A brilliant Rebus novel from the master of British crime It's late autumn in Edinburgh & late autumn in the career of Detective Inspector Rebus As he tries to tie up some loose ends before retirement a murder case intrudes A dissident Russian poet has been found dead in what looks like a mugging gone wrong By apparent coincidence a delegation of Russian businessmen is in town
- & everyone is determined that the case should be closed quickly & clinically But the further they dig the more Rebus & DS Siobhan Clarke become convinced that they are dealing with something more than a random attack
- especially after a particularly nasty second killing Meanwhile a brutal & premeditated assault on a local gangster sees Rebus in the frame Has the Inspector taken a step too far in tying up those loose ends? Only a few days shy of the end to his long inglorious career will Rebus even make it that far?