Not her best, agreed, though for a first effort it *is* darned good. Also agreed about Catherine (mostly) and Stephen, though I like how Catherine ultimately gives Stephen his comeuppance ... and I like Eleanor, Sally, and Felix (and mostly Deborah, though I don't quite get what Dalgliesh sees in her). -- Witnesses complaining (particularly those who have something to hide, like pretty much everybody here) is part and parcel of crime writing ... I think I, for one, would miss something and would find the writing bland if it didn't happen! :D (Except if it were baseless hysterics, but that's clearly not the case here.)