Opening with a wonderfully unique premise, THE GOOD SON is a welcome addition to the private eye genre. As much character study as crime novel, we are introduced to a world of guilt and pain that I can't help but think is very Scottish.

I've always claimed that the Irish and the Scottish really get bleak, maybe due to the weather (Icedlandic authors, as well), but while this story opens in the darkness of the characters' present, glints of humanity and hope keep the story from pulling the reader too deep into the dark.

Well-written and well-paced, I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series.