Towards the end of the book, as Joliffe is working on the final solution to the murder, he is described thus:
"Joliffe has rarely been satisfied with knowing the merely what of things. The why was what drew him, and mixed in with the why was always who".

This is a good nutshell statement of what makes Frazer's works so interesting. Not only are they historically fascinating, but they get deeply into the "why" of being human. Good at the first, this is one of the best at the latter. ( )