In July 2005, the leaders of the "G8" countries gather in Edinburgh for a summit. Daily protest marches, demonstrations, and street disorder caused by anti-globalists keep the police in constant tension. However, Inspector John Rebus is not involved in the security operation and would have been stuck in routine tasks if not for the death of a member of parliament staged as a suicide, and the subtle signs that a serial killer is operating in the city. The authorities seek to conceal both, fearing they might cast a shadow on an event of global importance.