Son no1 Philip bought a hardcover copy of Best Served Cold, despite apparently having no money whatsoever.  I read it over Christmas.  It tells the story of a woman left for dead who (obviously) survives and sets about seeking revenge on the seven men who tried to do away with her.  The seven men are all important, [owerful figures of one sort or another, and she was a reknowned fighter and General.  Told with Abercrombie's typical hard boiled sense of humour and liberally spiced with some horrific scenes, this was an enjoyable enough read.

But.

I thought the book was too long.  I also thought that Abercrombie had thought about all the possible permutations of loyalty and treachery between the seven or eight main characters, and laboriously brought them all into play.  I think I would have enjoyed Best Served Cold better if it had reduced its descriptions of political intrigue and various liaisons, to the tune of about a third of the book, and just concentrated on the action and the central characters.

Still, it would be churlish of me not to say that I enjoyed it and read it all in a couple of days, despite its length.  It's not bad at all, but I recommend awaiting the paperback version!