The novel carries on directly from A Heart Full of Headstones, which culminated in Rebus' conviction for the attempted murder of his old nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty.
The second follows DI Siobhan Clarke, as her investigation into the disappearance of a schoolgirl leads her into a world of 'online pornography, pseudo-celebrities and exploitation.
'[1] Meanwhile, Edinburgh's underworld struggles to fill the vacuum left by the death of Ger Cafferty, and we see the return of DCI Malcolm Fox, first introduced in The Complaints, as well as a number of other returning characters, including the psychopathic drug lord Darryl Christie, who seems to offer unlikely support for Rebus in his new environment.
[3] Ian Rankin has described Rebus, ageing alongside him in real time, as a kind of proxy, saying: 'He takes on all the aches and pains... that are waiting around the corner for me.
'[4] The novel was enthusiastically received, with Kirkus Reviews praising: the 'vividly detailed portrait of the labyrinthine corridors of power in the prison,'[5] and The Guardian calling it: 'An expertly plotted... addition to a standout series.