3.5 stars. This book has much to recommend it: an evocative and sustained atmosphere, and although I was never there at that time, a well-imagined late '60s California, and some beautiful writing. Perhaps if it had panned out differently it might have been a four or even five star book for me. But about half way through, it felt as if there had been too much foreshadowing of what was going to happen (in fact telling, rather than foreshadowing). I realise it's inspired by the Charles Manson murders, but I felt that if Cline had strayed further from this well-trodden path, the book would have been more gripping.
My other issue with it was the number of metaphors and exposition. Many of these are beautifully written pieces, and often apt and well-considered, but it was the shear number of them (at least one metaphor per page) that pulled me out of the story because I found myself anticipating the next.
Despite all that I did enjoy reading it and would recommend it.