I was far too nervous, excited and overawed to take anything in during the Book Panel last week, so I had no real idea of what anyone had said, although I did get the general impression that they might have liked the book. Fortunately, Sophie Portas from Macmillan has a cooler head than me – and access to the podcast – and has managed to extract the following flattering quotes:

‘It reminded me of Barbara Vine’s novels…and for me there’s no greater praise…Absolutely fascinating.’ – Boyd Hilton

‘It opens brilliantly…it ends spectacularly…you cannot stop reading it…The confidence of it is an astonishing achievement.’ – Joel Morris

‘I really enjoyed it…It’s a great book to go out and buy and read over the weekend.’ – Zarah Hussain

Wow. Still, lest my head grow too large, here’s a damn-with-faint-praise review from The Truth About Books that puts me right back in my box: ‘I actually liked it,’ is the verdict, although ‘perhaps psychological thriller and bird watching shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence’.

Not bad from someone who doesn’t like birds, I suppose.