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PI Charlie Cameron #1
Games People Play
An utterly gripping crime thriller from 'a major new force in British crime fiction.'
Thirteen-month-old Lily Hamilton is abducted from Ayr beach in Scotland while her parents are just yards away.
Three days later the distraught father turns up at private investigator Charlie Cameron's office. Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why.
Against his better judgment Charlie gets involved in the case and when more bodies are discovered the awful truth dawns: there is a serial killer whose work has gone undetected for decades.
Is baby Lily the latest victim of a madman?
For Charlie it’s too late, he can’t let go.
His demons won’t let him.
Games People Play is a stunning new crime thriller which will have you on the edge of your seat. It will appeal to fans of authors like; Lee Child, Peter May, Angela Marsons & Helen H Durrant
Thirteen-month-old Lily Hamilton is abducted from Ayr beach in Scotland while her parents are just yards away.
Three days later the distraught father turns up at private investigator Charlie Cameron's office. Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why.
Against his better judgment Charlie gets involved in the case and when more bodies are discovered the awful truth dawns: there is a serial killer whose work has gone undetected for decades.
Is baby Lily the latest victim of a madman?
For Charlie it’s too late, he can’t let go.
His demons won’t let him.
Games People Play is a stunning new crime thriller which will have you on the edge of your seat. It will appeal to fans of authors like; Lee Child, Peter May, Angela Marsons & Helen H Durrant
305 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2017
299 people are currently reading
815 people want to read
About the author
Owen Mullen
24 books191 followersBestselling author Owen Mullen is a McIlvanney Crime Book Of The Year long-listed novelist.
Owen Mullen graduated from Strathclyde University, moved to London and worked as a rock musician, session singer and songwriter, and had a hit record in Japan with a band he refuses to name; Owen still loves to perform on occasion. His great love for travel has taken him on many adventures from the Amazon and Africa to the colourful continent of India and Nepal. A gregarious recluse, he and his wife, Christine, split their time between Glasgow, and their home away from home in the Greek Islands where all of his crime thrillers were created.
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Copyright
Owen Mullen graduated from Strathclyde University, moved to London and worked as a rock musician, session singer and songwriter, and had a hit record in Japan with a band he refuses to name; Owen still loves to perform on occasion. His great love for travel has taken him on many adventures from the Amazon and Africa to the colourful continent of India and Nepal. A gregarious recluse, he and his wife, Christine, split their time between Glasgow, and their home away from home in the Greek Islands where all of his crime thrillers were created.
New and exciting things are happening in 2021 and if you'd like to know all about them ahead of time, subscribe to my newsletter. You won't be spammed but you will be sent exclusive competitions and giveaways, and oh yeah...get all the inside gen...
Sign up here 😃 bit.ly/JOINNEWSLETTER
If you would like a set of questions for book group discussions please contact me.
linktr.ee/OwenMullen
Copyright
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
July 19, 2018
EXCERPT: The Water was cold; colder than in the afternoon. When it was waist high she kicked her legs and headed out. Jennifer caught a glimpse of Mark and Lily standing on the sand: her whole universe. She loved them so much. That thought almost made her turn back. Instead she took a deep breath and dived.
It happened so fast. One minute she was swimming, the next the current was dragging her to the bottom. Seawater flooded her mouth. She fought, thrashed to the surface and tried to shout; a hoarse whisper was all that came. Her head went under and stayed under. Her lungs were on fire. With no warning it released her and she saw blue sky. Jennifer gulped shallow ragged breaths, shocked and scared, and started towards her family. She would never leave them again. But the decision was no longer hers. The force drew her back into a world without light or oxygen and this time it didn't let go. Her arm broke free in a desperate attempt to escape. Tongues of spray pulled it down and Jennifer knew she was going to die.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: On a warm summer's evening thirteen month old Lily Hamilton is abducted from Ayr beach in Scotland, taken while her parents are yards away. Three days later, the distraught father turns up at Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron's office and begs him to help. Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why.
Against his better judgement Charlie gets involved in a case he would be better off without. But when a child's body is discovered on Fenwick Moor, then another in St Andrews, the awful truth dawns: there is a serial killer out there whose work has gone undetected for decades. Baby Lily may be the latest victim of a madman.
For Charlie it's too late, he can't let go. His demons won't let him.
The stunning first novel featuring Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron. Games People Play will have the reader guessing to the very last page.
MY THOUGHTS: I love this book! It is breath-taking. It is unputdownable. There is not one dull or mediocre moment in this book. Quite simply - it is brilliant!
The characters captivate and entrance. I felt their pain, their indecision, their joy. Secrets, lies and infidelity abound.
"Four and a half weeks after they walked on the sand swinging their child between them, the family was damaged beyond repair, destroyed by guilt and betrayal. "
Mark and Jen Hamilton's decision to take 13 month old daughter Lily to Ayr Beach for the day was one they would live to regret. Jen's decision to take one final swim in the cold waters was one that would almost kill her - more then once. For while Mark races into the water to save his wife from drowning, then resuscitates her - someone abducts their daughter, left sitting in her pushchair on the sand.
When the distraught father turns up at Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron's office and begs him to help, Charlie gets involved against his better judgement. Finding missing people is what Charlie does. But not kids. Never kids. But Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why. And he is desperate for someone to help him.
A child's body is discovered on Fenwick Moor, then another in St Andrews. Neither is Lily. There is a child killer on the loose. Is Lily another victim?
I honestly can't believe this is a first novel. Both the quality of the writing and the plot are outstanding. More please Mr Mullen!
P.S. I have never done this before (well not so soon anyway!)....but I am reading this book again. I just couldn't stop thinking about it, so I have picked it up and am re-reading it....slowly this time, and savouring every lovely moment! Going back and re-reading passages, rolling the writing around in my mind and really appreciating it. First read through I just had to know what happened! This is appreciation time. Am I enjoying it any less because I know the outcome? NO! In fact, if I could, I would award it 6 stars this time around.
Wow! This has just made the best-seller list. well done Owen Mullen!
THE AUTHOR: OWEN MULLEN'S debut novel Games People Play has been long-listed for Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Crime Book Of The Year 2017.
And So It Began book #1 in the Delaney series was awarded ⭐Star Pick from the Sunday Times Crime Club.
School was a waste of time for me. Or rather, I wasted time; my own and every teacher’s who tried to get me to work. It took twenty years to appreciate what they were telling me. Life has rules. They aren’t written down but they exist nevertheless. I got that. Eventually. But by then I was thirty five.
Along the way I missed an important clue. At ten I won a national primary schools short story competition – and didn’t write anything else for forty years.
SMART BOY WANTED
APPLY WITHIN
As a teenager my big obsession was music. Early on I realised if I was successful I would probably be rich and famous and pull lots of girls.
So how did that turn out?
Well, you haven’t heard of me, have you? And this morning I caught myself worrying about the electricity bill. So the short answer is: one out of three ain’t bad.
Running around the country in a Transit van with your mates is fun. It’s your very own gang. You against the world. Until you fall out and the dream lies bleeding on the dressing-room floor.
When that happened I went to London
[everybody from Scotland goes to London, it’s like first footing at New Year, or ten pints of lager and a vindaloo on a Friday night; a sacred tradition]
and became a session singer. I also started gigging with different bands on the circuit.
Back in Scotland - most of us come back with wild tales of great success, none of them true - I wondered what I should do with myself and didn’t have to wait long for the answer. Her name was Christine. We got married, I went to Strathclyde Uni and got a bunch of letters after my name, and toughing it out at Shotts Miner’s Welfare, or dodging flying beer cans at the Café Club in Baillieston, was in the past. The long hair was short now, I wore a suit and pretended to like people I didn’t like because we were ‘colleagues’.
After many adventures I started my own marketing and design business and did alright. Christine and I were very happy, we travelled all over the place; India, Brazil, Botswana, Nepal, Borneo, Japan. One day I suggested we move. To the Greek islands. So we did. We bought land and built a beautiful villa overlooking the Mediterranean. Then the pan global financial crash happened, years of fiscal carelessness finally caught up with Greece; the exchange rate dived and the cost of living in Paradise went through the roof.
I had to do something. Then I remembered the short story competition. I had been good at writing, hadn’t I?
