The tables have finally turned for British hit man Michael Weston. After making his mark in this seedy underworld as one of the best, cold-blooded hit men around, it appears that someone just may be after him this time.

After pulling off his latest job -- the murder of journalist Eleanor Ricks -- Weston nearly gets caught, despite his meticulous planning and preparation that included diversions such as a secondary explosion and a fake head wound requiring a trip to the ER. To his astonishment, he barely slips past the cops.

What went wrong this time? Is someone setting him up? Is it payback time for a murder-for-hire gone wrong that involved a stray bullet and the death of a young American girl? Who has set their sights on Weston, and why do they what him dead?

The reader will chase answers across the Atlantic Ocean to Texas and Seattle. With more twists and turns than one can count, Ian Rankin creates a crafty, mysterious, violent read with a level of detail that's hard to match. Those readers with a passion for crime minutia will be pleased, while it may leave other readers overwhelmed.