Peston creates a strong sense of Gil's character from the very first chapter and sets up a gripping scenario. The intersection between Gil's family life and his work life already has me interested, and he seems like the kind of flawed protagonist you end up rooting for. The setting of the book is a little different to other thrillers I've read recently - 1997 might not be that long ago, but the political and technological landscapes were very different. The cover is also brilliant!