July 2005, and the entire globe is watching Scotland
The assorted leaders of the G8 countries have gathered in the capital and with daily marches, demonstrations and scuffles on the streets, the police are stretched to the limit. But one detective is still deemed surplus to requirements. DI John Rebus has been sidelined for fear of embarrassing his superiors at this most crucial time. However, all that changes when the night-time plunge of a young politician from the walls of Edinburgh Castle drags Rebus back onto centre stage. Suicide must be proved, and quickly, to avoid distraction from the main event.
But that case is swiftly superseded by another - more deadly - threat.
A series of mysterious clues left in the woods near an ancient 'clootie well' outside Edinburgh start to point to a serial killer on the loose - a murderer who specializes in taking out newly-released rapists. The most alarming aspect for Rebus's bosses, though, is that the well is a stone's throw from Gleneagles itself.
The authorities are keen to hush up both issues, for fear of overshadowing a meeting of global importance. But Rebus has never been one to stick to the rules, and when his colleague Siobhan Clarke finds herself hunting down the identity of the riot cop who assaulted her mother, it looks as though Rebus and Clarke may be pitted on both sides of the conflict - and before the end of this monumental week, they each have to make decisions that will affect them forever...
The Naming of the Dead is both the stunning new novel from Number 1 bestseller, lan Rankin, and a potent mix of action and politics set against a backdrop of the most devastating week in recent British history.
Born in the Kingdom of Fite in 1960, lan Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982.
His first Rebus novel, Knots and Crosses, was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into twenty-two languages and are bestsellers worldwide.
lan Rankin is the recipient of four Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards including the prestigious Diamond Dagger in 2005. In 2004, lan won America's celebrated Edgar award for Resurrection Men.
He is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Hull and the Open University.
A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, lan Rankin's Evil Thoughts. Rankin is a number one bestseller in the UK and has received the OBE for services to literature, opting to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
www.ianrankin.net
