Mortal Causes

As the Edinburgh Festival reaches its boisterous peak, Inspector John Rebus finds himself embroiled in a chilling new case that shatters the city's festive veneer. Beneath the historic streets, in the eerie vaults of Mary King’s Close, the body of Billy Cunningham is discovered hanging gruesomely from a butcher's hook. The macabre scene immediately signals a professional, calculated killing, plunging Rebus into a dark investigation. Matters are further complicated when the victim is identified as the estranged son of Big Ger Cafferty, Edinburgh's most notorious gangster, a man Rebus himself put behind bars. Cafferty, driven by a raw, vengeful grief, emerges from the shadows, placing immense pressure on Rebus to find his son's killer. As Rebus navigates the city's underbelly, he uncovers a complex web of religious fundamentalism, political intrigue, and ancient feuds, realizing he's up against a force so formidable it even intimidates the ruthless Cafferty. The case drags Rebus through a labyrinth of secrets, forcing him to confront not only a cunning murderer but also his own deeply ingrained cynicism about justice and the nature of evil.