The first in a series of Edinburgh based police procedurals.
I enjoyed the plot although it was not for the faint hearted as the opening chapter is particularly gruesome as DC Mclean stumbles across an early crime scene at the murder of a prominent person in the city's society however a very quick suicide suggests the crime is solved to his disquiet but the relief of suitably difficult superior officers. Mclean has lots of back history which we are introduced to and he inevitably rubs his superiors and villains up the wrong way. Running parallel then to what proves to be a more problematic crime than at first blush is an historic murder of a young girl going back to the 40's that has ritualistic overtones. I also didn't mind the detectives various emotional issues both amorous and as a consequence of his past.
The end credits reference Stuart Macbride being an influence and support to the writer and the book certainly had a feel of the Logan Macrae books although less comic in portrayal of superior officers however what distinguished the novel was a supernatural element which stayed the right side of silly and had me hooked. I certainly enjoyed it enough to read more in the series adding it to the growing list of Scottish Crime novels that keep me entertained as the nights draw in .