July 2005, and the entire globe is watching Scotland. The assorted leaders of the G8 countries have gathered in the capital and with daily marches, demonstrations and scuffles on the streets, the police are stretched to the limit. Dl John Rebus has been sidelined for fear of embarrassing his superiors. However, all that changes when the night-time plunge of a young politician from the walls of Edinburgh Castle drags Rebus back onto centre stage.

But that case is swiftly superseded by another - more deadly -threat. A series of mysterious clues left in the woods near an ancient 'clootie well' outside Edinburgh start to point to a serial killer on the loose - a murderer who specializes in taking out newly-released rapists.

The Naming of the Dead is both the stunning new novel from Number 1 bestseller, Ian Rankin, and a potent mix of action and politics set against a backdrop of the most devastating week in recent British history.

James Macpherson played DCI Jardine in Taggart for sixteen years, and has acted on stage in plays as diverse as The Taming of the Shrew and works by Hamish Wilson. He has presented a regular books programme for Radio Scotland - for which he has interviewed Ian Rankin. He won a Gold Award for his reading of Strip Jack at the Spoken Word Awards 2004. He lives in Glasgow.