From Publishers Weekly
At the start of Rankin's powerful and absorbing latest tale, Edinburgh Detective Inspector John Rebus (Mortal Causes, etc.) looks on helplessly as two young kidnapping suspects avoid capture by diving to their deaths from the icy Forth Road Bridge. Unable to drink away that image, Rebus must investigate another suicide. Ex-con "Wee Shug" McAnally shotgunned himself as local government councilor Tom Gillespie watched in horror. Rebus believes that McAnally chose his witness carefully, but when political higher-ups pressure the police brass, Rebus is forced off the inquiry. Pursuing his hunches with covert help from sympathetic colleagues, Rebus tries to decipher a document that might connect the suicides to development plans for "Silicon Glen," home of Edinburgh's computer industry. His suspicions increase when influential Scots hint at rewards if he'll let the case slide. Rebus sorts out these machinations while battling loneliness, toothache (it figures in the solution), alienation from his daughter and the tense reappearance of a former lover, Gill Templer, as his new boss. Rankin portrays an intriguingly complex Scotland, where a good copper, battling frigid winds and cruel manipulators, needs plenty of warming whiskey and selfless friends.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Lucky is the writer who develops a loyal following; these fans can hardly wait for the next book to appear on the shelves. Rankin has written six novels about Scottish detective John Rebus, and what gives the series a special edge is the skillful weaving of Edinburgh into the action so that it becomes an integral part of the plot. Rankin also presents us with a "tarnished hero"; Rebus is a troubled, sometimes violent cop who thinks nothing of ignoring the rules in order to track down a killer. In this particular book, listeners come to know more of Rebus's personal life and why his mood is as gloomy and dour as the Scottish weather. Reader Samuel Gillies lends an authentic accent to his recitation, succeeding in transporting the listener to far-off Scotland and a fly-on-the-wall view of some horrendous crimes. A top choice for all medium and large public libraries. Joseph L. Carlson, Lompoc P.L., CA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.