yes, I also liked that while the behavior of the victim made the crime understandable, it wasn't used to Justify per se -- and that I think is where I can draw one of the lines between the version of this book that's romance and the version that's mystery: I think in a romance version of this plot it would have had to Justify, the love interest would have had to come to a determination in and of himself that he was reconciled to what had been done, that it was excusable and understandable, to allow for the romance to progress. But a murder mystery doesn't require reconciliation, only recognition.

(I also liked the balance of murder to mystery -- the past crime, the present crime, the ways in which those seemed the same until they weren't. I love the structure of -- well, here's a crime that happened ten years ago, and only these five people could have done it, here's who they were then and here's who they are now. Not so much a locked room as a locked past, perhaps? Great structure and very effectively used. but yes I also think the slightly underwritten quality is perhaps why it was so easy to zip through so quickly lol)