[2] Also, the fictional town of "Crossmaheart" in based on the South Armagh village of Crossmaglen, known for the numerous incidents which occurred in the area during The Troubles;[2][3] the name being a play on words referring to the child's vow "cross my heart and hope to die".

Jonathan Dyson, for The Independent, stated that "just as The Troubles seem finally to be ending, Colin Bateman is belatedly establishing himself as their greatest satirist"; and, of the book itself, "the resulting yarn is fast-paced, very black and very funny: Roddy Doyle meets Carl Hiaasen".

They found "Bateman's forte is that, without directly addressing Northern Ireland's military / paramilitary confrontation, the book is drenched and reeking with the pervasive violence and fear of a war-torn state."

The review continues that the "horror" of the situation "is cleverly framed with the blinding sparkle of dark Northern Irish wit - humor so black that it will have readers chuckling even while it reveals the dreadful realities that laughter pretends to camouflage".

He praised the fact that the "dialogue captures the perverse sense of humor that many people in Northern Ireland employ as a defense mechanism", stating in conclusion that "in Colin Bateman's world, the blind see and everybody dies.