The book’s alarmingly clear depiction of the shadier side of Edinburgh life, from dingy council flats to bored bouncers and seedy nightclubs, provides the perfect backdrop to the story. The place suddenly became ridiculous to him, a chunk of prime Edinburgh real estate given over to the unreal … And then he saw the camera.

But Oakes has consistently underestimated Rebus, who kicks him into the path of a speeding car while he is intent on his attack. Rankin overdoes it with some of what happens leading up to the resolutions -- Oakes, in particular, is just too bad to be true -- but everything is tied up particularly well, making for a satisfying (if not exactly happy) end.Soldiering through dank, desperate slums and the tony flats of the Scottish chic, Rebus uncovers a chain of crime, deceit, and hidden sins-knowing it's himself he's really trying to save.

Overall it is a solid outing, I learn more about Edinburgh every time I read a novel in this fine series. Rebus is moments away from doing something he'll regret almost instantly and that will have ramifications on everything he does for the foreseeable future, some of which will likely haunt him for more than that. I'm really not sure if I've said anything worthwhile about the book -- it's impressive, immersive and will not let you go -- even days after finishing it.Rankin looks at causality, the responsibility of the press and the class divide in these three cases. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.