This Trevanian novel dealt with characters as much as with story line. The relationship between the older, more experienced, police officer and his young trainee is at the center of this murder mystery. The Main is an area in Montreal that is populated by derelicts, prostitutes, small businesspeople trying to eke out a living, and police officers trying to keep it all together. Trevanian puts the reader at the center of this place of hard-knocks. The actual murder is not solved till the last few pages and the author does not hint at all as to who the murderer is. It is a complete surprise and, for that reason, the suspense of this novel is relentlessly threaded throughout the entire story. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Trevanian.