Book Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Rebus in London
Edinburgh Detective Chief Inspector John Rebus finds himself posted to London to aid the local authorities who are investigating the work of a serial killer, known as the Wolfman, who seems to be one step ahead of the coppers. Once in London, Rebus learns he has ben brought to the big city because he is supposed to be some sort of expert on mass murderers.

Rebus' intrinsic antiauthoritarianism and his intuitive investigative style puts his career in jeopardy as he pairs with George Flight, a by the book detective, who has to cover for his Scottish counterpart at every turn of the plot. The collaboration between these investigators provides much of the tension as they struggle to bring a killer to justice. At the same time Rebus is forced to come to grips with middle-aged and a body that has lost a bit of the edge that he enjoyed as a young SAS paratrooper. His daughter Samantha, now 16, lives in London with his ex-wife and he is appalled with her current boyfriend, a slightly older and testosterone burdened motorcycle courier.

Ian Rankin is one of the real masters of the mystery genre. Series characters require real work and a deft touch to keep them fresh and interesting. John Rebus, like Harry Bosch and Travis McGee, manages to grow in each novel in a way that is respectful to the past works and yet revealing in some new way.

Tooth and Nail is more than a good read. It is a tale of policemen under the microscope of publicity when murders most foul terrorize a big city.

Rebus: Ambition AND ability
Tooth and Nail finds Rebus helping out the London police hunt down the serial killer, Wolfman.The novel is filled with a lot of local London color, including a car chase down St. Martin's Lane and around Nelson's Column.I enjoyed this book immensely until the last 40 pages, where killer is caught based on an unsubstantiated "hunch".

Being from NYC I found Rebus's take on fast London city life very amusing.Several pages are devoted to Rebus contemplating the utter inhumanity of the Tube!In fact, the only positive comments come from Rebus's would-be partner, George Flight, although Rebus mocks his attitude: "London is bigger, better, rougher, tougher and more important than anywhere else."It's funny that we would want other people to think our city is rough and tough, because that implies that we are as well, when we are actually victims.Fortunately, from the novel I learned a new way to cope: just chant FYTP.

Rankin is a master at capturing the reader's attention.Clues and red herrings fly like nobody's business.Just keep in mind that this is crime fiction not mystery, that is, don't expect the clues to pan out.The dialog is amazingly realistic, witty, and edgy.Ultimately, Rebus's humanity (he describes himself as having "more ambition than talent") and musings on the human condition are the reason why I find this novel, and Rankin's others, so compelling.

An excellent read
This is Rankin at his best. Buy it, enjoy the thriller and then buy the next one. It seems that once you've started reading Rebus, you just can't get enough!

Rebus Versus The Wolfman
I'm baaaaaack!

After reading the first Rebus novel (Knots and Crosses), I knew I'd continue to read the rest of Ian Rankin's excellent crime fiction stories.

This is actually the third novel in the Inspector Rebus series, and author Ian Rankin's prose continues to astound me. He masterfully weaves a tapestry of plot, character, and location throughout nearly every page (Example from the prologue: `She drives home the knife. The moment, she knows from past experience, is a very intimate one. Her hand is gripped around the knife's cool handle and the thrust takes the blade into the throat up to the hilt until her hand meets the throat itself. Flesh upon flesh. Jacket first, or woollen jersey, cotton shirt or T-shirt, then flesh. Now rent. The knife is writhing, like an animal sniffing. Warm blood covering hilt and hand. (The other hand covers the mouth, stifling screams.) The moment is complete. A meeting. Touching. The body hot, gaping, warm with blood. Seething inside, as insides become outsides. Boiling. The moment is coming to an end all too soon.')

But this time we're no longer in Edinburgh. No? No. Inspector Rebus is sent to London (Oh the pain!) to try and help catch a serial killer whom the local coppers can't pin down. They've nick-named the murderer "The Wolfman", because he bites the victims on the stomach after he kills them. But why send Rebus? Well, in Knots and Crosses, he helped find another serial killer in Edinburgh, and so George Flight (a local London CID guy) requested Scotland's "expert". Rebus sees himself as anything BUT an expert on such things, but reluctantly goes to England's capital to do what he can.

Come to find out, he can do quite a bit; including getting into lots of trouble. He falls for a beautiful psychologist named Liza Frazer (who might have connections with the killer!), disappears for hours or days on end, drinks like a fish, and goes on television and announces that they've caught the killer (even when he knows they haven't). But Rebus' mind works a bit differently than most folks. He can worm his way into a killer's mind as the case unfolds. And we again see how Rebus' past comes to the forefront and aids him in capturing the villain.

The great thing about Rebus is that he's so f#$%ed up that the reader can identify with all of his vices and character flaws. He's no superhuman, and he knows it. But what he does have is a nose for killers, and this bodes poorly for them. Because once Rebus is on your trail, you'll never get away.

Now, it's on to the next in the series!

Wolfman.
He had wanted to update Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for modern times, Ian Rankin writes about his first Inspector Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses" in the introduction to the British compilation "Rebus: The Early Years" (unfortunately, not available in the U.S.), which contains the first three installments of the series. Oblivious to the mere existence of such a thing as the mystery genre - or so Rankin says - he was stunned to soon hear his book described first and foremost as a crime novel. But eventually this characterization prompted him to have a closer look at the work of other mystery writers, and he found that the form suited his purposes just fine; that in fact he "could say everything [he] wanted to say about the world, and still give readers a pacy, gripping narrative."

Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) - as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well.

"Tooth and Nail" (originally titled "Wolfman," for the alias that police have given the subject of their hunt) takes Rebus to London, where - due an earlier case of his own reluctantly deemed an "expert" on serial murderers - he is to assist metro CID with the case of a killer named for the bite marks he leaves on his victims' bodies.Not overly enthusiastic about any aspect of his mission to the capital (and thus mirroring once more the feelings of Rankin himself, who did not much like living there, either, and "brought Rebus to London so he could suffer, too"), Rebus soon alienates his metro counterpart by his constant unwillingness to follow protocol, although the two men get along reasonably well on a personal level. Eventually, Rebus so seriously jeopardizes his and - by extension - Edinburgh CID's reputation with the Met that he is about to be recalled home, when he finally makes the crucial connection that unmasks the killer, just in time to save the young psychologist who has offered her help with the case and who is his latest love interest. (As befits a good noir detective, Rebus has a new flame in every book, not without incurring fresh scars from each separation, however.)

While this series had a terrific start already in its first three novels, published between 1987 and 1992, Rebus's character - and Rankin's writing - has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to his nonseries novels, however, which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be happy with his early Rebus books, commenting almost nostalgically: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ... ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Ian Rankin/Inspector Rebus take Hide and Seek to a new level.
I have to say that I wasn't sure what to think of this book, especially since I'm not a big fan of mystery/detective books, but I read Ian's first book in the series and enjoyed it so I thought I'd see if he could keep my interest on the second......and boy did he!!!!It still boggles my mind how Ian writes a 210 page book with so many twist and turns and yet it never feels like he has to rush to finish the story.I guess what I'm saying is that this book flows extremely well for having so much going on and yet it only takes him 210 pages to wrap up the story!Inspector Rebus continues to grow as the main character in this book and he has a great mix of "hard edge attitude", the ability to "turn on the charm", and yet still be human and have "weak" moments as well.It also helps that Ian has added some side characters from the police force to help readers undertsand how John Rebus interacts with his fellow co-workers (on and off the job).If you are new to this series, get the first book (Knots and Crosses) then get this book.However, you will be fine buying this book even if you didn't read the first one.Either way, you won't regret it.....I sure didn't.

Disappointing
I couldn't get into this book.I didn't think the characters were very interesting and I really couldn't get too excited about the plot.Perhaps I found the characters too pathetic.Also, this was my first Rebus book and I must say, I don't like him much as a character.Some of the description about Edinburgh was interesting but I guess I just found the book too sordid, too boring.

Not too impressed
Stop reading this if you have not read the novel, because a spoiler follows.I sure have read a lot of great comments about Ian Rankin.Comparisons to Michael Connely caused me to search him out.Not in the same league in my book.A so so storywith a hard to believe plot.Does every wealthy man in Edinburgh enjoy wathcing underage junkies beat the heck out of each other and then have sex with them or watch their buddies do so?They sure are having a gay old time in Rankin's sordid Edinburgh.I liked the Rebus character, but I don't plan to seek him out again.

I somehow missed this one
While living in Spain, I had to get most of my books from Amazons UK site. That is how I discovered this author. I thought I had read all his Ins. Rebus novels, but missed this and found it here. It is as good as the rest. I have never been dissapointed in his stories. Some are weaker than others, but none have I not enjoyed. It was nice reading this one as it gave me more background on Rebus' past.
He is a very well fleshed out character, with a very intriguing personality. Rankin also describes Edinborough very well, and gives a very good impression of the city.
If you haven't read a Rebus novel, do. If possible start with the earliest and go in order, as his background develops with each novel.
Highly recommended

On hunting a modern-day Mr. Hyde.
He had wanted to update Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for modern times, Ian Rankin writes about his first Inspector Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses" in the introduction to the 1999 British compilation "Rebus: The Early Years" (unfortunately not available in the U.S.), which contains the first three installments of the series. Oblivious to the mere existence of such a thing as the mystery genre - or so Rankin says - he was stunned to soon hear his book described first and foremost as a crime novel. But eventually this characterization prompted him to have a closer look at the work of other mystery writers, and he found that the form suited his purposes just fine; that in fact he "could say everything [he] wanted to say about the world, and still give readers a pacy, gripping narrative."

Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) - as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well.

The title of Rankin's second Rebus novel, "Hide and Seek," is an even more overt play on Robert Louis Stevenson's famous dual character(s) than the mere juxtaposition of cop and killer in "Knots and Crosses;" and when the villain's identity is finally unveiled, the parallels between this book and Stevenson's become even more obvious.Here, Rebus is on the hunt for the killer of a junkie whose half-naked body is found in a run-down, deserted building in the Pilmuir housing estates - the worst part of town, notwithstanding a nearby construction project involving high-priced luxury condominiums - positioned crucifixion-style and near a drawing possibly hinting at Satanic rituals. And Rebus's only witness seems to be the young woman who had been living with the dead man for the last three months and heard him yell "Hide!" before pushing her out of the door, telling her: "They've murdered me;" but who is now more than just a little reluctant to cooperate, taking refuge, instead, behind an almost unbreakable rebel-against-society-facade, complete with peroxide hair, stud earrings and Attitude with a capital "A."

