This novel is an overall good read, with a nice insight into the day-to-day running of a secret agency that deals with aliens. Admittedly, there is a sense that the story is less than the sum of its parts, with an overall lack of thematic coherence, and several awkwardly structured narrative threads with their impact lessened as a result. This Torchwood novel feels so much more richly detailed and clever than the previous novel; with pinpoint characterisation and a nice balance of the bleak and the fun.