I wrote another short story called The King Is Dead…the first thing I’d written since primary school. When I typed the last word [Christine taught me to type] I held the pages in my hand then started to read. An hour and a half, rooted to the chair unable to believe what was in front of my eyes. For four decades I had shunned a god given gift. And as I read I started to understand why. It was awful. Not just bad. Bloody terrible.
But I kept going.
And now, eight years and seven books later, three literary agents plus two I turned down [they were reading a different book] I am a writer. My books are on Amazon. People buy them and come back for more.
One seasoned London agent has predicted I am destined to be ‘a major new force in British crime fiction.’
Yeah!
So is the moral: follow my example, find something you’re good at and stick with it. Hardly. I didn’t, did I? Do it your own way; it’s your life.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Owen Mullen for an ARC of Games People Play in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
It happened so fast. One minute she was swimming, the next the current was dragging her to the bottom. Seawater flooded her mouth. She fought, thrashed to the surface and tried to shout; a hoarse whisper was all that came. Her head went under and stayed under. Her lungs were on fire. With no warning it released her and she saw blue sky. Jennifer gulped shallow ragged breaths, shocked and scared, and started towards her family. She would never leave them again. But the decision was no longer hers. The force drew her back into a world without light or oxygen and this time it didn't let go. Her arm broke free in a desperate attempt to escape. Tongues of spray pulled it down and Jennifer knew she was going to die.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: On a warm summer's evening thirteen month old Lily Hamilton is abducted from Ayr beach in Scotland, taken while her parents are yards away. Three days later, the distraught father turns up at Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron's office and begs him to help. Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why.
Against his better judgement Charlie gets involved in a case he would be better off without. But when a child's body is discovered on Fenwick Moor, then another in St Andrews, the awful truth dawns: there is a serial killer out there whose work has gone undetected for decades. Baby Lily may be the latest victim of a madman.
For Charlie it's too late, he can't let go. His demons won't let him.
The stunning first novel featuring Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron. Games People Play will have the reader guessing to the very last page.
MY THOUGHTS: I love this book! It is breath-taking. It is unputdownable. There is not one dull or mediocre moment in this book. Quite simply - it is brilliant!
The characters captivate and entrance. I felt their pain, their indecision, their joy. Secrets, lies and infidelity abound.
"Four and a half weeks after they walked on the sand swinging their child between them, the family was damaged beyond repair, destroyed by guilt and betrayal. "
Mark and Jen Hamilton's decision to take 13 month old daughter Lily to Ayr Beach for the day was one they would live to regret. Jen's decision to take one final swim in the cold waters was one that would almost kill her - more then once. For while Mark races into the water to save his wife from drowning, then resuscitates her - someone abducts their daughter, left sitting in her pushchair on the sand.
When the distraught father turns up at Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron's office and begs him to help, Charlie gets involved against his better judgement. Finding missing people is what Charlie does. But not kids. Never kids. But Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why. And he is desperate for someone to help him.
A child's body is discovered on Fenwick Moor, then another in St Andrews. Neither is Lily. There is a child killer on the loose. Is Lily another victim?
I honestly can't believe this is a first novel. Both the quality of the writing and the plot are outstanding. More please Mr Mullen!
P.S. I have never done this before (well not so soon anyway!)....but I am reading this book again. I just couldn't stop thinking about it, so I have picked it up and am re-reading it....slowly this time, and savouring every lovely moment! Going back and re-reading passages, rolling the writing around in my mind and really appreciating it. First read through I just had to know what happened! This is appreciation time. Am I enjoying it any less because I know the outcome? NO! In fact, if I could, I would award it 6 stars this time around.
Wow! This has just made the best-seller list. well done Owen Mullen!
THE AUTHOR: OWEN MULLEN'S debut novel Games People Play has been long-listed for Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Crime Book Of The Year 2017.
And So It Began book #1 in the Delaney series was awarded ⭐Star Pick from the Sunday Times Crime Club.
School was a waste of time for me. Or rather, I wasted time; my own and every teacher’s who tried to get me to work. It took twenty years to appreciate what they were telling me. Life has rules. They aren’t written down but they exist nevertheless. I got that. Eventually. But by then I was thirty five.
Along the way I missed an important clue. At ten I won a national primary schools short story competition – and didn’t write anything else for forty years.
SMART BOY WANTED
APPLY WITHIN
As a teenager my big obsession was music. Early on I realised if I was successful I would probably be rich and famous and pull lots of girls.
So how did that turn out?
Well, you haven’t heard of me, have you? And this morning I caught myself worrying about the electricity bill. So the short answer is: one out of three ain’t bad.
Running around the country in a Transit van with your mates is fun. It’s your very own gang. You against the world. Until you fall out and the dream lies bleeding on the dressing-room floor.
When that happened I went to London
[everybody from Scotland goes to London, it’s like first footing at New Year, or ten pints of lager and a vindaloo on a Friday night; a sacred tradition]
and became a session singer. I also started gigging with different bands on the circuit.
Back in Scotland - most of us come back with wild tales of great success, none of them true - I wondered what I should do with myself and didn’t have to wait long for the answer. Her name was Christine. We got married, I went to Strathclyde Uni and got a bunch of letters after my name, and toughing it out at Shotts Miner’s Welfare, or dodging flying beer cans at the Café Club in Baillieston, was in the past. The long hair was short now, I wore a suit and pretended to like people I didn’t like because we were ‘colleagues’.
After many adventures I started my own marketing and design business and did alright. Christine and I were very happy, we travelled all over the place; India, Brazil, Botswana, Nepal, Borneo, Japan. One day I suggested we move. To the Greek islands. So we did. We bought land and built a beautiful villa overlooking the Mediterranean. Then the pan global financial crash happened, years of fiscal carelessness finally caught up with Greece; the exchange rate dived and the cost of living in Paradise went through the roof.
I had to do something. Then I remembered the short story competition. I had been good at writing, hadn’t I?
I wrote another short story called The King Is Dead…the first thing I’d written since primary school. When I typed the last word [Christine taught me to type] I held the pages in my hand then started to read. An hour and a half, rooted to the chair unable to believe what was in front of my eyes. For four decades I had shunned a god given gift. And as I read I started to understand why. It was awful. Not just bad. Bloody terrible.
But I kept going.
And now, eight years and seven books later, three literary agents plus two I turned down [they were reading a different book] I am a writer. My books are on Amazon. People buy them and come back for more.
One seasoned London agent has predicted I am destined to be ‘a major new force in British crime fiction.’
Yeah!
So is the moral: follow my example, find something you’re good at and stick with it. Hardly. I didn’t, did I? Do it your own way; it’s your life.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Owen Mullen for an ARC of Games People Play in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
April 1, 2016
Games People Play is a solid debut novel by British author Owen Mullen. It was good enough that I immediately ran to Amazon and purchased book 2 when I finished.
The tale is basically about the disappearance of a little girl in broad daylight and the myriad of repercussions that follow. I have to admit it took me about a third of the novel to be totally drawn in, but it was worth it to get to what came after. This book features the infrequent combination of a first-rate crime plot plus excellent characterization. We get a good look at the far-reaching effects of “an innocent affair” and how adversely the lives of “innocent bystanders” can be impacted. We are mainly privy to the thoughts of Charlie Cameron, a private investigator with a traumatic past; but we also get a peek at the “rationale” of the abductor. We see the extreme pressure the police are under to crack the case and the repercussions on the psyche and personal life of one cop in particular. Other interesting players include a local rock star (Kate), a bar manager (Jackie), a former cop stricken with cancer (Ronnie), Charlie’s alcoholic assistant (Patrick), and a guy named Richard Hill.
I thought I had the identity of the abductor all figured out, but I was bamboozled at the end. I’m not sure the clues are strong enough for me to have had any chance of guessing the abductor’s identity, but perhaps some smarter reader might do so. I did love the myriad of surprises scattered throughout and the side plots.
All in all, I was favorably impressed by Mr. Mullen’s first novel, and I definitely plan to continue on with the series. Highly recommended.