While this series had a terrific start already in its first two novels, published in 1987 and 1991, Rebus's character - and Rankin's writing - has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to the novels he wrote under the pseudonym Jack Harvey, however, and which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be happy with his early Rebus books, commenting: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ... ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (41)

Mr. Hyde's Edinburgh, not McCall Smith's...
This is the first of Rankin's Edinburgh crime novels featuring detective John Rebus.Alexander McCall Smith gave Rankin a "cameo" part in his serial novel 44 Scotland Street, mentioning in his introduction that Rankin thought his portrait much "nicer" than his real personality.I don't know about that...but it is certainly true that while McCall Smith gives us a colorful, heartwarming view of Edinburgh society (albeit with wry cynical touches), Rankin shows us the Edinburgh of Mr. Hyde, famously bad weather and all.Rebus ruminates, "it was not a nice world this...it was an Old Testament land that he found himself in, a land of barbarity and retribution."And yet the picture-postcard surface of this world is one where librarians are shocked that children are being murdered - "But here, in Edinburgh! It's unthinkable."

Our hero John Rebus has been formed by his successful years in the Army Parachute Regiment, and this book is haunted by the buried memories of his brutal training for the Special Air Services.He's a native of Fife but has little nostalgia for his former home or his brother there; he's been a policeman for fifteen years and "all he had to show were an amount of self-pity and a busted marriage with an innocent daughter hanging between them."His brother Michael has taken up his father's occupation as a stage hypnotist and made it pay.

Out of Rebus's past emerges a pathological killer whose unmasking teases out Rebus's psychological history.Killer and cop are connected in the same vein as Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta books or Patterson's Alex Cross mysteries, but to my mind Rankin's work is more credible, less gratuitously sensational.

Rebus is a very human cop, not above lifting a few fresh rolls and milk from the sidewalk in front of a little grocery shop."Nothing tasted better than a venial sin."He's a reader whose favorite book is Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, because at least Raskolnikov has a conscience.When Rebus's daughter is abducted, his ex-wife taken to hospital, "standing in the waiting-room, he realized that in his life he had accepted secondary experience -- the experience of reading someone else's thoughts - over real life...he was face-to-face with it now all right, he was back in the Paras...his brain aching, every muscle tensed."

He also has run away from his memories by drinking, but in the course of this case he beats that addiction."Rebus did not go dizzy this time, nor did he panic and run for it.He stood up to the sound and allowed it to make its point, let it wash over him until it had had its say.He would never run away from that memory again."

The resolution of this mystery is logical yet unexpected.There are wonderful characters along the way: Rebus's new girlfriend Gill Templer, Rebus's ex-wife and daughter, as well as a venial journalist named Jim Stevens.Rankin's portrait of this ambitious journalist's speculative, manipulative approach to the truth is a small masterpiece.In fact, this book is a small masterpiece.Read it and you will want to read the others, in sequence - consult Ian Rankin's website for a list!

Knots to Be Tied, Crosses to Bear
This was Ian Rankin's first Inspector Rebus crime novel. If only he had kept his later books as short and tight as this one. Rebus does a lot of weeping in this one, but he has a lot to weep about. He has a lot of old army baggage to deal with. Rankin says of Rebus, "It was an Old Testament land that he found himself in, a land of barbarity and retribution." The books usually have the authentic Edinburgh sense of place, and the Inspector smokes and drinks too much and has trouble with his love life and his superiors. For a story about a serial killer, Rankin takes a lot of side alleys to get where he's going. His sub-plots meander a bit, and the reporter almost becomes the lead character.
Rebus's brother Michael, the stage hypnotist, is in it, and he helps Rebus and Inspector Gill Templer solve the case. Rebus is getting crank letters that bug him. He's a believer without a church, and, at times a cop without a clue. It's a good thing there are other characters in the book to help him solve the case.
The book has sharp characterization, suspense, clever plotting, effective writing, and narrative drive. When all the loose ends are knotted together, the reader feels quite satisfied and rewarded. I read it on a flight from Venice to JFK, and it made the trip bearable. Take it along with you on your next flight.
Nine Lives Too Many
The Daemon in Our Dreams
The Rice Queen Spy

I'll definitely read another
This is one of the books for my mystery book club.I wasn't sure I'd like it, because I tend to enjoy more of the classic who-dunnit types; more of a puzzle and less of the drama.I was pleasantly surprised when I started the book and got completely caught up in the characters, plot and setting.It was quite a page turner, and I read it in a single sitting.

While the overall tone of the book is the predictably "dark" and "bleak" world of the modern romain policier, it does not get down to the "icky" details in quite the same way that many of these books do.There are no graphic descriptions of dead bodies, etc.In fact, it is caught up primarily with the "icky" details of the hero's life--as Gilbert and Sullivan once wrote in the Pirates of Penzance, "a policeman's lot is not a happy one."Even still, one can't help but feel that this individual is a lot healthier than Inspector Jury or Morse.The central character, like so many of those in modern mysteries, has problems, but then who doesn't? As the female lead complains, he's a very "complex" personality.That said, while John Rebus definitely has his depressed moments, he doesn't seem to be entirely maudlin about them.He has a sense of humor about his situation, continues to attempt to integrate himself into the society of which he is a part, despite his second thoughts, is realistic about his various relationships, and is generally a functional and real person.This is the first volume written about the character, however, so I have no way of knowing if he moves forward with his life or bogs down into self immolation and pity.

