The book was brilliant, one of the most compelling reads I ever read. And yes, it's cliche to say the book was better, but in this case, it really was. The changes were almost entirely in the second half, and it shows. They sucked so much of the tension out of the driving pace of the book by making them, and as a result, the film suffers. Is it still well acted with a fascinating setting? Yes. But the changes about catching the killer (how, when, and events surrounding it) are far less compelling and far more Hollywood than the book, so read the book. It is considered "the first Filipino crime novel," and it won "the Philippine National Book Award" for a reason. The book unfolds at an unbelievable pace that sucks you in, and though I found the film good, after having just finished the book-a masterpiece and one of the best debuts I ever read, and I have read a lot-I can only be disappointed.