John LeCarre meets Victor Hugo meets Charles Spurgeon . . . well, you get the idea. This novel has it all - suspense, espionage, war, drama, pathos, spiritual guidance, marital counseling, great writing, fabulous characters, and so much more. I almost NEVER give 5 stars, but this one deserves them if anything does. Of course, having read the preceding Stonewycke novels helps it all make sense, but I think it could stand alone, as well.