by Ian Rankin
Part of Inspector Rebus, book 15
First published 2005
Inspector Rebus finds himself juggling multiple cases while his superiors push him toward retirement. An illegal immigrant turns up dead in Edinburgh, and the killing might stem from racial hatred or darker motives. Rebus visits detention centers and navigates the city's criminal underworld as he pursues leads. His colleague Siobhan Clarke tackles her own investigation when a teenager vanishes from home. Her search draws her dangerously close to a convicted rapist's sphere of influence. Meanwhile, construction workers uncover two skeletons buried under concrete in Fleshmarket Close. The bodies belong to a woman and infant, but the discovery feels staged rather than accidental. Rebus must determine who orchestrated this macabre display and why. The cases seem disconnected until threads begin linking the immigrant's death to the grim discovery and the brutal Knoxland housing estate. As Rebus fights to stay relevant in a changing police force, he confronts Edinburgh's hidden prejudices and violence while risking an unexpected romantic entanglement.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: detective-story, multiple-storylines, police-procedural
Setting: Edinburgh, Fleshmarket Close, Knoxland
Period: 21st-century
482 pages · Paperback · Orion
Content warnings: racism, violence