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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
A murder investigation with procedural violence
Language
Some
Strong language in Rankin's sharp Edinburgh register
Sexual Content
Some
A brothel raid is the inciting incident; adult content is present but not graphic
Substance Use
Some
Heavy drinking; Rebus and the world of Scottish pubs are inseparable
Emotional Intensity
Some
The specific discomfort of investigating someone you know and like; the gap between public image and private reality in politics
What this book is about
When prominent Scottish MP Gregor Jack is caught in a police raid on an illegal brothel, the story should be a minor scandal. But when his wife disappears and then is found murdered, Rebus — a friend of Jack's from school — is in the uncomfortable position of investigating someone he knows. Ian Rankin's fourth Rebus novel is more specifically political than its predecessors, interested in the machinery of public image and what happens when private life intrudes. The Edinburgh milieu is beautifully rendered; the mystery's solution is satisfying; and Rebus's personal complication adds exactly the right note of discomfort.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
fourth of the Rebus series; works as a standalone
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