The book is set in real time ; within it , some real events occur , such as the 7/7 London bombings , the 2012 Olympic bid and George W. Bush falling off his bicycle whilst waving at police officers : " ' Did we just do that ? ' Siobhan asked quietly . " The title refers to : the ceremony Clarke 's ageing left-wing parents attend , where the names of a sampling of the dead from the Iraq War are read out ; the list of victims created by Rebus and Clarke as they try to unravel the crime ; and also to John Rebus ' evocation of grief in naming the many of his own friends and family who have died in the course of his life
7/7 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The Naming of the Dead