The Falls

A young woman, Philippa Balfour, vanishes from Edinburgh after attending a gothic literary society meeting. Her disappearance sparks a high-profile investigation led by Inspector John Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke. Philippa leaves behind a cryptic trail: an intricate online game interwoven with historical figures and dark tales of old Edinburgh, particularly the notorious Burke and Hare and their connection to anatomist Robert Knox. As Rebus navigates the labyrinthine world of academic obsession, historical reenactments, and online anonymity, he uncovers a sinister plot where past atrocities bleed into present-day violence. The case forces him to confront the disturbing implications of art imitating death, blurring the lines between a morbid game and a deadly reality, and questioning how far someone would go to revive the macabre secrets of Edinburgh's past.