And Deanna Raybourn remains a delightful and intriguing mystery writer. Her heroine and hero are still sniping at one another and solving mysteries and generally being agreeable.
And, of course, her style remains lovely to read and the effort she puts into her research makes the book far more rewarding than it would be otherwise. She's funny, sweet and has a good handle on what a well-written mystery feels like.
Though, I must say, this was the first time I had guessed her plot from beginning to end, villain and motive included. (Possible spoiler, if you get the reference - that may George R. R. Martin's fault as I had Lannisters on the brain).
Predictability aside, I'm still having a great time with this series.