Lolo hlobo lwe-macabre epithet olusebenza njengesihloko sale ncwadi selivele likwenza uqhaqhazele ngaphambi kokuba uhlale phansi ufunde. Ngaphansi kwamakhaza angajwayelekile ahlasela i-Edinburgh ebusika lapho kwenzeka khona lesi sakhiwo, sithola izici ezihlazisayo zenoveli yeqiniso yobugebengu.
Ngoba UJohn Rebus, umphenyi owadalwa yilo mbhali eminyakeni eminingi edlule, igcina amacala asalindile ngaphandle kweleyisi noma ukuvalwa kungenzeka. Abanye babo, njengalowo oshone uMaría, bayazi ukuthi babhekene nezingqinamba nezingozi ezijulile, lezo ezixhaswe ngumbuso okhohlakele wezepolitiki, ezilingwa noma zisatshiswa ngabakwa-mafia nemibuthano evala i-mobster endala uBill Ger Cafferty.
Kepha okungaziwa muntu yilokho umhloli uRebus akalithandi ibhizinisi elingaqediwe, noma ngabe baneminyaka emingaki futhi bagxile kangakanani. Umbulali noma ababulali bakaMaria bangazibona bengaphandle kweJustice. Kungenzeka nokuthi ubulungiswa uqobo bube nzima ngesikhathi kushushiswa izigebengu ezithile.
Izithiyo ezinkulu zahlasela noma yimuphi umzamo wokuxazulula le nkinga elindile. Kepha uJohn Rebus ucacile ngakho, iqiniso kufanele liphume yebo noma yebo. Futhi lapho ubulungiswa bungafinyeleli khona, kungahle kutholakale ezinye izindlela zokuthi abanecala bathathe isigwebo sabo.
Kakade izibalo zemibhalo eziyizifanekiselo, ezifana no-Inspector Rebus, owavela emuva ngonyaka we-1987, zihlanganisa izinhlobo zemibhalo ezinjengalezi, uhlobo olumsulwa olumnyama kakhulu. Endaweni ebandayo, ngokuntuleka kokukhanya okujwayelekile enhlokodolobha yaseScotland, konke kwenzeka kuzungezwe umuzwa wobumnyama, onomoya oholayo. YiRebus kuphela engaletha ukukhanya, noma kungamazwi angokomfanekiso, ukuze iqiniso lihlunge njengemisebe yokukhanya ebusisiwe. Ngemuva kweminyaka eminingi esemsebenzini, waphenduka umuntu owayebhema eminyakeni engamashumi ayisithupha, uRebus akayeki.
Ungathenga incwadi Ukufa okubandayo, inoveli yakamuva ka-Ian Rankin, lapha: