Like Edinburgh inspector John Rebus, the resurrection men of the title are treading on thin ice--theyve all been sent to a short course at the Scottish Police College because theyve failed in some way, generally an issue with authority. Rebus has been known to have issues of that nature before, which only boosts his credibility with the other cops in attendance, suspected by their bosses of being on the wrong side of the fence, on the take, or even guilty of murder on several previous occasions. The dour Inspectors agenda aims to bring the higher-ups proof of the so-called Wild Bunchs nefarious activities; in the process, his own conduct in the old case he and his college classmates must rework and revisit comes under scrutiny. A solid police procedural whose protagonist, the hero of 14 other titles in this internationally acclaimed series, continues to grow on readers who are just discovering him. --Jane Adams