“Old friends are the best friends…” Except when they aren’t.

Private Investigator Charlie Cameron looks back fondly on his time spent with his university friends, Ian Selkirk and Fiona Ramsay. He followed them to Thailand, then returned to Scotland and years later was surprised when he met Ian in a local bar. Days later, Ian was dead and Charlie was the target of Jimmy Rafferty, a Scottish drug lord. Charlie renews his relationship with Fiona as he tries to find out who killed Ian. He’s distracted by a missing persons case involving a widow whose husband disappeared the day after their son’s funeral. Charlie can’t devote his full attention to either case, a mistake that may cost him his life. But why?

The Wronged is the second in the Charlie Cameron series but it reads like a standalone. Charlie and the other characters, especially Patrick Logue, are well described, the plot complicated and the action fast paced. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Owen Mullen for this ARC.

I have read one previous book by Owen Mullen and really enjoyed it. I had high hopes for this book, although I missed the first I the series I was confident I could catch up,
As had been mentioned in a previous review, a particular phrase is used in this book. It is a phrase of historic use, which.I have never seen or heard used before, so had to look up the meaning; I was so surprised and disappointed to see that it is a racist phrase which was used by the main character at least four times. As such, I cannot review this book and will not be posting this review elsewhere. This phrase should not, in my view, have been used and has no place in a book being released in 2021.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this advance ebook!

This series has been an absolute wild crazy awesome fun read! The only thing I wished I'd have known was there was a first book! But thankfully its on kindle Unlimited!
So I'm going backwards here but it's all.good! Thank goodness I haven't read book three yet!.
I still enjoyed reading The Wronged its was amazing!
The setting in Glasgow was just beautiful! Charlie and Pat are great characters I honestly loved them both!
I couldn't put it down and look forward to seeing where Charlie takes us next!

Thank you again!

This is the 2nd book in the Charlie Cameron series by Owen Mullen and I am totally addicted. It is well written and totally gripping.

The story is told from the perspective of Charlie Cameron who is a PI. Anyone who hasn't read The Games People Play may struggle with Charlie's character but I think Owen has cleverly developed the character so that the book works very well as stand alone. There is a gap between book 1 and this book but I didn't manage to work out how long the gap is but it was long enough for Charlie to go from a relationship back to single status.

Charlie is a very lonely character who fell into finding missing people by accident and has built a PI business around his natural skill for searching for, and usually finding, missing people. He has a difficult relationship with his parents who are very political and wealthy a lifestyle Charlie has shunned and I doubt he will be changing that anytime soon.

Charlie has a freelance helper in his investigative work in the shape of Pat who is usually in the middle of a marital crisis of one kind or another. He is a unique character with excellent people skills and has an important role in the investigations due to his extraordinary ability to persuade people to talk and divulge information where many others fail. I think Pat really comes into his own in this book as his character develops.

I find that these books have a certain amount of humour, whether that is intentional or not I don't know but I think it offsets the dark side excellently to produce a very gripping book full of suspense in which the reader isn't quite sure what is going to happen next.

Charlie is tasked with finding a missing husband and during his initial search is faced with the dead body of his friend from years ago. This sees Charlie not only juggling cases but also brings him face to face with long lost love. Emotionally he is in a bad place and ping ponging about getting nowhere with either case while Pat and his other friends try to persuade him to focus. Meanwhile he is in the site of drug lords who believe he has information they want.

This is a fast paced roller coaster of a thriller with a very realistic, personal touch and an unexpected ending.

Love the cover and blurb! PI Charlie Cameron is probably one of the most steadfast characters that I have ever read as far as mysteries and so unique.

What did I like? This author has the ability to juggle a couple of cases while writing and still have the ending come out amazing. PI Charlie seems to never get paid as he goes about solving his cases, and his clients almost always give up on him. Stalwart though he always follows through and gets his man!

Would I recommend or buy? I’ve really enjoyed how this author writes and makes his characters come out on top! I also love how interchangeable the characters are based on series. I would definitely read more by this author and I plan to do so. I recommend to people who love a great mystery!

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

PI Charlie Cameron #2

Private Investigator Charlie Cameron is looking for a man who disappeared after his sons suicide. When an unidentified body turns up at the morgue. Cameron is sure it's another case closed. But it's not the man he's been looking for. And it isn't a stranger. Suddenly, a routine investigation becomes a desperate fight for survival.

I have not read the first book in this series but i will resolve that soon. Charlie is trying to find Stephen McNeil when a body turns up at the mortuary, it's not the man Charlie is looking for but he does know the bodies identity. Charlie contacts his old friend in Spain to let them know and instantly puts himself in danger. He's managed to get himself caught up in a situation between drug dealers and hitmen.

The story takes place between Glasgow and Spain. The character are well developed and believable. The pace is fast from the start and the tension builds throughout. Charlie now has two cases to solve and a ruthless gangster family to avoid. This book can be read as a standalone.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldworldBooks and the author #OwenMullen for my ARC of #TheWronged in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the PI Charlie Cameron series and it has a steady pace throughout. There is good character development and an interesting plot with two cases going on. A missing husband and the murder of an old friend keep Charlie busy with investigations. Set in Glasgow with some touches of humour, it's a good read filled with atmosphere and interesting characters. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I have recently started reading books by Owen Mullen. I have to say i'm a little disappointed in myself for not reading these sooner.
I read the first book in this series 'Games People Play, so was excited when I got the chance to read this, the second book.

