On the cusp of the first Scottish parliament in three hundred years, Edinburgh is bubbling with political tensions and fantasies. Queensbury House, the abode of Scotland's nascent governors, is embedded within John Rebus' jurisdiction, making him scurry between ceremonial duties. But before Rebus knows it, a centuries-old corpse is unearthed in a Queensbury House fireplace, a destitute man veers off a bridge with a suitcase of money, and a rising political figure is violently slain. The intersections between the three fatalities steer Rebus into a face-off with one of Edinburgh's most infamous offenders, someone he had assumed to be locked away forever. Someone's poised to make a fortune from Scotland's autonomy - and, as Inspector Rebus comprehends, where fortunes are at stake, shadows materialize.

Orion Books, 2000

Softcover - Original price sticker still affixed and there is a cease to bottom right cover.

ISBN: 9780752832463