The River Clyde has collected its share of bodies through Glasgow's long history, and all have been retrieved by the riverman.
This winter a local accountancy firm loses one of their own to the river's fierce currents following an office promotion and bon voyage party held for a young employee. Duncan Forbes was a senior partner in Forbes MacGregor and investigating officer Alex Lorimer is unable to find anyone who witnessed the man's last moments. Neither does anyone have a bad word to say about the deceased, or at least not yet, and that is unusual enough to raise the DCI's eyebrows. Death can make angels out of devils yet for now, all concerned seem a little too keen to accept the idea of death by drunken misadventure. Not dismissing this, yet not overly suspicious either Lorimer follows his famous instincts to delve at least a little further, despite little encouragement from his ambitious Superintendant to do so. A little too much scotch, a little unsteady on the legs and the river claims another - it all sounds too neat for Lorimer to accept.
With reputation being all-important, it falls to the remaining partners of the firm to solider on and keep the news of possible disruption from clients both local and abroad. As more deaths follow, it seems that Forbes MacGregor is cursed. The strain of keeping up appearances in such turmoil is causing cracks to appear in what Lorimer discovers to be a well crafted facade of efficiency and financial prosperity. On the personal front, Lorimer is grateful to be able to once again call in help of his friend Dr Solomon Brightman, a psychologist often called into assist with Lorimer's most difficult and sensitive of investigations.