Rebusis also a guy's guy.He is quite masculine in his persuits, attitudes and accomplishments.He resides in an apartment that is messy and definitely lacking in the organization and décor department.The little decorative touches that his former wife had contributed to the shared habitation are now replaced with pull tabs from beer cans.His library is divided into books lying around the living room floor to be read "someday"...maybe; and those lying in piles by the bed to be read sooner than "someday."The bed lacks a frame, which departed with his former wife, but he finds it no great inconvenience, since he can reach the books and beer cans on the floor more easily from the reduced height of the mattress and box spring.He cleans himself up when it seems important to do so, but otherwise just grunges out. He has sex when he feels like it and without commitment, and though he has a daughter, he parents from a distance, which he probably prefers but about which he still harbors some quilt.

Rebus is a guy who knows he should be living his life along the proscribed guidelines of society, but who has never successfully done so, partly because it means living a lie and being dishonest with himself and others.He knows that part of his current despair is founded on this fact, yet he refuses to conform.In a way as a reader I came to hope he never does;he at least, unlike most of us, is true to the person he is.

The rhythm of the author's narrative is very readable. It is neither stilted nor wordy.His choice of words and stream of consciousness sentence structure make it something that easily transitions in the reader's mind from words on a page to a visual scene played out on a mental stage.You don't have to labor to get into the story--as one does with a Sherlock Holmes--or sit with a dictionary at hand.

I'll definitely read another.

Too much grit & grime
The author is so busy trying to portray the grit & grime of the seamy underside of Edinburgh that the story line gets lost.I lost interest in poor inspector Rebus about half way through.

First Rate Detective Series
Ian Rankin is a hidden gem.The John Rebus detective series is off to a bang with this the first of the series.Multiple story lines, with multiple twists and turns make this a non stop read.Reading the first 60 pages in one day, I could not stop the following day until finished.I've read Connelly, Sandford, Crais, Robinson and Parker; Ian Rankin should be ranked with the best.There are 20 other books published by this author and I almost never see his books around.It's a shame. This is a very talented author. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (8)

The Best of the Firth Five
A boy is found tortured in an underground alley in Edinburg that is below the local courthouse. This is just the beginning of the best Rebus yet.The story itself is intriguing and thought provoking (it has to do with a home grown terrorist group that is working with the Protestant Paramilitaries in Northern Ireland).As the story builds, we meet some old friends that we didn't think we'd see again, and some new ones we hope never to see again.

Rankin always does a great job in tying in humor and the comic relief in this one is precious (not to mention with a lot of patience).Unlike the last two, this is really a one man show, and John gets beat up, beat on, and seriously pummeled.(I would sure like for Rankin to take it easy on this guy, since he quickly approaching 50).John's instincts are amazing and he is as relentless as a junkyard dog with a new bone.

A great fun read.

Rankin at his finest
I have to admit that I am an Ian Rankin junkie.I have never been much of a murder-mystery devotee, but Rankin has a way with drama and putting characters together within the Edinburgh context that is exceptional.Mortal Causes is one of my favorite Rankin mysteries because it breaks away from many of his typical roles.Inspector Rebus is not called on the carpet, as usual, he is hard on the case, and we have the chance to see a bit of his own personal history.This novel is an 'easy read' and I found it thoroughly delightful.

Nice Yarn
It's a good thing that Inspector Rebus is so smart. Otherwise, drinking too much and losing every fight he gets into would surely do him in. When a brutally murdered body turns up during the Edinburgh Festival, Rebus starts our tour of the city's seamier underside. There are more than enough additional murders, beatings, pubs, slums, betrayals, and manipulations to satisfy any mystery fan. The story is taut, well-paced, and peopled by memorable, well-developed characters. Although there was a bit too much impenetrable British slang for my taste, it certainly adds credibility and color to the tale. Pour yourself a single-malt, sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Troubles In Edinburgh
After a particularly gruesome murder is discovered during Edinburgh's Fringe Festival, Inspector John Rebus is seconded to the elite Scottish Crime Squad. The reason for this is that aspects of the murder make it appear that a terrorist group was responsible and Rebus's previous SAS experience would come in handy. The investigation takes him from his home base to the villages of rural Scotland and across to Belfast and back again.

Throughout the book, the Catholic versus Protestant problem is continually raised, comparing Scotland to the Troubles in Northern Ireland and suggesting that the same uprising could be imminent. While the characters were discussing terrorist organisations there were enough three letter acronyms being bandied about to make me think I might have stumbled into a Microsoft manual.