The tale is basically about the disappearance of a little girl in broad daylight and the myriad of repercussions that follow. I have to admit it took me about a third of the novel to be totally drawn in, but it was worth it to get to what came after. This book features the infrequent combination of a first-rate crime plot plus excellent characterization. We get a good look at the far-reaching effects of “an innocent affair” and how adversely the lives of “innocent bystanders” can be impacted. We are mainly privy to the thoughts of Charlie Cameron, a private investigator with a traumatic past; but we also get a peek at the “rationale” of the abductor. We see the extreme pressure the police are under to crack the case and the repercussions on the psyche and personal life of one cop in particular. Other interesting players include a local rock star (Kate), a bar manager (Jackie), a former cop stricken with cancer (Ronnie), Charlie’s alcoholic assistant (Patrick), and a guy named Richard Hill.
I thought I had the identity of the abductor all figured out, but I was bamboozled at the end. I’m not sure the clues are strong enough for me to have had any chance of guessing the abductor’s identity, but perhaps some smarter reader might do so. I did love the myriad of surprises scattered throughout and the side plots.
All in all, I was favorably impressed by Mr. Mullen’s first novel, and I definitely plan to continue on with the series. Highly recommended.
August 1, 2018
I liked the main character, PI Charlie Cameron, and his cohorts. Charlie’s childhood trauma made me sympathetic. Charlie specializes in finding missing persons, but not usually children, so this is the focus in the book. The missing toddler, the recovery of remains in a cold case, the missing mistress, and the missing teacher all played out in a satisfactory ending.
It took me quite awhile to get used to the writing style, mostly because of the incorrect use of commas. Some were inserted between sentences instead of periods; some were missing. They kept throwing me off pace. A bit of editing would have helped improve this book to a 5 star rating from me because there was a lot of potential. I have the subsequent books, and I’m hoping they show improvement.
It took me quite awhile to get used to the writing style, mostly because of the incorrect use of commas. Some were inserted between sentences instead of periods; some were missing. They kept throwing me off pace. A bit of editing would have helped improve this book to a 5 star rating from me because there was a lot of potential. I have the subsequent books, and I’m hoping they show improvement.
January 25, 2019
Games People Play is a strong novel from an author to watch. I read a lot of crime fiction so this was a refreshing change to have the central character be a Private Investigator and have characters from the police force in the background to his role. It gave a complex edge to the character representation within the book.
The synopsis of this book really excited me and the plot itself is tense and really well written.I was absolutely hooked on certain scenes but then at other times would find the book felt over-worded and too drawn out. I think the book could have been shortened to give it that total punch that I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong this is a well written novel and a very impressive one at that, but when you have read a lot in this genre and compare what this needed was that ongoing tension and at times it drifted too far away from it.
On a warm summer's evening thirteen month old Lily Hamilton is abducted from Ayr beach in Scotland, taken while her parents are yards away. Three days later, the distraught father turns up at Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron's office and begs him to help. Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why.
Against his better judgement Charlie gets involved in a case he would be better off without. But when a child's body is discovered on Fenwick Moor, then another in St Andrews, the awful truth dawns: there is a serial killer out there whose work has gone undetected for decades. Baby Lily may be the latest victim of a madman.
For Charlie it's too late, he can't let go. His demons won't let him.
Charlie is a really complex character, I warmed to him over time as the book rolled out. There are a lot of other interesting other characters weaved into the book also. At times I felt dialogue was taking up too much of the book and a tad repetitive. Some of the character I really connected with and others stayed out of reach.
The best parts of the book for me were when Charlie was out and about, chasing up leads, talking to people, looking for answers as to where Baby Lily has gone. It's a case that haunts him and he can't let go and over time we are given the satisfaction of understanding why this burns so much inside of Charlie. He is not a perfect man, damaged with baggage but with a heart of gold and a way about him that endeared him to me.
If it was not for the parts of the book that I felt were rambling somewhat for the sake of it with too much peripheral detail and dialogue that didn't enhance the story this would have been an absolute page-turner for me. I got bored of continuous almost repetitive scenes in the pub venue where Charlie has his office housed (being honest!). I did think the plot was excellent and loved the twists it took towards the end of the book, that was great tense stuff!
Overall a good read. Certain Editors may have chopped and cut parts of this book to bring it more inline with a really snappy crime thriller that has a pace that can't let you go. Maybe that's just me, I read so many books like that. I would happily recommend Games People Play to fans of a good thriller, it will throw in a serial-killer that you love to hate, a case that is heart-breaking for all involved and some complex characters for you to spend some time with. I am eager to read the next instalment featuring Charlie, he is not a character you can forget. Nice work. 4 stars from me.
I don't sugar coat my reviews, I sincerely hope that with constructive feedback from all reviewers that good authors go on to be great authors, because hey, we never stop learning do we?
Thanks so much to Owen Mullen for a copy of his novel to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed it please leave me a “like” or a comment, I love to interact with other book lovers! For more of my book reviews, plenty of awesome books to win, and live author Q&A events come to: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
The synopsis of this book really excited me and the plot itself is tense and really well written.I was absolutely hooked on certain scenes but then at other times would find the book felt over-worded and too drawn out. I think the book could have been shortened to give it that total punch that I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong this is a well written novel and a very impressive one at that, but when you have read a lot in this genre and compare what this needed was that ongoing tension and at times it drifted too far away from it.
On a warm summer's evening thirteen month old Lily Hamilton is abducted from Ayr beach in Scotland, taken while her parents are yards away. Three days later, the distraught father turns up at Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron's office and begs him to help. Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why.
Against his better judgement Charlie gets involved in a case he would be better off without. But when a child's body is discovered on Fenwick Moor, then another in St Andrews, the awful truth dawns: there is a serial killer out there whose work has gone undetected for decades. Baby Lily may be the latest victim of a madman.
For Charlie it's too late, he can't let go. His demons won't let him.
Charlie is a really complex character, I warmed to him over time as the book rolled out. There are a lot of other interesting other characters weaved into the book also. At times I felt dialogue was taking up too much of the book and a tad repetitive. Some of the character I really connected with and others stayed out of reach.
The best parts of the book for me were when Charlie was out and about, chasing up leads, talking to people, looking for answers as to where Baby Lily has gone. It's a case that haunts him and he can't let go and over time we are given the satisfaction of understanding why this burns so much inside of Charlie. He is not a perfect man, damaged with baggage but with a heart of gold and a way about him that endeared him to me.
If it was not for the parts of the book that I felt were rambling somewhat for the sake of it with too much peripheral detail and dialogue that didn't enhance the story this would have been an absolute page-turner for me. I got bored of continuous almost repetitive scenes in the pub venue where Charlie has his office housed (being honest!). I did think the plot was excellent and loved the twists it took towards the end of the book, that was great tense stuff!
Overall a good read. Certain Editors may have chopped and cut parts of this book to bring it more inline with a really snappy crime thriller that has a pace that can't let you go. Maybe that's just me, I read so many books like that. I would happily recommend Games People Play to fans of a good thriller, it will throw in a serial-killer that you love to hate, a case that is heart-breaking for all involved and some complex characters for you to spend some time with. I am eager to read the next instalment featuring Charlie, he is not a character you can forget. Nice work. 4 stars from me.
I don't sugar coat my reviews, I sincerely hope that with constructive feedback from all reviewers that good authors go on to be great authors, because hey, we never stop learning do we?
Thanks so much to Owen Mullen for a copy of his novel to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed it please leave me a “like” or a comment, I love to interact with other book lovers! For more of my book reviews, plenty of awesome books to win, and live author Q&A events come to: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
July 1, 2016
Mark and Jennifer’s lives are in tatters after their baby daughter, Lily, is abducted. Mark knows who took her but if he tells police and his wife it will destroy his marriage forever.
Charlie Cameron, a PI specialising in missing persons, is asked to help find Lily. Charlie has his own nightmare-causing demons and has a no missing children policy. Will he put his fears aside and take this case?
Games people play is a taut mystery thriller with multiple plot lines that weave throughout the story.
Character development is a big focus through out the novel but not in detriment to the intricate plot. The characters are real people with real problems.
Lily’s disappearance is the main story but there are other stories intertwined. Like the disappearance of an 18 year old student and one of her teachers and Mullen brings his love of music into the mix with a story about the band Big River and its new member Kate Calder and the start of a rocky romance for Charlie. All the stories combine well to show different sides of the characters.
I had a good laugh over women seeming to be the cause of all problems for men.
I loved the twists and the descriptions of the streets of Glasgow.
Games People Play is an outstanding debut novel well executed and expertly plotted.
