Someone recently posted the theory that readers are interested either in plot, character, or writing quality, with one of them being the lead attraction and another in second place. Usually, I think I am interested in all three, depending on the attention the author pays to them. With mysteries, however, and especially with this series, it's clearly character, followed by writing, with plot a distant third.

I know, I know: how can I enjoy a genre that's so much about whodunnit and care least about plot? It does matter to me. It provides the structure for the story, and it makes me pay attention to small details in a way that enriches my understanding of who people are and why they act the way they do.

In this book, I was 93% of the way in and still had no idea who the murderer was. If I were a different kind of reader, I would have thought:

Spoiler

we know it's about secrets, and we know that some of these people have a history that relates to the prison system, and perhaps the other people (like Martin) are there because they've been entrusted with information that shouldn't go public.

And I would have had a chance at solving the mystery, because [a:Ann Cleeves|56067|Ann Cleeves|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1262915904p2/56067.jpg] is eminently fair about planting all the clues in plain sight.

Being me, though, I cared for the characters, and I will remember them even after all but the gestalt of the plot has faded from memory.