"No one believes they're going to die until it happens, and then it's too late." That's the great opening line of this fast-paced mystery. I read a lot of mysteries, mostly cozies and British police procedurals, so this was outside my normal range. There was some graphic violence, but I enjoyed the book very much in spite of it.

There were descriptions of meals, descriptions of travel and some events in the author's life, but none of it flowed. New chapters and even new paragraphs would jump to something not remotely connected to what was written previously, and it seemed very disjointed. This was a constant irritation.

Don't let the alternate history setting fool you; it is merely a backdrop for a novel about timeless human issues concerning war and finding the humanity in others who are unlike ourselves. The writing is wonderfully descriptive, especially of the setting, and I recommend this book. Book clubs would find many areas of discussion.