My first Banks that wasn't science fiction. In case you don't know Iain puts the W. Between his first and last name to distinguish his science fiction from his literary efforts. Anyway, this was a real disappointment, especially as Use of Weapons is one of my all time favourites. After a promising start it soon dissolves into a rather tired story full of cliched characters indulging in pretentious, self indulgent observations of the world. In addition the final twist, despite an agonising build up, can be spotted a mile away. In lieu of the aforementioned, an extra star goes to the excellent reading by Peter Kennny on the audiobook version; his range of voices was superb.