Murphy fails a professional assessment due to the murder of his young son by IRA terrorists, and is assigned to work in London.

He is assigned a case investigating a North London funeral home, the proprietors of which are suspected diamond thieves.

Reviewing for The Observer, Anthea Lawson stated that "Bateman's writing is hard, fast and funny, and there's a slick sheen to the inevitable violence".

[3] Denise Wels, for Reviewing The Evidence, stated "black humour abounds in a plot about funeral directors that fair begs for comic asides"; commenting that "Bateman has created some nasty villains", specifically Hatcher, who she found to be "totally immoral and sadistic finding entertainment in the troubles of others whilst displaying the most touching filial affection for his own deplorable parent".

[4] Writer Michael Stone found Murphy to be "charming, witty and dangerous" with "almost Holmesian powers of observation", stating "he is a character with complex issues, but Bateman renders him so humanely we have no problem identifying with him".