Once again we are treated to the bare bones of Edinburgh's back streets and dingy estates that have fallen into ruin. Rebus is as inscrutable and removed from his fellow officers as ever, yet, at least for me, he is becoming more and more likable. I feel this series is getting more and more enjoyable with every book I read, this one is no exception.

mortal causes
well where to start,again rankin astuonds me with his talent.The plotsalways twist and turn but never to the extreme of you losing the thread,beatifully deep rich characters with a high sense of realism. I firstdiscover rebus series a few years and now it's worse than a bad coke habit,when you "score" a new novel you just want to be left alone todevour it. must be at least on par with james ellory. if you enjoy policebooks then this must be the best contempory series come on ian , we wantmore ... Read more

Book Description
The leaders of the free world descend on Scotland for an international conference, and every cop in the country is needed for front-line duty...except one.John Rebus's reputation precedes him, and his bosses don't want him anywhere near Presidents Bush and Putin, which explains why he's manning an abandoned police station when a call comes in.During a preconference dinner at Edinburgh Castle, a delegate has fallen to his death.Accident, suicide, or something altogether more sinister?And is it linked to a grisly find close to the site of the gathering?Are the world's most powerful men at risk from a killer?While the government and secret services attempt to hush the whole thing up, Rebus knows he has only seventy-two hours to find the answers.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Decent; 3.5 Stars
The latest installment in a long-running series featuring the alcoholic policeman and outsider John Rebus.This is another variation of the classic Raymond Chandler device of an alienated hero who is an obsessive seeker of the truth.In this case, set in the mildly exotic locale of Edinburgh.This book is as much about Rebus' partner, Siobhan Clarke, as Rebus himself, and deals with issues of revenge and temptation.Rebus' long time gangster nemesis makes an appearance.The quality of writing is above average.The plot, however, is excessively complex with a somewhat strained ending.

Rebus Is On The Case
"The Naming of The Dead," by Ian Rankin, current, highly-successful dean of Scottish mystery writers, is 18th in his "tartan noir" Detective Inspector John Rebus series, and is set in and around the beautiful-to-the-tourist, but not necessarily to the locals, east coast Scots city of Edinburgh.It takes place in July, 2005; Rebus's younger brother Michael, of whom we occasionally heard, has just died at 54, victim,Rebus proposes, of "Scotland's mortality rate that of a Third World nation.Lifestyle, diet, genes - plenty of theories."

The Group of Eight (G8) summit, of political and economic leaders of the most industrialized eight countries, is set to open in the famous golfing resort of Gleneagles, near Edinburgh.Leaders as diverse and famous as American President George Bush, British Prime minister Tony Blair, and Russian premier Putin are about to converge here, andall the British intelligence services, particularly Edinburgh's, and its police brass, are determined to keep a lid on things.They've warned off trouble-making Rebus, and buried him as far from the action as they can.But crowds of protestors, led by Sir Bob Geldorf, record industry figure/philanthropist; Bono, lead singer of the Irish band U2, and Bianca Jagger are coming too.The last thing they want to do is keep the lid on.

Then Ben Webster, British cabinet undersecretary, dies in a mysterious fall from his hotel room.It could be murder, and it could be suicide, and, suddenly, Rebus and his protégée, DI Siobhan Clarke, are on the scene, too, much to the horror of the mighty.Furthermore, there's soon another, apparently interconnected, serial murder case: someone's killing off really unpleasant sex offenders.Rebus and Clarke are on the case, no two ways about it; the brass is really unhappy.

This book is, unfortunately, complex and confusing.Rankin's reportage on the G8 summit is accurate and vivid: furthermore, we get the -imagined-- pleasure of watching a hung-over Rebus knock President Bush off his bike.Then, towards the end, Rebus veers off into the horrific London underground bombings that also happened that July, killing more than 50 people. I consider myself an intelligent reader, but I've no idea why.Any serious author wants to extend his skills; but the Politics and Current Affairs books are on whole different shelves, aren't they?The music books too, come to that.And when reviewers talk about a mystery transcending its genre, I worry.

However, the mystery as such is quite passable; the characterizations of the major characters, Rebus, Clarke, and Morris Gerald (Big Jer) Cafferty, Edinburgh's crime czar, continue to be enriched.The author can still deliver that city in lively, accurate detail.At one point, he discusses an Edinburgh neighborhood, "Once an area of breweries and factories, where Sean Connery had spent his early years, Fountainbridge was changing.The old industries had all but vanished.The city's financial district was encroaching.Style bars were opening.One of Rebus's favourite old watering-holes had already been demolished, and he reckoned the bingo hall next door - the Palais de Danse as was -- would soon follow.The canal, not much more than an open sewer at one time, had been cleaned up.Families would go there for bike rides, or to feed the swans."

Or: "The City Chambers had been built on top of a plague street called Mary King's Close.Years back, Rebus had investigated a murder in the dank underground labyrinth - Cafferty's own son the victim.The place had been tidied up and now was a tourist haunt in the summer." Guilty as charged; tourist, me.I do love Rankin's work, and a few years ago, did make a pilgrimage to Edinburgh, where I found the relevant tour, right under the City Hall.

The evolution of Rebus continues
The beauty of a series such as the Inspector Rebus series is that you are growing along with the character, you see Inspector Rebus change, or not change as the case may be as the times and the world around him evolves.This particular installment of the story is more melancholy than any of the others in the series.Rankin has grown masterfully in the way he writes atmospherically about Edinburgh and its surroundings.His descriptions of the slums, the police stations, Rebus' flat, Cafferty's mansion are very conise but also very precise.He also imbued Rebus with a cynicism and weariness which goes along with his noirish descriptions.The introduction of Siobhan Clark was a welcome breath of fresh air a few books ago.In this book however, you can palpably feel Rebus descending deeper into his despiration about his future on the force and the growing cynicism that is enveloping Siobhan.