With my thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
Charlie Cameron, a PI specialising in missing persons, is asked to help find Lily. Charlie has his own nightmare-causing demons and has a no missing children policy. Will he put his fears aside and take this case?
Games people play is a taut mystery thriller with multiple plot lines that weave throughout the story.
Character development is a big focus through out the novel but not in detriment to the intricate plot. The characters are real people with real problems.
Lily’s disappearance is the main story but there are other stories intertwined. Like the disappearance of an 18 year old student and one of her teachers and Mullen brings his love of music into the mix with a story about the band Big River and its new member Kate Calder and the start of a rocky romance for Charlie. All the stories combine well to show different sides of the characters.
I had a good laugh over women seeming to be the cause of all problems for men.
I loved the twists and the descriptions of the streets of Glasgow.
Games People Play is an outstanding debut novel well executed and expertly plotted.
With my thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
May 27, 2021
Lily Hamilton is a thirteen-month-old baby who has been abducted from a beach in Scotland. Lily’s father is asking for help from private investigator Charlie Cameron. After a few day Charlie is seeing that nothing is simple as it looks. Great thriller! Thank you Netgalley for this book.
January 10, 2017
On a warm summer’s evening, thirteen-month-old Lily Hamilton is abducted from Ayr beach in Scotland, taken while her parents are yards away. Three days later, the distraught father turns up at Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron’s office and begs him to help. Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why. Against his better judgement Charlie gets involved in a case he would be better off without. But when a child’s body is discovered on Fenwick Moor, then another in St Andrews, the awful truth dawns: there is a serial killer out there whose work has gone undetected for decades. Baby Lily may be the latest victim of a madman. For Charlie it’s too late, he can’t let go. His demons won’t let him. The stunning first novel in a gripping mystery series. Games People Play will have you guessing to the very last line.
What a pleasant surprise!! I've had this book on the radar for a while and I jumped at the chance when offered a review copy.
This book is genuinely first class writing. With a great story and plot and full of Scottish grit and humor.
All the characters are cleverly cast, but the character I warmed to most is the main character, Private Investigator, Charlie Cameron. Charlie likes to do things his way and usually with good results, but this case has got under his skin and perhaps he should pass this one on to the police! The story gains more pace in the second half of the book and revealing a brilliant finish which I never saw coming.
I was itching to give this 5 stars, but I felt the whole story took a while to get going. Although saying this, it never averted my attention as the story just encouraged you to read on and discover the outcome.
I have full praise for this book and Author. An exciting new name in the crime fiction and I will definitely be continuing with this series. A total joy to read!!
A solid 4.5* and highly recommended.
What a pleasant surprise!! I've had this book on the radar for a while and I jumped at the chance when offered a review copy.
This book is genuinely first class writing. With a great story and plot and full of Scottish grit and humor.
All the characters are cleverly cast, but the character I warmed to most is the main character, Private Investigator, Charlie Cameron. Charlie likes to do things his way and usually with good results, but this case has got under his skin and perhaps he should pass this one on to the police! The story gains more pace in the second half of the book and revealing a brilliant finish which I never saw coming.
I was itching to give this 5 stars, but I felt the whole story took a while to get going. Although saying this, it never averted my attention as the story just encouraged you to read on and discover the outcome.
I have full praise for this book and Author. An exciting new name in the crime fiction and I will definitely be continuing with this series. A total joy to read!!
A solid 4.5* and highly recommended.
April 4, 2016
He's pushing his baby daughter in a stroller. His wife wants to take one more dip into the water. When she's sucked under by the current, he runs to keep his wife from drowning. In his rescue attempt, baby Lily is taken ... and no one has seen a thing.
Charlie Cameron is a Private Investigator hired by the father to find his daughter. He feels that a woman he had an affair with is the culprit. Because of his background, Charlie knows he should not take this case ...not any case involving a child.
And then he gets a second case ... a missing college student who may have run off with one of her professors. Because of some bad decisions, he is fired from this case, but he doesn't stop investigating.
And while Charlie is being extremely busy, there is also a task force looking into child abductions.
The book is well-written. Charlie is a terrific character, with layer upon layer of inconsistencies. He is somewhat distant from his father, leading to few family visits or phone calls. His former partner is in the hospital, dying. But Charlie is so likeable. He works very hard and leaves no stone unturned when looking for a missing person.
The first chapter had my heart palpitating. Then it slowed down a bit while the author took care of introduce the characters fully. And once it took off again, it was palpable tension.
This is the first novel that features Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron. You need to meet him up close and personal.
Many thanks to the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Charlie Cameron is a Private Investigator hired by the father to find his daughter. He feels that a woman he had an affair with is the culprit. Because of his background, Charlie knows he should not take this case ...not any case involving a child.
And then he gets a second case ... a missing college student who may have run off with one of her professors. Because of some bad decisions, he is fired from this case, but he doesn't stop investigating.
And while Charlie is being extremely busy, there is also a task force looking into child abductions.
The book is well-written. Charlie is a terrific character, with layer upon layer of inconsistencies. He is somewhat distant from his father, leading to few family visits or phone calls. His former partner is in the hospital, dying. But Charlie is so likeable. He works very hard and leaves no stone unturned when looking for a missing person.
The first chapter had my heart palpitating. Then it slowed down a bit while the author took care of introduce the characters fully. And once it took off again, it was palpable tension.
This is the first novel that features Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron. You need to meet him up close and personal.
Many thanks to the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
April 4, 2016
Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. Sometimes it depends on how you define winning, or losing. Games People Play by Owen Mullen has many more moments of “the agony of defeat” than it does of “the thrill of victory,” because, well, life is hard, especially when one encounters twisted, evil, or misguided people. When a thirteen-month-old girl is snatched in broad daylight on a beach in Scotland, her distraught father turns to Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron. He is absolutely certain that he knows who has his little daughter, and he hires Cameron to find her. The thing is, Charlie will gladly search for missing adults, but he will not take cases involving children. Still, he ignores his gut and the advice of his friend, DS Andrew Geddes, and agrees to try to find the woman who supposedly abducted the child.
Easier said than done. Naturally, being an investigator whose specialty is finding missing persons, another case intervenes. Charlie goes back and forth between the two cases, hitting brick walls and dead ends. It took at least a third of the book for me to feel fully engaged in the story. The plot meanders and rambles; some scenes felt repetitious. I loved the characters, however. There is a lot of angst and drama and drinking. The latter is to be expected, I suppose, given that Charlie’s office is located above a pub. It all felt very Scottish, and despite the wordiness in some parts, I found myself wishing for more descriptions of the actual setting and took breaks to look up various landmarks that were mentioned.
The bleak weather certainly set the mood, and Charlie, his buddy Patrick, and DS Geddes had far more than a wee bit to feel gloomy about. Mr. Mullen produced some interesting suspects and kept me constantly guessing. Who’s lying? Who’s scared? Who’s playing games? Will they find the missing child? Dead or alive? What about the other case? How will that turn out? I thought I’d outsmarted the pros; I was totally fooled. It was a rather sneaky solution, one I hadn’t considered, but rather brilliant.
And then there is Charlie’s personal life. That’s in turmoil too. It took a while for him to grow on me, as he is a complex man. In the end, I liked him quite well, and I look forward to reading the second book. I hope to see more of Kate, DS Geddes, Jackie, Alan, Patrick, and Gail. The dialogue is sprinkled with realism, humor, and romance that kept me turning pages even when the narrative wandered a bit. Owen Mullen has a promising future, I think.
My special thanks go to Booklover Catlady Publicity and the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for my unbiased, honest review.
4 stars
Easier said than done. Naturally, being an investigator whose specialty is finding missing persons, another case intervenes. Charlie goes back and forth between the two cases, hitting brick walls and dead ends. It took at least a third of the book for me to feel fully engaged in the story. The plot meanders and rambles; some scenes felt repetitious. I loved the characters, however. There is a lot of angst and drama and drinking. The latter is to be expected, I suppose, given that Charlie’s office is located above a pub. It all felt very Scottish, and despite the wordiness in some parts, I found myself wishing for more descriptions of the actual setting and took breaks to look up various landmarks that were mentioned.
