem to follow similar trajectories and have similar plot beats and types of characters. That doesn't mean that what he does isn't well-written, because it generally is. For me, it's whether it rises above that trope-y feeling. After all, I love romance novels and they also often have similar beats. This one I enjoyed more than "Pay Attention Carter Jones." I liked the way Hercules Beal's life echoed the mythical Hercules, and how he did his various labors. When I read about the neighbors helping each other in Schmidt's stories, I really like it--makes me have faith in humanity again. I think this one is excellent.