"A convict is brutally murdered in his cell deep in the heart of Scotland's most infamous prison. Sleeping in a cell across the floor lies John Rebus, the equally notorious detective. Stripped of his badge and estranged from his police family, he is now fighting for his own life. As new allies and old enemies circle, even this legendary figure struggles to keep his head. They say old habits die hard, though. The death stirs Rebus's deductive impulses, setting off a chain of scheming criminals, corrupt prison guards and perhaps only one or two good souls who may see it all through. But how do you find a killer in a place full of them?"--