In the depths of Edinburgh winter, the bodies are piling up for Detective John Rebus - two suicides, a murder, and the mysterious death of an inmate in one of Scotland's largest prisons.

When his investigation uncovers a web of conspiracy among the city's political elite, it's clear that everything Rebus holds dear - his job, his life, even his young daughter - is now at stake.

As he risks it all to make those responsible pay for their crimes, Rebus finds that some of his enemies are above the law - but perhaps not beyond justice...