It's late autumn in Edinburgh and late autumn in the career of DetectiveInspector John Rebus. As he tries to tie up some loose ends beforeretirement, a murder case intrudes. A dissident Russian poet has beenfound dead in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. By apparentcoincidence, a high-level delegation of Russian businessmen is in town -and everyone is determined that the case should be closed quickly andclinically.But the further they dig, the more Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarkebecome convinced that they are dealing with something more than a randomattack - especially after a particularly nasty second killing. Meanwhile,a brutal and premeditated assault on a local gangster sees Rebus in theframe. Has the Inspector taken a step too far in tying up those looseends? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, inglorious career, willRebus even make it that far?