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It’s always a gift for a crime writer when his series character enjoys a successful TV incarnation, as Bateman has done with his Murphy books. Or is it? James Nesbitt, on TV, has made the character very much his own, but every reader will have his own conception of the character when they read the cleverly written novels. In fact, it's probably best to forget the faces of the actor involved and let the author work his particular magic. There is a serious point at the heart of this one: who defines the moral imperatives if it is possible to track down and kill the person who murdered a loved one? A support group for relatives of murders victims called Confront counsels empowerment through therapy, but someone is choosing to murder the killers involved. Martin Murphy joins the group undercover, but finds it impossible to remain aloof when his own past is wrenched into the investigation. What makes all of this even more involving than one might expect from the reliable Bateman is the insidious way he confronts the reader's own prejudices. Surely the scum who have murdered loved ones deserve no more pity than they gave to their victims? The moral equivocation forced upon the unwilling Murphy strengthens Bateman’s narrative.