Another dci banks novel, and it's a decent read. I didn't find it quite as suspenseful as previous entries but the characters are definitely coming into their roles as the series progresses. The ending of this one

was a bit more sudden and darker than previous entries and saved the book from being a bit bland.

It's clearly one of the weaker entries in the series but the side characters start to come into their own in this book and as long as they become important later then it will have made this book worthwhile, otherwise it's a bit of a filler. I'll surely continue with the series though as even when bland they're very easy to read and relax to, like watching an episode of Midsommer murders on a rainy Sunday