Bruce Robertson is a
detective sergeant serving in
Edinburgh's "
Lothian Constabulary". Robertson is a Machiavellian, intensely
misanthropic man who spends his time indulging in
cocaine and alcohol abuse,
sexually abusive relationships, compulsive gorging on junk food, and, most of all, his penchant for "the games" – Bruce's
euphemism for the myriad foul plots he hatches directed at workmates. He is able to pander to all of his vices during his annual holidays in
Amsterdam. The novel begins by introducing the murder of Efan Wurie, a case Bruce has been assigned. The plot has little to do with the actual crime; instead, the novel traces Bruce throughout his life, told in a first-person, stream-of-consciousness style. Through narrative devices such as the
tapeworm he acquires, the reader explores the facets of Bruce's personality and learns about his past, as well as the various tedious police routines Bruce absconds from, his often-backfiring sexual endeavours, and his various short- and long-term schemes and plots against his colleagues (ultimately to raise his chances of gaining the hoped-for promotion to
detective inspector). Apart from the general malevolent scheming, Bruce also seeks to satisfy his cravings for violence, drugs, sex, and pornography along the way while happily voicing his
racism,
anti-Catholic sectarianism, and
misogyny, all the while pining for his ex-wife. As the novel progresses, Bruce's
mental health begins to deteriorate; it is revealed that he has
drug addiction and
bipolar disorder, which, along with his inability to form meaningful, trust-based relationships, are exacerbated by latent, unresolved psychological problems caused by childhood abuses. Eventually, Bruce is forced into taking leave due to injuries he suffers while dressed as his ex-wife, leading to the revelation that he committed the racially motivated murder that serves as the novel's main plot and that the colleagues he despises – particularly his boss Robert Toal – have been aware of his guilt all along and have been protecting him from the consequences of his actions out of a mixture of
loyalty and
pity. At the end of the story, Bruce kills himself, with his last thoughts being regret that his daughter has witnessed the suicide meant to punish his wife. Additionally, the tapeworm – already distraught over the loss of the other (as a result of medication Bruce's doctor prescribed) – is expelled with his waste and dies with the host. ==Characters==