This book is a real let down. Simultaneously macabre and mundane, the novella is built around a big mystery that when revealed is so cheap and implausible it's sad. The strength of this book is in some of its evocative imagery and some pedestrian musings that ring true, women often do stick with hairdos that are too young for them. If this kind of insight can sustain you over 150 pages then enjoy. I have found Julian Barnes' interviews associated with his post-Booker media blitz really compelling, making this book all the more of a disappointment. A Booker? Really?