When these words, “as dawn poured over Rambla de Santa Monica in a wreath of liquid copper,” are in the first paragraph of a book, you know you are dealing with something special. The Shadow of the Wind got rave reviews from everyone I know. I loved it in fits and starts, but it often stalled out for me in the middle. However, I am so glad I stuck with it because the last 200 pages were unbelievably wonderful. It was beautifully written and had a compelling and fascinating storyline. This is another good quote: “I didn’t manage to get to sleep until dawn cast a hundred tones of dismal grey on my bedroom window.” I highly, highly recommend it and thank all those who suggested I read it next!