just a week before rebus’s retirement, rebus and clarke are investigating the death of a famous russian exile poet who was mugged and beaten to death on king's stables road. then a sound recordist with close ties to the dead russian poet turns up dead. rebus searches for the killer of both men but is suspended for his over-enthusiastic interrogations and getting on the wrong side of powerful scottish bankers and politicians. his last three days before retirement are spent working from his flat, trying to solve the case.