In July 2005, leaders of the G8 countries gather in Edinburgh for a summit. Daily protest marches, demonstrations and street riots perpetrated by anti-globalists keep the police on constant tension. However, Inspector John Rebus is not involved in the security operation and would have been mired in routine if not for the death of a member of parliament, framed as a suicide, and for clear signs that a serial killer was operating in the city. The authorities are trying to hide both, fearing to cast a shadow on an event of global significance.