ˈiːən ɹˈæŋkɪn nˈoʊɾᵻd ɪn ɐn ˈɪntɚvjˌuː ðæt hiː hæd ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəli plˈænd ðɪs nˈɑːvəl æz ðə fˈɜːst pˈɑːɹt əvə tɹˈɪlədʒi fˈɑːloʊɪŋ ɹˈɑːdi ɡɹˈiːv θɹuː hɪz kɚɹˈɪɹ ɪnðə nˈuː skˈɑːɾɪʃ pˈɑːɹləmənt; haʊˈɛvɚ, hiː ˈɔːlmoʊst ɪmˈiːdɪətli dᵻsˈaɪdᵻd tə kˈɪl ɹˈɑːdi ˈɔf ˈɜːli ɪnðə nˈɑːvəl ænd pɹədˈuːs ˈoʊnli ˈeɪ “wˈʌnbˈʊk tɹˈɪlədʒi.”
Ian Rankin noted in an interview that he had originally planned this novel as the first part of a trilogy following Roddy Grieve through his career in the new Scottish Parliament; however, he almost immediately decided to kill Roddy off early in the novel and produce only a “one-book trilogy.”