by Ian Rankin
Part of Inspector Rebus, book 9
First published 1999
Detective Inspector John Rebus sits buried in paperwork, investigating a suspected war criminal while his supervisors keep him sidelined. The tedious assignment ends when a gang war erupts between newcomer Tommy Telford and established crime boss Big Ger Cafferty. Telford operates with Mr. Pink Eyes, a vicious gangster who traffics Chechen refugees as prostitutes. Rebus takes a desperate Bosnian call girl under his protection, giving him personal stakes in the conflict. The situation turns deadly when his daughter becomes the victim of a professional hit and run. Rebus knows Telford ordered the attack. Now he will stop at nothing to destroy the gangster, even if it means making a pact with his enemies. The case connects to seemingly unrelated events: the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon, four French villagers executed during World War II, and an old man found hanged in a Scottish cemetery. These disparate threads weave together as Rebus navigates Edinburgh's criminal underworld, where loyalty shifts and violence lurks behind every corner.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Babylon, Edinburgh, Scotland
Period: World War II
349 pages · Paperback · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: trafficking, violence