sˈɛt dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðɪ ˈɛdɪnbʌɹə fˈɛstɪvəl, ðɪs nˈɑːvəl stˈɑːɹts wɪð ɐ bɹˈuːɾəli ˈɛksᵻkjˌuːɾᵻd kˈɔːɹps bˌiːɪŋ dɪskˈʌvɚd ɪn mˈɛɹi kˈɪŋz klˈoʊs, ɐn ˈeɪntʃənt sˌʌbtɪɹˈeɪniən stɹˈiːt.
Set during the Edinburgh Festival, this novel starts with a brutally executed corpse being discovered in Mary King's Close, an ancient subterranean street.