It’s a lot of characters to keep up with, but the writing style pulls you in to their lives, the detective story, and the scientific minutiae, making all of it accessible and interesting. Maintains plausibility and earns its length—Schätzing creates a world and you get the feeling you’re inhabiting it and watching details and discovery unfold, rather than keeping track of innumerable details. Its message is interesting, and you discover it as you wind through the story, rather than having it broadcast at you.