A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys» games on a
frozen lake; of «nightcreeping» through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid - fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its
human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power - hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason's search to replace his dead grandfather's irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran Lps, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher's recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow -
motion divorce in four seasons.