I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

A great read! I really enjoy the PI Charlie Cameron series, always fast paced and hursting with fabulous plots!

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron is investigating the disappearance of a medical whistleblower Gavin Law. Along the way he becomes entangled with gangster Sean Rafferty.
This is my first Charlie Cameron book and I loved it - particularly the humour and the interaction between Charlie and his best friends
Dark, funny and entertaining.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review. 4 Stars ⭐️

3.5 stars

The Raffertys are up to no good once again, & there is some shady stuff happening at a local private hospital. Charlie ends up investigating both, of course. As usual, good dialogue & character work & a strong story.

[What I liked:]

•Ah, Patrick & Andrew, Charlie’s sidekicks! Back again to provide comic relief & local color. Jackie doesn’t feature much this time, but it’s nice to see recurring characters pop up.

•The ending is very nice & twisty! Did not see it coming, but all the pieces were there, waiting to be revealed, by the end.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•It seems a bit hasty for Hambley to jump to the conclusion that Wallace murdered someone. Based on zero evidence. It just makes him seem completely unhinged.

•I generally like Charlie as a character, but he does a good bit of objectifying women throughout this book, internally judging almost every woman he meets on their attractiveness, & with a certain character named Alile it gets especially uncomfortable. I guess this wouldn’t have bothered me as much except the book opens with Charlie reconnecting with an ex he’s still half in love with, he says he’s “falling in love” with her all over again, & as soon as she flies back to the US he’s drooling over Alile 🤦‍♀️

CW: substance abuse, infidelity, suicide, child death, medical malpractice, murder, domestic violence, r*pe, mental health issues

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

This is the third novel in the Charlie Cameron P.I. series. I loved the previous two books in the series so jumped at the chance to read this one.

I honestly didn’t think Owen Mullen could top the previous book but he certainly did and it was lovely to be back with Charlie and the loveable rogue Pat.

Once again Charlie gets drawn into two cases while also handling his personal life.. which is never easy.

I think it’s this work life balance that makes Charlie the likable and believable character he is. His private life is more complicated in this tale when an old flame shows up which brings Charlie’s emotions to the foreground.

I’d recommend reading the books in order if I’m honest but it would work as a standalone too as the author explains the background well enough, I just think you’d be missing out on the character development that's built up.

So you’ll want to know about the cases our P.I gets sucked into. Well first off Gavin Law has went missing and his overbearing sister is out for answers. There’s not much to go on at first and it takes Charlie a while to be able to piece the dark and disturbing case together with some twists in the tale that really knock you for six.

The other case involves Sean Rafferty a gangster we’ve met before. I won’t give the game away with this one but when a gangster is involved you know there’s bound to be a body or two.

I’ve always loved Charlie but in this tale his Police friend Andrew Geddes shined and developed so well for me. I can’t wait to see what’s next and hope Geddes gets more page time.

The plot is dark and gritty, twists come from nowhere and you really are kept on your toes. It’s another brilliant tale from Mullen. What I really enjoy is that he manages to give us two tales weaved into one and at no point did it get confusing, With so many characters it would be easy to get lost but not with Mullen’s tales..everything is so clear to follow.

What I really need to love a book is to feel like the characters are real and with Charlie I get just that. I couldn’t think of anything I didn’t like about this book.

highly readable. I enjoy the Owen Mullen books. There is a bit of a dark side to his novels and he can work his way into your psyche, in a way that makes you question everything!

Whistleblower by Owen Mullen

When a medical whistleblower goes missing, P.I. Charlie Cameron agrees to set out and find him.

Very interesting book. It talked about gangsters and how they could manipulate people into doing what they wanted them to do, not excluding threats and murder.. Some of the characters had no soul. Well-written. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

1st time reading books by this author. I've enjoyed it, the characters in the story are portrayed really well and the story is easy to follow. I'm looking forward to reading another one of his books.

Gavin Law, a surgeon has vanished and Private Detective Charlie Cameron is on the case hired by Gavin's sister Caroline to find him. Gavin accused another colleague, Wallace Maitland, of malpractice and then found himself the subject of a serious allegation by Francis Fallon Hospital. Charlie comes from a wealthy family and he thinks the case is a simple one until Gavin turns up dead. Charlie also agrees to look at an apparent suicide for his policeman friend DS Andrew Geddes, from Police Scotland putting him in the path of Rafferty, a man who has tried to kill Cameron before.

Whistleblower is a taut mystery thriller with multiple plot lines that interweave throughout the story. Character development is a big focus throughout the novel but not to the detriment of the compelling plotlines. Set in Glasgow, private investigator Charlie specialises in finding missing persons, his interest shaped by his own experiences. Thirty-odd-year-old Charlie's office base is a room above a venue called New York Blue where he meets his close friends and acquaintances including Geddes and Patrick Logue, who sometimes assists Charlie.

Owen Mullen cleverly combines each of the story strands really well making this a fascinating read and love the way in which he showcases his characters. In addition to a few neat twists and plenty of wit, there is a pronounced overall noir feel to the narrative and nothing is given away until the tidy and artful ending. I'm now planning to read the fourth book in the series, The Accused.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Boldwood Books via NetGalley, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Yet another great read from Owen Mullen . This is another one to add to your wish list .Would recommend this book .

P.I. Charlie Cameron is on the case when a whistleblower doctor goes missing.

A doctor is set to testify against a colleague in an egregious case of medical malpractice, before that can happen he finds himself facing criminal charges and then just disappears completely. Meanwhile, in the world of political corruption, there are forces at work that will put Charlie Cameron directly in the path of crime boss Sean Rafferty whose family has tried to kill the headstrong P.I. on at least one previous occasion.

