The denouement of this novel is predictable from a fairly early stage. Nevertheless, the author of Damage has succeeded in constructing another intriguing tale of family dysfunction, this one marked by some degree of heroism on the part of the father. Jack is a psychiatrist, disengaged from love though willing and able to take his share of sexual pleasure. His sister Kate also moves through the lives of many others without ever finding a resting place. Kate's approaching marriage increases the intensity of the siblings' interaction, and the question of what, exactly, occasioned the death of their mother, looms ever larger. In contrast to the evasiveness of the children, the father is authoritative, true to himself, unwilling to allow his son to fabricate interpretations of the act which culminated in his imprisonment. The novel is an argument for the conscious reconstruction of the past, and of oneself, in the light of responsibility. It is also a smoothly crafted fiction which allows Hart to demonstrate her mastery of different language registers and literary styles. (Kirkus UK)