This was an excellent debut novel which I enjoyed thoroughly. The book starts in 4th gear and the author keeps his foot on the gas throughout. I was gripped to see how the various sub plots would knit together and the author achieved this commendably. It is clear that the author has in-depth knowledge not only in law but also in the fields of aviation, mountaineering, chess, astronomy and sailing and he uses this knowledge to inform his imagery and his plot in a fascinating way. The protagonist Jack Lauder is a sympathetic character: ofttimes he seems a little bumbling like Columbo, other times he is razor sharp. I often wondered while reading the book if anyone really had his back as all the other characters seemed to harbour shady agendas. Location is vital to me as a reader and having never been to the North East of England I felt that Hindle made that area come alive for me with his vibrant descriptions of the various locations including the intruiging St Cuthbert's Isles. As for the storyline: Successful lawyer Jack Lauder is rather puzzled when he is commissioned to tie up the UK assets of his former friend, Sir Vincent Harninger's estate. Jack and the maverick entrepreneur adventurer were once close friends, however of late Jack, although always loyal, had felt the need to distance himself from Vince's often dubious affairs especially when a key witness in a libel case Vince was involved in is murdered. It all seems simple enough and Jack makes his way to the cliff edge Jomsborg mansion on St Cuthbert's Isles to begin cataloguing Vince's collection of rare books and manuscripts. However a strange series of coincidences and chance meetings indicate that this is not a simple assignment but a game of chess where the faceless opponent is always one step ahead. And why does Rachel, Jack's former wife who died in a climbing accident begin to haunt him in dreams and visions. Is it all down to the contaminated whiskey he was slipped on that first night at Jomsborg. Did he really see her in Nijmegan? Seems Vince never forgave Jack, for what he imagined as disloyalty. Did Vince set set up a series of intricate traps to lure Jack into, to discredit, humiliate and ultimately destroy him. Is Harry, Vince's brother orchestrating this game now Harry is dead? Can a dead man really enjoy revenge? Good dialogue, steady pace and an excellent drip feed of the back-story made this a enjoyable and involving read.