It is summer 2005 and DI John Rebus is one book away from retirement. With most of the City and Borders Police preoccupied with security for the G8 summit down the road at Gleneagles, Rebus and DS Siobahn Clarke are assigned to a routine mission to check out some evidence relating to a recent murder.
The victim was a rapist not long since released from prison; the evidence is a missing part of his jacket. And the site, a clootie well where people leave clothing of the dead for good luck, reveals more evidence relating to two other unsolved murders. These victims too were sex offenders, an excuse for the forces concerned to give the cases low priority. To Rebus a murder is a murder, no matter how unsavoury the character of the victim. He and Siobahn get stuck in, ignoring instructions to keep it all low key during the summit.
Edinburgh is in turmoil with thousands coming to protest, demonstrate, or just enjoy the festival vibe and hear the bands invited to perform. In addition to the great unwashed, the rich and the powerful are in town to press the flesh and do deals – international politicians, business leaders and, to keep an eye on them all, Special Branch. There is also a local power struggle going on with veteran villain Big Ger Cafferty locking horns with self-appointed man of the people, Councillor Gareth Tench.
When, to top it all, a local MP goes over the parapet at Edinburgh Castle, Rebus reckons it was no accident, nor suicide; the only question in his mind is who pushed him, and why.
So, old crimes, new crimes; old foes to rub up against and new enemies made among the visitors. Its chaotic, but Rebus thrives on it and as usual muddles through a twisted but clever plotline.
Good atmosphere, snappy dialogue, and for a change a little bit of detection gets done.
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