So I just got a really quite amazingly good review for Smokeheads over on the Scots Whay Hae blog, where the handsome and erudite Scottish cultural blogger Alistair Braidwood said I was knocking on the doors of Brookmyre, Rankin, Banks and Louise Welsh. Not literally, of course, although I did used to play that game as a kid in Arbroath where, as far as I know, there were no famous authors living at that time.

I needed that fillip as well, as the book’s recently got a dribble of meh reviews from readers over on Amazon – the usual moans about the violence and language, and folks complaining about the pace and readability, as if that’s a bad thing. Ho hum.

So thank you Mr Braidwood, and the drams are on me. As long as they’re reasonably priced ones, you understand.