The bleak weather certainly set the mood, and Charlie, his buddy Patrick, and DS Geddes had far more than a wee bit to feel gloomy about. Mr. Mullen produced some interesting suspects and kept me constantly guessing. Who’s lying? Who’s scared? Who’s playing games? Will they find the missing child? Dead or alive? What about the other case? How will that turn out? I thought I’d outsmarted the pros; I was totally fooled. It was a rather sneaky solution, one I hadn’t considered, but rather brilliant.
And then there is Charlie’s personal life. That’s in turmoil too. It took a while for him to grow on me, as he is a complex man. In the end, I liked him quite well, and I look forward to reading the second book. I hope to see more of Kate, DS Geddes, Jackie, Alan, Patrick, and Gail. The dialogue is sprinkled with realism, humor, and romance that kept me turning pages even when the narrative wandered a bit. Owen Mullen has a promising future, I think.
My special thanks go to Booklover Catlady Publicity and the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for my unbiased, honest review.
4 stars
June 19, 2016
This was a bit of a slow burner for me, I took about halfway through to really get my teeth into it.
If your wife was drowning before your eyes and you took your eyes off your baby in the stroller just for a moment, you look back..............gone.
And what is stranger, no one has seen a thing.
I am not going to go into details because, this story had been weaving for the entire first half of my read and I didn't realize it, it was only halfway through that it all came together for me. I then saw that the groundwork the domino effect on innocent people and those who were thought to be guilty was taking effect and unraveling before my eyes.
This is an author you need to keep an eye on.
My thanks to Maxine for adding this to her endless amount of reading material for us to enjoy.
My thanks also to the author who had me by the short and curlies when it came to the ending.
April 15, 2016
I have not read many crime/thriller novels. In my opinion this is a winner! I would like to actually give it a 3.5 star rating. Charlie Cameron is a haunted good guy. He is witty, compassionate, and sympathetic to others. I would want to hang out with him. He is a PI with some secrets and a painful past. Because of that past, he takes a very disturbing case where an 13 month old little girl, Lily, is stolen from her parents in broad daylight at the beach. We will learn this is a little too close to home later.
As the story unfolds we find out there is a serial killer of children on the loose; and the body count grows. There are a myriad of interesting characters, including a love interest for the romantics. The book is written with a lot of dialogue between the characters which I liked. I could see it being played out in a movie. I kept picturing a Jesse Stone type (Tom Selleck). The book blurb states that this will have the reader guessing all the way to the very last page. I agree! I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to readers of crime and mystery. The pacing was just right and I never got bored. I am looking forward to reading the next Charlie Cameron thriller later this month. This read was very gratifying and I am definitely interested in reading more by Owen Mullen.
I received a free copy from the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!
As the story unfolds we find out there is a serial killer of children on the loose; and the body count grows. There are a myriad of interesting characters, including a love interest for the romantics. The book is written with a lot of dialogue between the characters which I liked. I could see it being played out in a movie. I kept picturing a Jesse Stone type (Tom Selleck). The book blurb states that this will have the reader guessing all the way to the very last page. I agree! I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to readers of crime and mystery. The pacing was just right and I never got bored. I am looking forward to reading the next Charlie Cameron thriller later this month. This read was very gratifying and I am definitely interested in reading more by Owen Mullen.
I received a free copy from the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!
March 31, 2016
Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron finds people, but not kids. However, when the father of an abducted toddler asks for his help, Charlie gets involved although he knows that, due to his own history, it's not a wise decision.
When he is then also asked to look into the disappearance of a young female student who vanished after a night out, the plot thickens. With the two different storylines, a detailed character study of Charlie, and all the goings-on at the New York Blue, the place from where Charlie conducts his business, Game People Play never got dull.
What I particularly loved about the book is the authenticity of the characters, the vividly described locations and the fact that the plot held plenty of surprises.
I thought the descriptions of the places, the people, the atmosphere and the attitudes were wonderfully realistic and made the entire book feel very credible. I felt transported back to the years I spent in Scotland.
Charlie is an appealing character with a ton of baggage from his childhood and a heart of gold, and I'm really interested to see how his personal and professional life will unfold in the next installment of this detective series.
Great character-driven crime fiction, tautly written with some brilliant dialogue and one-liners. A very impressive debut!
When he is then also asked to look into the disappearance of a young female student who vanished after a night out, the plot thickens. With the two different storylines, a detailed character study of Charlie, and all the goings-on at the New York Blue, the place from where Charlie conducts his business, Game People Play never got dull.
What I particularly loved about the book is the authenticity of the characters, the vividly described locations and the fact that the plot held plenty of surprises.
I thought the descriptions of the places, the people, the atmosphere and the attitudes were wonderfully realistic and made the entire book feel very credible. I felt transported back to the years I spent in Scotland.
Charlie is an appealing character with a ton of baggage from his childhood and a heart of gold, and I'm really interested to see how his personal and professional life will unfold in the next installment of this detective series.
Great character-driven crime fiction, tautly written with some brilliant dialogue and one-liners. A very impressive debut!
January 19, 2017
The story begins with the abduction of baby Lily at the beach of Ayr, Scotland. Her father Mark Hamilton has to leave her on the beach in her pram in order to save the life of his wife who had went for a swim in the ocean.
Charlie Cameron, the protagonist of the book, is a Private Investigator in Glasgow and gets involved into the abduction of Lily because Mark mandates him to find his Ex-Affair Donna Morton, who he believes of having taken his daughter as a revenge for him leaving her for his wife.
Charlie became a PI because his sister Pamela has been abducted when they were children, and has never been seen since. Till this day he is traumatised and made it his mission to help other people find their missing children.
Although Charlie is very good in what he does, he is not as busy as he would wish but in addition to his job he has to put his private life back on track too. Maybe the new lead singer of the resident band of the NYB can help him with this? Or is he going to screw it again?
Now, that is what I call a solid piece of writing! I really enjoyed myself reading this book. The plot is varied and sometimes even slightly funny (although it is a crime novel), but in general it is enthralling and keeps you reading.
The main character, and the even the secondary characters, are very likeable and therefore you want to know how they are doing throughout the whole book. Especially Charlie’s life is enthralling itself and makes it easy wanting the reader to follow his story.
This book is well written and a wonderful read. I honestly enjoyed every page of it and I didn’t have to run down a page even once which was very nice for a change because I had to do so in the past quite frequently.
Owen Mullen is a very talented writer and reminded me of the ability of stirring someone with writing.
Reviewed by Kerstin on www.whisperingstories.com
Charlie Cameron, the protagonist of the book, is a Private Investigator in Glasgow and gets involved into the abduction of Lily because Mark mandates him to find his Ex-Affair Donna Morton, who he believes of having taken his daughter as a revenge for him leaving her for his wife.
Charlie became a PI because his sister Pamela has been abducted when they were children, and has never been seen since. Till this day he is traumatised and made it his mission to help other people find their missing children.
Although Charlie is very good in what he does, he is not as busy as he would wish but in addition to his job he has to put his private life back on track too. Maybe the new lead singer of the resident band of the NYB can help him with this? Or is he going to screw it again?
Now, that is what I call a solid piece of writing! I really enjoyed myself reading this book. The plot is varied and sometimes even slightly funny (although it is a crime novel), but in general it is enthralling and keeps you reading.
The main character, and the even the secondary characters, are very likeable and therefore you want to know how they are doing throughout the whole book. Especially Charlie’s life is enthralling itself and makes it easy wanting the reader to follow his story.
This book is well written and a wonderful read. I honestly enjoyed every page of it and I didn’t have to run down a page even once which was very nice for a change because I had to do so in the past quite frequently.
Owen Mullen is a very talented writer and reminded me of the ability of stirring someone with writing.
Reviewed by Kerstin on www.whisperingstories.com
February 27, 2016
Games People Play by Owen Mullen
There is a line early in this book that sums it up perfectly - "Guilt never leaves, it never lets go, not really, and it hadn’t with me". That single thought echoes through the whole book, by blending Charlies personal story with ongoing cases.
The story is well paced (it doesn't plod, doesn't race ahead of itself), this isn't a cozy mystery, but isn't a full on gritty Glaswegian crime novel either. I enjoyed the writing style, it cleverly entwines a number of stories from past and present and there are enough twists to keep you reading and even though the subject matter is uncomfortable, it is well handled.
