The novel is set in Edinburgh during the week of the 2005 G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland. It opens with Detective Inspector John Rebus attending his younger brother's funeral. Rebus is nearing retirement but is drawn into several cases:

A serial killer appears to be targeting former criminals, leaving clues at the Clootie Well site.

The apparent suicide of MP Ben Webster, who was campaigning against the arms trade, raises suspicions of foul play involving weapons dealer Richard Pennen.

Rebus's colleague DS Siobhan Clarke investigates a riot cop who assaulted her mother during the G8 protests, aided by local gangster Morris Cafferty.

The cases intertwine with the backdrop of the G8 summit protests, riots, and heavy security presence in Edinburgh. Rebus and Clarke navigate political pressures and corruption at high levels as they pursue justice. The title refers to a ceremony where protesters read names of Iraq War casualties, symbolizing remembrance amidst senseless violence and death. Despite their efforts, Rebus and Clarke face a lack of closure, leaving them dissatisfied with just "the naming of the dead" as the only recourse.

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