This third book in the series about a Glasgow P.I. (Charlie Cameron) who specializes in finding missing persons was previously released under the title Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. It differs from the first books in that the narrative is much more evenly distributed among the parallel storylines. Previously the focus was more on Charlie and the puzzles of his investigation, this time it's more about seeing where these individual stories are going and how they will connect to Charlie. It switches from first person narrative to third person and it gets a little convoluted before it finishes but by the time it's over it all makes sense (more or less).

I liked it, didn't love it. In some ways it reads more like the middle chapter of an ongoing story collection - a footnote in the greater epic that's meant to move the story to the next level. The supporting characters are the standouts in this one. Grouchy DS Andrew Geddes and Charlie's right-hand man, Patrick Logue, who's always on the lookout for a free drink and some easy money have some shining moments.

One minor complaint is that the author has a maddening habit of giving similar names to some of the characters and as a result it tends to take the reader out of the story while trying to keep track of who is which.

I give it 3.5 stars with a bump up to 4-stars. There is strong language, violence (not graphic), and mild sexual content. All in all I'd say it probably falls well within a PG-13 rating with no problem.

***I received a free digital copy of this title through NetGalley.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Boldwood Books for the ARC.

This is Book#3 in the PI Charlie Cameron series - and very good it is too! Thoroughly enjoyed it; it's fast-moving, has really good characters and believable dialogue, along with several sub-plots which gradually become woven together.

Charlie is engaged by Caroline Law to find her brother Gavin who's disappeared since New Years Eve. He was supposed to fly to America on 4 January for a job interview but never arrived - however, money had been taken from ATMs on his card. Gavin worked at Francis Fallon private hospital in Glasgow and had decided to testify on behalf of a couple, the wife having been brain-damaged by the incompetence of a surgeon, Wallace Maitland, against the hospital. The director of the hospital, Jimmy Hambley, turned the tables on him with a counter allegation of rape and suspended him. Previously another surgeon at the hospital, Colin McMiilan had been suspended following a spurious allegation also.
Meanwhile, gangster Sean Rafferty is trying to achieve the respectability his father Jimmy lacked by using Emil Rocha's drug money to invest in a Riverside regeneration project for the city. Unfortunately there are several city councillors who would prefer not to vote the project through - Sean's still a gangster in their eyes, as was his father. Sean's getting pressure from Emil and in turn pressures the councillors VERY personally.
Charlies friend DS Andrew Geddes is re-evaluating his job in the light of his new fast-tracked boss who refuses to listen to him, especially when he's convinced that an apparent suicide to his boss is an obvious murder to Geddes - so Charlie agrees to help him out.
Gradually, Charlie's enquiries lead him to believe that Gavin Law must have been murdered - but by whom?

A really good read with a cliff hanger to lead onto the next book, hopefully.

This is a great read, and I did not think that this would be better than his previous books, they are so good, but the author has managed to make it better. Highly recommended.

I am a real Charlie Cameron fan and thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's an exciting read, with excellent characterisation and well written. Plenty humour and add in a touch of romance for Charlie, makes it an easy 5* from me. Owen Mullen always leaves me wanting more and I highly recommend the read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Charlie Cameron is a private investigator in Glasgow, who is hired to look into the disappearance of a surgeon who has become a whistleblower against the hospital where he works.
Great storyline and twists and turns within the book, and has you guessing who has done what.

Owen Mullen has become one of my favourite authors when it comes to Scottish crime.. In Charlie Cameron he has created an interesting character, along with his interesting side-kick, and the stories meander through the streets of Glasgow and beyond at a nice page turning page..
Highly recommended and up there with the best.

Charlie Cameron is a private investigator in Glasgow. His skills are required when a whistleblower goes missing – Gavin Law, a surgeon at a private hospital. Gavin had reported a case of serious medical malpractice against a colleague but the suits at the top turned the tables on him.

Gangster Sean Rafferty is hoping to get on the right side of the corrupt city council by way of a multi-million-pound leisure development. This crosses over into Charlie’s investigation and causes more trouble for him.

This is the third book in the Charlie Cameron series but works fine as a standalone. A thrilling read with lots of unexpected twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Love the covers in this series... as far as book three though I enjoyed whistleblower. The blurb sucks you in but having already read the first two I settled in for a good time.

What did I like? Charlie is such an easy going PI and so relatable. As Hogmanay starts off, it’s clear to see he will be up to his eyeballs in cases barely a week into the year. I love how the author juggles his cases and it’s always a surprise in the end. Five stars for entertainment!

Would I recommend or buy? I’d recommend all three books to mystery lovers... just really enjoyed them. I would definitely read more from this author!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

This is book 3 in the Charlie Cameron series and having read the previous books I was very happy to read this one.

Charlie Cameron is a private investigator with a big heart. His character has grown throughout the books and I feel I really know him now. He has an extraordinary skill for finding lost people and has built a business out of it. Unfortunately trouble seems to follow Charlie where he goes and is probably very lucky to still be alive especially since he has got on the wrong side of a gangster.

He is helped in his searches by Pat who is a very unique character, a lovable rogue with exceptional people skills that enable him to extract information for Charlie that otherwise may not be possible.

DI Andrew Geddes also plays a big part in the books as a policeman he is able to provide Charlie with information and has been known to be in the right place at the right time. In this book Andrew is having problems with the new DCI and is considering retirement which means Charlie becomes a counsellor along with his other tasks.

There is a lot going on in this book so much that at times it gets a little confusing. A man going missing puts into motion a series of events that brings Charlie back under the Gangster's radar. He had a lucky escape once maybe he wont be so lucky this time. Pat and Andrew have problems of their own and Charlie has love life issues. As always everything comes together in a totally unexpected ending.

Another excellent book I am hoping to read more about Charlie in future books.

I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.