The characters all feel very realistic, we all have a Jackie & a Pat in our lives! I enjoyed the mix of police/ex police/private investigator and the "by hook or by crook" approach. I think I will have to buy the second book now as I'm intrigued to find out what mischief Owen has planned for the regulars at New York Blue.
There is a line early in this book that sums it up perfectly - "Guilt never leaves, it never lets go, not really, and it hadn’t with me". That single thought echoes through the whole book, by blending Charlies personal story with ongoing cases.
The story is well paced (it doesn't plod, doesn't race ahead of itself), this isn't a cozy mystery, but isn't a full on gritty Glaswegian crime novel either. I enjoyed the writing style, it cleverly entwines a number of stories from past and present and there are enough twists to keep you reading and even though the subject matter is uncomfortable, it is well handled.
The characters all feel very realistic, we all have a Jackie & a Pat in our lives! I enjoyed the mix of police/ex police/private investigator and the "by hook or by crook" approach. I think I will have to buy the second book now as I'm intrigued to find out what mischief Owen has planned for the regulars at New York Blue.
February 7, 2017
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
This book opens with the abduction of baby Lily and my anxiety about what had happened to her and where she ended up never dissipated. Charlie Cameron is a PI in Glasgow and his speciality is finding missing people, but he doesn’t take cases where there is a child missing. Ever. Mark Hamilton is Lily’s father and when he begs Charlie for help, he can’t resist despite knowing that this is exactly the type of case he should steer clear of. As he begins to follow the very few leads given to him, Charlie battles demons from his past and the truth about the child’s abduction brings many surprising twists along the way.
Besides the case of Lily, there is a serial killer who’s just been captured and his victims are all children. As the locations of their gravesites are shared, (maddeningly slowly) none of them are Lily. Mullen crafted a cunning killer with this character, one that made my skin crawl and sent cold chills up my spine.
I loved that Charlie was a PI and not a cop, it brought a refreshing and unique perspective to the book. Though the story is full of a fantastic cast of characters I connected with Charlie the most. He’s complex, full of a variety of issues that really humanized him. The setting of Glasgow was beautiful and played nicely alongside the plot, which speaking of the plot, it was tense and tightly wound and ended up going in directions that I wasn’t expecting.
I also have to mention Mullen’s use of humor, it was spot on and there were plenty of scenes with witty banter that made me chuckle. I can’t wait to see what happens to Charlie next, both personally and professionally and crime fiction fans looking for a fresh and engaging read need to grab this one ASAP.
This book opens with the abduction of baby Lily and my anxiety about what had happened to her and where she ended up never dissipated. Charlie Cameron is a PI in Glasgow and his speciality is finding missing people, but he doesn’t take cases where there is a child missing. Ever. Mark Hamilton is Lily’s father and when he begs Charlie for help, he can’t resist despite knowing that this is exactly the type of case he should steer clear of. As he begins to follow the very few leads given to him, Charlie battles demons from his past and the truth about the child’s abduction brings many surprising twists along the way.
Besides the case of Lily, there is a serial killer who’s just been captured and his victims are all children. As the locations of their gravesites are shared, (maddeningly slowly) none of them are Lily. Mullen crafted a cunning killer with this character, one that made my skin crawl and sent cold chills up my spine.
I loved that Charlie was a PI and not a cop, it brought a refreshing and unique perspective to the book. Though the story is full of a fantastic cast of characters I connected with Charlie the most. He’s complex, full of a variety of issues that really humanized him. The setting of Glasgow was beautiful and played nicely alongside the plot, which speaking of the plot, it was tense and tightly wound and ended up going in directions that I wasn’t expecting.
I also have to mention Mullen’s use of humor, it was spot on and there were plenty of scenes with witty banter that made me chuckle. I can’t wait to see what happens to Charlie next, both personally and professionally and crime fiction fans looking for a fresh and engaging read need to grab this one ASAP.
January 22, 2017
The story starts off with quite a dramatic start with baby Lily being abducted while her dad is fighting to save her mothers life. What a way to start a book off and it had my attention straight away.
Charlie Cameron is a private investigator who has been asked by Lily’s father to find her. Right from the start it’s apparent that Charlie has something that lurks in his past which causes him to have a strained relationship with his parents and to why he is working as a private investigator. I was dying to find out what it could be and I enjoyed the journey that the author took us on in finding out.
There are quite a few twists and turns in the story that were totally unexpected and took me by surprise. As the weeks start building up from Lily’s abduction, I was beginning to truly wonder whether her parents would ever be reunited with her. It made for some tense reading as a mother myself.
Games People Play is a highly enjoyable crime thriller that will have you gripped from start to finish. All I can say is thank heavens to Charlie Cameron, I for one would have never worked out who actually took Lily and it certainly makes for a roller coaster of a read.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Charlie Cameron is a private investigator who has been asked by Lily’s father to find her. Right from the start it’s apparent that Charlie has something that lurks in his past which causes him to have a strained relationship with his parents and to why he is working as a private investigator. I was dying to find out what it could be and I enjoyed the journey that the author took us on in finding out.
There are quite a few twists and turns in the story that were totally unexpected and took me by surprise. As the weeks start building up from Lily’s abduction, I was beginning to truly wonder whether her parents would ever be reunited with her. It made for some tense reading as a mother myself.
Games People Play is a highly enjoyable crime thriller that will have you gripped from start to finish. All I can say is thank heavens to Charlie Cameron, I for one would have never worked out who actually took Lily and it certainly makes for a roller coaster of a read.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
February 5, 2017
What an opening!
This is the first book I've read by this author and it was a gripping read from the very first page until the last. I had no idea what the outcome was going to be, an absolute must read for that very reason. Owen is a talented author who knows his craft really week, when to add tension to the plot, when to give the reader breathing space to let their heart rate revert to normal.
I love the fact that this novel takes place in Scotland and we get to see the area through the author's excellent descriptions. The fact that the main character is a PI also makes this an interesting story from one I normally read, although he always has a policeman friend on hand throughout.
Looking forward to reading more in this series.
This is the first book I've read by this author and it was a gripping read from the very first page until the last. I had no idea what the outcome was going to be, an absolute must read for that very reason. Owen is a talented author who knows his craft really week, when to add tension to the plot, when to give the reader breathing space to let their heart rate revert to normal.
I love the fact that this novel takes place in Scotland and we get to see the area through the author's excellent descriptions. The fact that the main character is a PI also makes this an interesting story from one I normally read, although he always has a policeman friend on hand throughout.
Looking forward to reading more in this series.
March 12, 2016
Charlie Cameron is a private detective working in Glasgow whose speciality is finding missing persons. We learn from very early on in the novel that there is something in his past that drives him on and this is gradually revealed in the course of this excellent, fast-moving and involving story. A baby snatched on a beach, a student who disappears from her college and other interesting strands make for a grim and enticing tale, in the course of which we learn about the narrator's own life and those of the people close to him. This is the first time I have encountered Owen Mullen but I shall certainly be reading more of his novels.
March 12, 2016
This book was really good. The writing was taut, tense and made you want to keep turning the pages.
Set in central Scotland, an area I know well I could identify with the characters and settings. The characters are well drawn and have imperfections and flaws that make them all too human. A book that is worth five stars and I recommend you to read it.
Set in central Scotland, an area I know well I could identify with the characters and settings. The characters are well drawn and have imperfections and flaws that make them all too human. A book that is worth five stars and I recommend you to read it.
March 4, 2016
When I read the blurb for this book and realised it was set in my local area I was a bit excited but also a bit apprehensive that the author had sufficient local knowledge to pass my microscopic examination. I'm pleased to report that he nailed it with his descriptions of the places and he created characters that I feel I could have met. There is a lot going on in this book as it covers not just Charlie Cameron's latest investigations but also his past and present personal life. He was an interesting character and I am keen to read the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of Games People Play in return for an honest review and I must thank Owen Mullen for that.
I received a free copy of Games People Play in return for an honest review and I must thank Owen Mullen for that.
June 24, 2016
3.5 stars.
This tale is about a young girl who vanishes during broad daylight and the steps and processes that are taken to find out what happened to her. The plot was basic and I found that to be a good thing, complicated plots sometimes make for complicated reading. The writing flowed excellent, the characters were written perfectly, but...yes that damn but. It was too long-winded and drawn out. Crime fiction is an extremely tough genre to write, you have to know when too much is too much. I liked this author's writing style though and would definitely read more from him.
