I tried to read this, but despite being billed as part of the Inspector Lynley series, this isn't really about the characters and story arc of Lynley. It's only tangentially related, and is depressing as hell.
Of course, the exploration of the social reasons that a young boy turns to crime is an important topic. But I wasn't expecting it in a mystery novel series. So, I struggled for a bit, but gave up. I was wanting a light read on an airplane, and this did not fit the bill.