As the previous reviewer had stated, this installment takes place at the G8 summit in Gleneagle in Scotland in 2005.Rankin weaves a tidy and unexpected plot, as usual.he is masterful in pulling the reader into the details of the police procedure as well as into the people in the story.

The juxtoposition of real life events and the familiar characters in this novel however makes the story all the more urgent and it made me more uneasy than usual.which is the point of the novel.I sensed a denouement coming for Rebus, he is mere single digit years away from retirement, all that he had: his wife and daughter are gone now, and he is tired of tilting at windmills but can't get himself to stop.I hope that Rankin isn't playing with his reader's emotions, because that would be a truly devastating blow to my reading habit if rebus were to disappear completely from my life.Yet I think that refocusing on Siobhan isn't such a bad turn of events, if handled by Mr. Rankin.

This is an engrossing book for the Rebus fans, because it is familiar and adventurous at the same time.I would recommend it highly for all mystery fans, although i would say that knowing the history of all the characters would be essential to your enjoyment.

Boring Dribble
This was the first book I read by Ian Rankin and was really disappointed.The characters are very plain, the detective seems to need a drink of coffee or booze on every page, and there was no climax to the story.I couldn't find anything interesting in this book and had to put it down after reading a few pages.Eventually I finished the book, but had a hard time getting through it.

Inspector Rebus Goes It Alone Again
Ian Rankin's Scottish Detective Inspector John Rebus drinks too much, smokes too much, is a loner, defies his higher-ups and the Special Branch London spooks, but has a moral compass that can't be tampered with. The G8 world leaders are meeting near Edinburgh, and Rebus is, as usual, a loose cannon, going his own way, defying orders, investigating four murders. The scenes of protest in the streets are vividly drawn and form a backdrop for the story. In this book Rebus's sidekick Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke comes into her own as a character and shares center stage. She'll be up for her own series soon.
The book at 452 pages is too long, is replete with scores of red herrings, implausible events, coincidences, and an overcomplicated plot, but Rankin is still sharp, original, almost brilliant in his storytelling--better than most crime writers out there. Rebus is "obsessed and sidelined, cranky and mistrusted." The book has wry and sardonic humor; Rebus even causes President Bush to fall off his bike during an exercise ride.
The ending is unsatisfactory. You may feel as if you've been taken for a circuitous ride to nowhere and forced to fall off your bike. We've met a lot of rogue maverick homicide cops in crime fiction like Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, but who would want to always read about a "go by the book" copper like Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford? Rankin keeps turning out clever, absorbing books about his misfit, drowning detective who's gnawing away at the bad guys on both sides of the law.
Nine Lives Too Many
The Daemon in Our Dreams
The Rice Queen Spy ... Read more

Book Description
When a close colleague is brutally attacked, Inspector John Rebus is drawn into a case involving a hotel fire, an unidentified body, and a long forgotten night of terror and murder.Pursued by dangerous ghosts and tormented by the coded secrets of his colleague's notebook, Rebus must piece together the most complex and confusing of jigsaws.But not everyone wants the puzzle solved - perhaps not even Rebus himself ... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Vicious loan sharking and murder
This is an earlier novel by the author.I did not give it five stars because I had trouble keeping some of the characters straight as the plot moved between characters.The novel is partly a mystery, and partly deals with the love life of Inspector Rebus.When a DC working with Rebus is assaulted, Rebus looks into the matter and is drawn into a cold case.A man was murdered five years earlier, and the body was found in a burned out hotel after the fire.Rebus is assigned to investigate a case of loan sharking, and the two cases eventually come together.

The novel as an evil villain who enjoys hurting people.He has areputation for chewing off a man's ear in a barroom brawl (they never found the ear, so draw your own conclusions).He can make people disappear.There is money involved, and a suspicion of people being paid off.There are questions of who was in the hotel at the time of the fire.Someone is applying pressure to get Rebus off the case.

Along the way, Rebus is caught up in the internal politics of the police and the back stabbing of people within the department competing for promotions (I have experienced this almost everywhere that I have worked during my career).As an added note, you do not want to get on the wrong side of Inspector Rebus.He has some ways of his own for administering justice.

Clever plotwith lots of surprises
"The Black Book" is one of the earlier Rankin novels now coming out in reprint.It deserves the renewed exposure as it meets the author's high standard for zig-zagging plots and wonderfully, over-the-top characters.The protagonist Scots detective in this book (and the whole series) is a go-it-alone type, who is constantly in trouble with his superiors as he pursues unorthodox paths to track down the perps.The perps themselves are often bizaare types that appear to have waundered in from Ruth Rendell stories. "The Black Book" is a highly original, well-crafted and enjoyable read.Recommended.

Rebus v. Cafferty
I've read a few of these. Worst one I've read is Mortal Causes, which is pretty lame. This one is up there with the best as its pretty tight and features a great villain, Big Ger Cafferty. I also recommend Strip Jack, perhaps Rankin's best effort.

Make sure you book a weekend to read this one
Once again Ian Rankin has written a splendid mystery novel starring our favorite Edinburgh DI John Rebus.He drinks, he doesn't smoke, he drives, he gets hit by a car, he ends up back in his apartment which is masquerading as a college dorm and drop in, he gets hit on the head, he gets called on the carpet and suspended.But in the end he sets all things (well almost all) to right.