This tale is about a young girl who vanishes during broad daylight and the steps and processes that are taken to find out what happened to her. The plot was basic and I found that to be a good thing, complicated plots sometimes make for complicated reading. The writing flowed excellent, the characters were written perfectly, but...yes that damn but. It was too long-winded and drawn out. Crime fiction is an extremely tough genre to write, you have to know when too much is too much. I liked this author's writing style though and would definitely read more from him.
January 18, 2017
I received this as an arc from shell in exchange for an honest review.
Baby Lily Hamilton is abducted from a beach in front of her parents while her dad is trying to keep her mum alive.
Wow.
Absolutely fantastic read.
I loved the story and the characters.
I loved Andrew, Patrick and Charlie.
Patrick and Andrew had there own way of helping Charlie.
I liked Kate too.
I loved the ending.
Can't wait for next installment.
Highly recommended. 5 *.
Baby Lily Hamilton is abducted from a beach in front of her parents while her dad is trying to keep her mum alive.
Wow.
Absolutely fantastic read.
I loved the story and the characters.
I loved Andrew, Patrick and Charlie.
Patrick and Andrew had there own way of helping Charlie.
I liked Kate too.
I loved the ending.
Can't wait for next installment.
Highly recommended. 5 *.
May 29, 2021
Mark Hamilton and his wife, Jennifer’s lives are in shreds after their baby daughter, Lily, is abducted. Mark believes he knows who took her but thinks that informing the police will destroy his marriage. Private detective Charlie Cameron comes from a wealthy family but he and his father have been estranged for years. When approached by Mark to take the case, Charlie has concerns, though he takes the case. Will he be able to find little Lily Hamilton?
Games People Play is a taut mystery thriller with multiple plot lines that interweave throughout the story. Charlie also takes on the task of finding an 18-year-old university student who didn't return home after a night out. 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; his sister has been missing for thirty years. A bit of a loner, thirty-five-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 DCI Andrew Geddes from Police Scotland, Patrick Logue, who sometimes assists Charlie and retired Ronnie who worked on Charlie’s sister’s case.
As an offshoot to the main crime story, Charlie meets Kate Calder, a singer in a band that plays regularly at the club. Owen Mullen cleverly combines each of the story strands really well making this a fascinating read as well as showcasing each of the characters. In addition to a few rather neat red herrings, the autumntime grey weather contributes greatly to the overall noir feel of the narrative and all of the threads are neatly tied off by the end of the book. I'm now planning to read the second book in the series, The Wronged.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Boldwood Books via NetGalley, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
Games People Play is a taut mystery thriller with multiple plot lines that interweave throughout the story. Charlie also takes on the task of finding an 18-year-old university student who didn't return home after a night out. 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; his sister has been missing for thirty years. A bit of a loner, thirty-five-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 DCI Andrew Geddes from Police Scotland, Patrick Logue, who sometimes assists Charlie and retired Ronnie who worked on Charlie’s sister’s case.
As an offshoot to the main crime story, Charlie meets Kate Calder, a singer in a band that plays regularly at the club. Owen Mullen cleverly combines each of the story strands really well making this a fascinating read as well as showcasing each of the characters. In addition to a few rather neat red herrings, the autumntime grey weather contributes greatly to the overall noir feel of the narrative and all of the threads are neatly tied off by the end of the book. I'm now planning to read the second book in the series, The Wronged.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Boldwood Books via NetGalley, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
May 24, 2017
Theres a new PI in town!
And he has issues of his own to deal with, along with his job of locating missing people. The story grabs your heart strings right from the beginning with the abduction of a baby and never lets go. Great start to a series.
And he has issues of his own to deal with, along with his job of locating missing people. The story grabs your heart strings right from the beginning with the abduction of a baby and never lets go. Great start to a series.
March 31, 2016
THE REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
I was given the book by Mr. Mullen in return for my honest review; so that's what I'll do. I'll be honest.
Initially, when I started the book, I didn't think I'd like it half as much as I did. It took me a little time to get into it. And if I'm being completely honest I was more than halfway through the book when I got hooked. I was intrigued since chapter 2 alright but then again, I am a curious person. The writing, the story didn't interest me much. But as I kept going, the story kept getting thick and I was more than just intrigued. I was enthralled. And for the longest time after I finished the book I kept wondering "what in the world happened to Pam" and quite frankly, I was left hanging by the ending. It drives me nuts not knowing and Hill's reaction in the end drove me even crazier! And not a lot of books manage to drive me this nuts (in a really really good way)!
The characters in this book were really strong and thoroughly enjoyable. It was pleasantly surprising to watch a PI (and his sidekick) be the central character(s) of the book and not the parents of the missing child or any of the other victims for that matter or the police department itself. I mean, the plot was perfect to have made the sad, self-loathing, revenge seeking father the central character here. From a seriously messed up childhood to profoundly complicated relationships, PI Charlie was a complete package. And crazy as it may sound, I am looking forward to reading the next book and hoping to find out what happens to Hill. Crack as he was, he was an amazing character. It must've taken a lot of though to build his character and in the end, it has certainly paid off. I found myself continuously looking forward to what he was gonna say next. But who knows when we might see him next, if at all!
The story has been very thoughtfully created with every character and incident masterfully coming together in the end. The one thing I enjoyed the most was the ending. It infuriated me a little when the book ended because the cliffhanger had me flabbergasted and confused at the same time. Hill's reaction in the end was my breaking point, I kept asking myself what did he mean by that? Where did he zone out? Why did he zoned out? Was he playing games or did he have some problem? And frankly, I see immense potential in him as a character.
To cut the long story short, the book was ingenious. Now that I've finished it I can't believe I ever thought it was just dragging on or that I wouldn't be reading the next book, if there was any. Honestly, if I didn't know better, I couldn't have said this was a first time author's work. He certainly has my attention if not anyone else's.
Congratulations on this show of brilliance, Mr. Mullen! XX
I was given the book by Mr. Mullen in return for my honest review; so that's what I'll do. I'll be honest.
Initially, when I started the book, I didn't think I'd like it half as much as I did. It took me a little time to get into it. And if I'm being completely honest I was more than halfway through the book when I got hooked. I was intrigued since chapter 2 alright but then again, I am a curious person. The writing, the story didn't interest me much. But as I kept going, the story kept getting thick and I was more than just intrigued. I was enthralled. And for the longest time after I finished the book I kept wondering "what in the world happened to Pam" and quite frankly, I was left hanging by the ending. It drives me nuts not knowing and Hill's reaction in the end drove me even crazier! And not a lot of books manage to drive me this nuts (in a really really good way)!
The characters in this book were really strong and thoroughly enjoyable. It was pleasantly surprising to watch a PI (and his sidekick) be the central character(s) of the book and not the parents of the missing child or any of the other victims for that matter or the police department itself. I mean, the plot was perfect to have made the sad, self-loathing, revenge seeking father the central character here. From a seriously messed up childhood to profoundly complicated relationships, PI Charlie was a complete package. And crazy as it may sound, I am looking forward to reading the next book and hoping to find out what happens to Hill. Crack as he was, he was an amazing character. It must've taken a lot of though to build his character and in the end, it has certainly paid off. I found myself continuously looking forward to what he was gonna say next. But who knows when we might see him next, if at all!
The story has been very thoughtfully created with every character and incident masterfully coming together in the end. The one thing I enjoyed the most was the ending. It infuriated me a little when the book ended because the cliffhanger had me flabbergasted and confused at the same time. Hill's reaction in the end was my breaking point, I kept asking myself what did he mean by that? Where did he zone out? Why did he zoned out? Was he playing games or did he have some problem? And frankly, I see immense potential in him as a character.
To cut the long story short, the book was ingenious. Now that I've finished it I can't believe I ever thought it was just dragging on or that I wouldn't be reading the next book, if there was any. Honestly, if I didn't know better, I couldn't have said this was a first time author's work. He certainly has my attention if not anyone else's.
Congratulations on this show of brilliance, Mr. Mullen! XX
March 5, 2016
Owen Mullen sucks the air out of your lungs in the opening pages of his novel and the standard of his writing that he has set here simply continues throughout the book. This is the first book in a series revolving around Charlie Cameron (well I know there is a second anyway) a Private Investigator specialising in missing person cases. Charlie puts conscience before money knowing all too well the consequences of failing.
