Changes

Occasionally, you'll wonder if something has been introduced simply so that Jackson Lamb can be politically incorrect about it. Reece Nesmith III is a gay American dwarf: I couldn't spot any plot reason for his having achondroplasia but it does give Lamb the opportunity to make some offensive comments. Perhaps the least offensive is to tell people not to worry about what they say in front of him as ''it'll all go over his head.''

The characters we know and love are all there. River Cartwright is still mourning the loss of Sidonie Baker. Roddy Ho's still a wizard with a computer but as un-self-aware as ever and Catherine Standish is still trying to keep things running without resorting to alcohol, no matter how much Lamb tries to tempt her. Lech Wicinski would prefer to be called Alec but it's a moot point as no one speaks to him. His face still looks as though it lost an argument with a cheese grater. Yes - you know exactly what you're getting.