Three loose ends are:What is going to be the final determination for Brian Holmes, is this the end of his relationship with Dr. Patience (and the beginning with a certain DC), and will he ever be able to shut-up, behave himself so that the Farmer can promote him.

A great read, plan on finishing in two days, if you work hard at it.

The Black Book
This novel is full of many different storylines all bumping togetheer as John Rebus tries to do what he does best and that's solve crimes. This includes the introduction of Morris Gerald Cafferty and DC Siobhan Clarke, who would go on to become a main part of this series in later novels.

Rebus is suffering from many things, including: trouble with his girlfriend Patience, investigating a man being stabbed and then walking into a butchers shop owned by his cousin, and his good friend DC Brian Holmes being attacked outside a restaurant. This book really holds the reader as it experiences the cold murders and attacks along with the dark "black humour" that Detective Inspector Rebus uses to get through life. Easilly readable, highly recommended.

"When a close colleague is brutally attacked, Rebus is drawn into a case involving a hotel fire, an unidentified body and a long-forgoten night of terror and murder. Pursued by dangerous ghosts and tormented by the coded secrets of the colleague's notebook, Rebus must piece together a jigsaw that no one else seems to want completed." ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Vicious loan sharking and murder
This is an earlier novel by the author.I did not give it five stars because I had trouble keeping some of the characters straight as the plot moved between characters.The novel is partly a mystery, and partly deals with the love life of Inspector Rebus.When a DC working with Rebus is assaulted, Rebus looks into the matter and is drawn into a cold case.A man was murdered five years earlier, and the body was found in a burned out hotel after the fire.Rebus is assigned to investigate a case of loan sharking, and the two cases eventually come together.

The novel as an evil villain who enjoys hurting people.He has areputation for chewing off a man's ear in a barroom brawl (they never found the ear, so draw your own conclusions).He can make people disappear.There is money involved, and a suspicion of people being paid off.There are questions of who was in the hotel at the time of the fire.Someone is applying pressure to get Rebus off the case.

Along the way, Rebus is caught up in the internal politics of the police and the back stabbing of people within the department competing for promotions (I have experienced this almost everywhere that I have worked during my career).As an added note, you do not want to get on the wrong side of Inspector Rebus.He has some ways of his own for administering justice.

Clever plotwith lots of surprises
"The Black Book" is one of the earlier Rankin novels now coming out in reprint.It deserves the renewed exposure as it meets the author's high standard for zig-zagging plots and wonderfully, over-the-top characters.The protagonist Scots detective in this book (and the whole series) is a go-it-alone type, who is constantly in trouble with his superiors as he pursues unorthodox paths to track down the perps.The perps themselves are often bizaare types that appear to have waundered in from Ruth Rendell stories. "The Black Book" is a highly original, well-crafted and enjoyable read.Recommended.

Rebus v. Cafferty
I've read a few of these. Worst one I've read is Mortal Causes, which is pretty lame. This one is up there with the best as its pretty tight and features a great villain, Big Ger Cafferty. I also recommend Strip Jack, perhaps Rankin's best effort.

Make sure you book a weekend to read this one
Once again Ian Rankin has written a splendid mystery novel starring our favorite Edinburgh DI John Rebus.He drinks, he doesn't smoke, he drives, he gets hit by a car, he ends up back in his apartment which is masquerading as a college dorm and drop in, he gets hit on the head, he gets called on the carpet and suspended.But in the end he sets all things (well almost all) to right.

Three loose ends are:What is going to be the final determination for Brian Holmes, is this the end of his relationship with Dr. Patience (and the beginning with a certain DC), and will he ever be able to shut-up, behave himself so that the Farmer can promote him.

A great read, plan on finishing in two days, if you work hard at it.

The Black Book
This novel is full of many different storylines all bumping togetheer as John Rebus tries to do what he does best and that's solve crimes. This includes the introduction of Morris Gerald Cafferty and DC Siobhan Clarke, who would go on to become a main part of this series in later novels.

Rebus is suffering from many things, including: trouble with his girlfriend Patience, investigating a man being stabbed and then walking into a butchers shop owned by his cousin, and his good friend DC Brian Holmes being attacked outside a restaurant. This book really holds the reader as it experiences the cold murders and attacks along with the dark "black humour" that Detective Inspector Rebus uses to get through life. Easilly readable, highly recommended.

"When a close colleague is brutally attacked, Rebus is drawn into a case involving a hotel fire, an unidentified body and a long-forgoten night of terror and murder. Pursued by dangerous ghosts and tormented by the coded secrets of the colleague's notebook, Rebus must piece together a jigsaw that no one else seems to want completed." ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (12)

"He swallowed the anger down and held it in his gut.It was hotter than tea, stronger than whisky."
The daughter of Edinburgh's Lord Provost is missing; a car chase of two possible kidnappers ends with the supposed perps' suicide; then another suicide occurs, seemingly unconnected. No crime there, and yet there are puzzling unexplained details, which Rebus can't get off his mind. These details, and the discovery of the missing daughter, lead to the unwinding of a Machiavellian scheme in which high-ranking businessmen and politicians are joined, for the supposed good of Scotland.To Rebus, "None of it's worth a single human life."