There is a main story throughout the book with different threads intermingled, some violent, some harrowing but all riveting. The characters are quite a mixed bunch, all memorable in their own right. I particularly enjoyed the brilliant descriptions of Glasgow somewhere I have never visited but would love to. It will be Owen Mullen I refer back to for decent hotel recommendations, so eat your heart out Trip Advisor.
A brilliant debut novel that I would highly recommend. This novel can be read as a stand alone book.
There is a main story throughout the book with different threads intermingled, some violent, some harrowing but all riveting. The characters are quite a mixed bunch, all memorable in their own right. I particularly enjoyed the brilliant descriptions of Glasgow somewhere I have never visited but would love to. It will be Owen Mullen I refer back to for decent hotel recommendations, so eat your heart out Trip Advisor.
A brilliant debut novel that I would highly recommend. This novel can be read as a stand alone book.
April 11, 2021
I can't even begin to review this book. It was nothing like I thought it would be and nothing like the premise had promised. Except maybe the bodycount. I couldn't connect with Charlie or his co-horts. The best part of the book was the prologue. THAT was the most exciting it got. It was very promising...and then it went to shit. Everything felt cheapened and nasty and by 15% in I couldn't have cared less what happened to poor baby Lily. Life is too short to waste my time on a book that does nothing for me. NEXT!!!
January 24, 2017
Well what a read and as the last line of the synopsis says it kept me guessing right up to the very end!
Games People Play is a fast paced multiple plot read; the reader is taken from the drama of a near drowning and child abduction from Ayr beach to the disappearance of a teenage girl from the family home. Despite warnings from police to leave the investigations alone, Charlie is determined to see them through to the end no matter the consequences. It is through these plots that we learn what drives Charlie to do what he does and what it is about his background that will haunt him until he gets the answers he is looking for.
I loved Charlie, Owen has created a strong and complex character in this Private Investigator; he has his own demons to chase yet it doesn't prevent him from taking on cases where the similarities are bound to stir up those demons; his relationships with the other characters are complex yet intriguing. We have Jackie the bar manager at New York Blue who has a love/hate relationship with him and he depends very much on her support for his office space; Patrick - his on/off assistant with a bit of a drink problem and some serious marital relationship struggles! DS Andrew Geddes is both a friend and a thorn in the side to Charlie and the two collide and clash over ongoing investigations. I found all the characters to be well-rounded and realistic. They engaged me and I and really want to get to know them more as this series develops.
Running through this book are themes of infidelity and the tangled web weaved by those deceiving; dysfunctional families and the far-reaching impact that this can have on family members.
I loved the fact that it is set in places I know - from the area around the Exhibition Centre to the Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, this novel will introduce you to my favourite city in the world. A sense of place is important to me in a book, I want to be able to see where I am, hear the sounds around me, inhale the essence of the location and this novel picked me up and placed me smack bang in the middle of my home town. I got a real sense of place and belonging when I read this book. Full of plot twists and turns this is a book that keeps you guessing right up to the end.
Games People Play is a fast paced multiple plot read; the reader is taken from the drama of a near drowning and child abduction from Ayr beach to the disappearance of a teenage girl from the family home. Despite warnings from police to leave the investigations alone, Charlie is determined to see them through to the end no matter the consequences. It is through these plots that we learn what drives Charlie to do what he does and what it is about his background that will haunt him until he gets the answers he is looking for.
I loved Charlie, Owen has created a strong and complex character in this Private Investigator; he has his own demons to chase yet it doesn't prevent him from taking on cases where the similarities are bound to stir up those demons; his relationships with the other characters are complex yet intriguing. We have Jackie the bar manager at New York Blue who has a love/hate relationship with him and he depends very much on her support for his office space; Patrick - his on/off assistant with a bit of a drink problem and some serious marital relationship struggles! DS Andrew Geddes is both a friend and a thorn in the side to Charlie and the two collide and clash over ongoing investigations. I found all the characters to be well-rounded and realistic. They engaged me and I and really want to get to know them more as this series develops.
Running through this book are themes of infidelity and the tangled web weaved by those deceiving; dysfunctional families and the far-reaching impact that this can have on family members.
I loved the fact that it is set in places I know - from the area around the Exhibition Centre to the Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, this novel will introduce you to my favourite city in the world. A sense of place is important to me in a book, I want to be able to see where I am, hear the sounds around me, inhale the essence of the location and this novel picked me up and placed me smack bang in the middle of my home town. I got a real sense of place and belonging when I read this book. Full of plot twists and turns this is a book that keeps you guessing right up to the end.
April 25, 2021
This is my first time reading the work of Owen Mullen. My first impressions of his writing was that it reminded me of the ‘hard-boiled’ type stories of Raymond Chandler and the like. However, the tone smoothed out as the book progressed. Told from an un-apologetically male viewpoint, I quite liked Charlie Cameron as a character.
The story was set in late autumn/early winter in Glasgow Scotland. The grey, dour weather added greatly to the overall noir feel of the narrative.
Charlie Cameron is a private investigator who specializes in finding missing persons. His specialty was shaped by the fact that his own sister has been missing for thirty years.
One main setting of the novel was a Glasgow restaurant/night club called New York Blue. Charlie has an office upstairs from the New York Blue, and his closest friends and acquaintances either work there, or frequent the place regularly as customers.
At thirty-five years old, Charlie is a loner, yet he does have some close friends. DCI Andrew Geddes from Police Scotland; Patrick Logue, a personable and often inebriated charmer who does investigative work for Charlie on a semi-regular basis, and last but not least, a ninety-year old retired policeman named DI Ronnie Simpson who worked Charlie’s sister’s case all those years ago.
As a sideline to the crime story, Charlie meets a woman who could quite be the love of his life. She is Kate Calder, a talented singer who fronts a band which plays regularly at the club.
The story had several strands which were adeptly tied up by the end of the book. I was completely taken in by one of the author’s particularly clever ‘red herrings’.
The title was very fitting. The story described the myriad ways in which people ‘play games’ to further their own agendas.
The ending of the book tied up most of the loose ends, leaving just enough to pave the way for the second book in the series (which is already loaded on my Kindle).
Recommended to lovers of well-executed crime fiction, especially those who favour Scottish noir.
The story was set in late autumn/early winter in Glasgow Scotland. The grey, dour weather added greatly to the overall noir feel of the narrative.
Charlie Cameron is a private investigator who specializes in finding missing persons. His specialty was shaped by the fact that his own sister has been missing for thirty years.
One main setting of the novel was a Glasgow restaurant/night club called New York Blue. Charlie has an office upstairs from the New York Blue, and his closest friends and acquaintances either work there, or frequent the place regularly as customers.
At thirty-five years old, Charlie is a loner, yet he does have some close friends. DCI Andrew Geddes from Police Scotland; Patrick Logue, a personable and often inebriated charmer who does investigative work for Charlie on a semi-regular basis, and last but not least, a ninety-year old retired policeman named DI Ronnie Simpson who worked Charlie’s sister’s case all those years ago.
As a sideline to the crime story, Charlie meets a woman who could quite be the love of his life. She is Kate Calder, a talented singer who fronts a band which plays regularly at the club.
The story had several strands which were adeptly tied up by the end of the book. I was completely taken in by one of the author’s particularly clever ‘red herrings’.
The title was very fitting. The story described the myriad ways in which people ‘play games’ to further their own agendas.
The ending of the book tied up most of the loose ends, leaving just enough to pave the way for the second book in the series (which is already loaded on my Kindle).
Recommended to lovers of well-executed crime fiction, especially those who favour Scottish noir.
March 7, 2016
I'm giving this 5 stars as it is a debut novel and deserves a big recommendation. Granted I am biased being Scottish (but living down in England for the time being). I loved reading about all the familiar places from The Willow Tearooms, to the Finnieston Crane, Crammond, the Armadillo, the Forth Road Bridge, Pitlochry etc etc. But this novel is a roller coaster ride of twists and turns and is full of a great mix of characters. I can't wait to read what develops between the main character Private Detective Charlie Cameron and his rock chick girlfriend. I was desperate to find out the ending of this book. All in all, very well written and a great story. I will be getting the next one in the series and recommending to all my friends!
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