I'm liking the character that is PI Charlie Cameron. His latest job is to find a missing husband. He actually finds someone he knows, on the Mortuary table. Things take a big turn for Charlie and he must now fight to survive.
Charlie is brought to the attention of the Rafferty family. An underworld family that take no trouble from anyone.
I found this to be quite a fast moving read, a perfect book to get stuck into while I was curled up feeling ill. This took me away from the crap life throws at us and ploughed me in to Charlies life. What a ride it was. Certainly something you can put down and don't be surprised if you read it in one sitting.

I am now looking forward to getting my grips on the next book. Seeing what poor old Charlie boy is faced with next.

Glasgow based, fast moving thriller


Whilst investigating a missing husband case Charlie Camereon finds his old friend Ian Selkirk dead; an event which brings him to the attention of the powerful Rafferty gangster family. What follows is a fast moving thriller with mystery, twists, lots of action and high stakes to play for.
Set mostly in Glasgow, but with visits to the beautiful surrounding countryside and Edinburgh, this is a gritty story of how easy it is to suddenly find yourself the subject of an unwanted, very scary, spotlight. Will old friendships be rekindled? Can new enemies be appeased? The opening pages of the book are dramatic, and this sets the scene for the rest of the book - no gentle ramblings here!
The main characters are well developed, interesting and easy to follow. Glimpses of their lives and what makes them tick are given, making them very real. Many of the places, bars and towns visited in the book exist (according to Google), and many of the peripheral events seemed so real that I wondered if they were anecdotes from the author's past (not the gangster bits!). There are moments of violence in the book, (the Rafferty's are a frightening family) but these are in context and necessary for setting the scene.
The writing style is great. Lots of short sentences. No waffling dialogue. This is the 2nd book in the Charlie Cameron series, though they can be read as stand alone thrillers.
5*s from me as this book has everything - fast pace, build up of suspense, mystery, action, great characters, sub-plots and lots about Scotland. Just my sort of book!

This is a revised and re-edited edition of Old Friends and New Enemies.

A pleasant read to while away an evening. PI Charlie Cameron is contacted by an old friend, who needs money quickly. Unable to help, he is called to another case. When the two cases collide, he is thrown into the middle of a murder enquiry.

The plot gets deeper pretty quickly, and I became absorbed in the characters, who were pretty well drawn.

Good for those who like a steady investigation story.

Once again another fabulous book from Owen Mullen, he is definitely one of my go to authors. He always sends you on a wonderful journey with an array of characters of whom you become very invested in,. This was a great story and had me gripped from the beginning to the end. There are always a few surprises along the way, just when you think you may know where the story is going it takes a different turn. This is always the sign of a great read and I highly recommend this book to all. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and read it in a day, it was very hard to put down. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this new book from Owen, I loved it.

Previously published as Old friends and new enemies this is book 2 in the Charlie Cameron series. In this book Charlie is approached by Cecilia McNeil to search for a missing husband. Charlie contacts his mate in the police force and hears that there is a body in the morgue. When he goes to identify it he discovers it's an old friend who he hasn't seen for years
There are links with the Rafferty family, the local gangsters.
As this series continues we see a different side to Charlie especially as this case is personal to him
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

Great characters, lovely writing style, & a layered mystery with a good ending. I’m impressed with this one.

[What I liked:]

•I had fun looking up all the slang/dialect words I wasn’t familiar with.

•This is gritty. It opens with a torture scene. The details aren’t there just for the sake of gore, though; the writing delves into the emotional & psychological aspects of the scene in a way that doesn’t cheapen the bloodshed as just a spectacle. I respect that, & I think it takes skill to write.

•Without info dumping, the writer introduced the main characters & their motivations & the central narrative tensions in just a few pages. This established the stakes early on, giving the tension a platform to start building from. The character conflicts hinted at engaged me, giving me something to keep reading for to find out more. It’s a well written opening.

•I’m a sucker for unrequited love/second chance love stories. This book has a really nice one as a subplot.

•I really like the prose. Smooth, details when pertinent, believable dialogue, & a few lines worth highlighting.

•These are great characters, unique & interesting & with complex motivations, from the MC to his cleaning lady. Charlie is a very sympathetic character, & I enjoyed his narration & dry humor. Pat is hilarious & just a stand up guy. Ian was so colorful & all too easy to imagine. And the character development arcs were great; not just Charlie, but also Pat, Jackie, & even Big Issue Guy.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•I’m so confused! Andrew butters his bagels, then dips them in coffee “NYC style”, leaving behind flakes of sweet pastry in the drink. What the hell kinda bagel is a sweet flaky pastry? Who the hell dips bagels in coffee? Do they mean doughnuts? But then why butter a doughnut? I’m so, so confused over here.

•The MC uses the phrase “honest injun” multiple times. There’s really no reason to use racist language like that. Also, the MC is resentful of a gay waiter who “flaunted his sexuality”—casual homophobia.

•Kevin was a bit over the top. His father’s indulgence of him was explained well, but still he was really erratic.

CW: torture, murder, suicide, child death, drug abuse, alcoholism

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

Owen Mullen was a new addition to the long, and ever growing, list of Scottish crime fiction authors. Edinburgh is well serviced with its seemingly countless crime fighters, but Mullen fires Glasgow back into the forefront with Charlie Cameron.
A thoroughly enjoyable read and I will certainly add the author to the list of must reads.
Recommend.