Head shot by Quintin Jardine

What is one of Edinburgh's top cops doing in the USA?

Why is Bob Skinner involved in an investigation that reaches back to a grassy knoll in Dallas in 1963?

Quintine Jardine's Bob Skinner is a Deputy Chief Constable in Edinburgh. Having heard Jardine speak I always think that Skinner should be based in Glasgow. 1) Because Jardine has that gorgeous Glaswegian accent, and 2) one of the main characters in Taggart (set in Glasgow) is Michael Jardine.

In Head shot Skinner is en route to Malaysia for a drugs conference when he learns that his wife's parents have been murdered in their isolated near cabin near Buffalo, New York. SKinner heads straight for NY and by calling in some favours is able to get himself assigned to the investigation by the FBI.

As a cop I find Skinner to be a little too perfect - outside of the police he is satisfactorily and humanly flawed.

Bob Skinner is not John Rebus - they both operate in the same sphere (Edinburgh) and if you like one you will probably like the other but luckily Edinburgh is big enough for both of them.