I would say this book is about a 3.5 for me. It's my least favorite of the three McGinnis books I have read. It does have an amazing premise--a take on Poe's "Cask of Amontillado." I wasn't entirely sure what the panther parts were for, and I think that maybe will be further illustrated in the second book. It is also dark, and the plot does keep the pages turning. It's a book about appearances and the lengths we go to keep them, and how easy it can be to abandon people.