Frank Lekens Knihy

Given his contempt for authority and habitually ornery manner, John Rebus's position as an Edinburgh cop is always in jeopardy. In this 14th installment, he and his partner, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke, investigate the case of Lee Herdman, a withdrawn ex-soldier who allegedly shot three teenage boys at a private school, killing two before turning the gun on himself. While Siobhan believes the case is straightforward—Herdman simply lost his mind—Rebus suspects deeper motives behind the tragedy. His instincts lead him to consider Herdman's past involvement in a military mission and his connection to Teri Cotter, a 15-year-old "Goth" who shares her life online but keeps her relationship with Herdman private. Complications arise with the arrival of two army investigators and the behavior of James Bell, the sole survivor of the shooting, whose politician father seeks to exploit the incident for an anti-gun campaign. Rebus's focus is further challenged by an internal police inquiry into his past actions and his personal ties to one of the victims. As he grapples with his own demons and the changing landscape of policing, Rebus's struggles highlight the complexities of his character and the series's ambition.

Rebus is off the case - literally. A few days into a murder inquiry following the brutal death of an Edinburgh art dealer, Rebus blows up at DCS Gill Templer. He is sent to the Scottish Police College for 'retraining' - in other words, he's in the Last Chance Saloon. Rebus is given an old, unsolved case to work on, in order to teach him and others the merits of teamwork. But there are those in the team who have their own secrets - and they'll stop at nothing to protect them. As if this wasn't enough, Rebus is asked to act as a go-between for gangster 'Big Ger' Cafferty. And as newly promoted DS Siobhan Clarke works the case of the murdered art dealer, she is brought closer to Cafferty than she could ever have anticipated...