An underlying thread throughout the book is that of familial relationships ; the book opens with Detective Inspector John Rebus attending the funeral of his brother Michael , who has died suddenly from a stroke . The parents of Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke arrive in Edinburgh as part of the protests , demonstrations , and scuffles that surrounded the G8 summit at Gleneagles , keeping the police busy . Clarke defied her parents by becoming a police officer ; she now wants to feel like a daughter
G8 summit
31st G8 summit
The Naming of the Dead