This is my second time reading the work of Owen Mullen. His writing at first reminded me of the 'hard-boiled' type stories of Raymond Chandler and the like. However, as the book progressed, I thought the characterization and excellent writing put it on a different plane than the old faithfuls of the genre. Told from an un-apologetically male viewpoint, I quite liked Charlie Cameron as a character. Again, the story was set mainly in Glasgow,  Scotland. The grey, dour weather added greatly to the overall noir feel of the narrative. There were also some scenes set on the scenic Loch Lomand. Private detective Charlie Cameron comes from a wealthy family. He is not rich, partly due to the fact that he and his father do not get along. They have been estranged for years. When he goes to the morgue to identify a body whom he assumes is related to the case he is currently working on, he gets a grave shock. It is the body of one of his close university friends, Ian. They were a trio... Charlie, Ian, and Fiona who chummed along together, having fun and getting into scrapes. So, in addition to his current case, he takes it upon himself to find out what happened to his old friend. A man who was tortured before he was killed... Charlie is aided once again by Police Scotland's DS Andrew Geddes with his "off the record" information. At thirty-five years old, Charlie is a loner, yet he does have some close friends. DCI Andrew Geddes from Police Scotland; Patrick Logue, a personable and often inebriated charmer who does investigative work for Charlie on a semi-regular basis, and last but not least, a ninety-year old retired policeman named DI Ronnie Simpson who worked Charlie's sister's case all those years ago. As a sideline to this crime story, Charlie reunites with his old university friend, Fiona. A woman he loved then and finds that he loves still. The story had several strands which cause Charlie to travel, AND to encounter some very dangerous people. A polished crime thriller with an engaging protagonist. Recommended to lovers of well-executed crime fiction, especially those who favour Scottish noir.