Detective Inspector Rebus is buried under a pile of paperwork generated by his investigations into a suspected war criminal But an escalating dispute between the upstart Tommy Telford and the head of a local gang gives Rebus an escape clause Telford is known to have close links with a Newcastle ganster nicknamed Mr Pink Eyes - a Chechen bringing refugees into Britain as prostitutes When Rebus takes under his wing a distraught Bosnian girl, it gives him a personal reason to make sure Telford takes the high road back to Paisley and Pronto