"The King Was In His Counting House" is number four of the seven Barney Thomson murder mysteries written by Douglas Lindsay, published over the years in paperback, re-published as E-books (often with altered titles: this one was re-titled "The Resurrection of Barney Thomson"), and, in one case, adapted into a feature film and released last year.

Published in 2004, "The King Was In His Counting House" -- warning, spoilers ahead -- imagines the departure of Scotland from the Commonwealth as a nefarious conspiracy manipulated from 10 Downing Street. Why would England's Prime Minister allow Scotland to set up an independent government based in Edinburgh? In order to manipulate Scotland right back into the Commonwealth, that's why, by bringing about the collapse of the Edinburgh government, and watching Scotland slink back with its collective tail between its legs.

Add to this the usual Barney Thomson scenario of a serial killer on the loose, and Glaswegian barber Barney Thomson stumbling into the action and wondering which way is up. No, it's not for everybody; when it's dark, it's dark, and the satire is bloody-minded in more ways than one. And there's not much about Glasgow in this one, for which reason some Barney Thomson readers feel that something is missing. There is humor, though, to a particular taste.