This is one of Rankin's best.Intricacy does not get in the way of clarity, and the evolving turmoil of Rebus' private life parallels his solving of this larger crime, which eventually leads to the revitalization of one of his most important relationships.His implacable pursuit of justice might seem self-righteous in a less flawed human being, but his battle with the drink ("It's the drink makes me maudlin.It's only the drink."), his tendency to put off his dental work (great dentists' chair episode), his devotion to the Rolling Stones ("What a shambles the band was, yet sometimes they could get it so exactly right that it hurt."), his sensitivity masked by a morbid sense of humor, his tendency to be brutally honest even when this is not desirable, make him a most appealing character.

The weather of Edinburgh has a leading role; after reading several Rankin books, its volatility is as real to you as Rebus himself.Rankin's writing can be direct, even lyrically serious, and then suddenly morph into a gruesome simile, as in this description of a pub: "It had a burgundy linoleum floor and matching colored walls, and was like staring into somebody's throat."

Knowledge of the previous books (this is the 7th in the Rebus series) would not be necessary to enjoy this read, but would add to your appreciation of the characters.

Great Mysteries
I recommend every book by this author.Whenever I start an Inspector Rebus, I don't want to put it down.

Flawed, but always striving for justice
LET IT BLEED is a prime example of Ian Rankin's Rebus, bucking the system in order to pursue the pure essence of justice, consequences be damned. Far from a Galahad, Rebus is a deeply flawed man, tough on family and any who try to get too near, entirely too dependent on alcohol to quell the feeling of rage and hurt he feels.
The gradual shift from a search for a solution to some mysterious suicides to finding a way to punish those who seem to be beyond punishment is classic Rankin. Rebus's response to the class system seems much more thana plot device; it becomes a vital link to understanding Rebus a bit better. His rage, when directed at injustice is a fearsome weapon, but it also becomes evident how important his life as policeman is to his continued existence. Rankin continues to combine an excellent procedural with a truly interesting and believable figure. LET IT BLEED is an excellent example of when Rankin is firing on all cylinders.

This Man's Writing is Addictive and Should Come With a Warning Label
More than the seven books before it, this one builds from a tiny thread until it creates a magnificent tapestry.Starting with a car chase, after two supposed kidnappers, in which "Fart" Lauderdale is taken out of the picture, and replace by Rebus' old flame Gill Templer; to the end, where "Wee Weed" Flower gets his just desserts, the action just builds and builds.

Though he loses Patience, in more than one way, he gains a better and stronger relationship with his daughter Sammy, who has come back to Edinburgh to do social work with prisoners and ex-cons.
I won't tell you the story because that's why you read the book in the first place, and I would only spoil some of the more surprising parts.But, all you favorite characters and neighborhoods are in it, or their facsimilies.

I do have two complaints: 1) John is getting to the point where he needs to go into AA, and after the accident he now has more burns, brakes and bruises than Luke Davenport, 2) Ian has to learn to write better dialogue in the american vernacular if he is going to include one as a character.I know Rankin, FYTP.

Slainte.

Very Good Service
despite the order being placed so near to Christmas and the projected delivery date being in the new year, I received this item in plenty of time to gift wrap it for Christmas.
Very good service indeed! ... Read more

Amazon.com
Ian Rankin's ninth book about Inspector John Rebus of the Edinburghpolice is so full of story that it seems about to explode into shapeless anarchy at any moment. What keeps it from doing so is Rankin's strong heart and even stronger writing skills. When a Bosnian prostitute refuses to testify against a crime boss who has threatened her family, he says this about the cops trying to pressure her: "Silence in the room. They were all looking at her. Four men, men with jobs, family ties, men with lives of their own. In the scheme of things, they seldom realised how well off they were. And now they realised something else: how helpless they were."

Rebus is trying to help the young woman--renamed Candice by the young, slick, brutal thug Tommy Telford, who is into everything from drugs and prostitution to aiding a Japanese business syndicate in acquiring a local golf course--because she's about the same age and physical aspect as his own daughter, Sammy. He's also conducting the investigation of a suspected Nazi war criminal, an old man who spends his time tending graves in Warriston cemetery. "A cemetery should have been about death, but Warriston didn't feel that way to Rebus. Much of it resembled a rambling park into which some statuary had been dropped," Rankin writes with the icy clarity of cold water over stone.

Add to this Rebus's involvement with an imprisoned crime boss in a plan to bring Telford down; his continuing battle with drink; the strong possibility that people high up in the British government don't want the old Nazi exposed; danger to Sammy and her journalist lover because of her father's work; and a somewhat strained metaphor of Edinburgh as a new Babylon and you have an admittedly large pot of stew. But Rankin's high art keeps it all bubbling and rich with flavor. Others in the Rebus series include his 1997 Edgar Award-nominated Black and Blue, as well as Hide and Seek, Knots and Crosses, Let It Bleed, Mortal Causes, Strip Jack, and Tooth and Nail. --Dick AdlerBook Description

Customer Reviews (14)

a very tangled story with a complex detective character
Welcome to the dark side of Edinburgh! Once again Inspector John Rebus has a job in the Scottish City. This time it seems that he is painfully, personally involved - his daughter, Sammy, is in a coma after being hit by a car. And he had been hiding a Bosnian girl made prostitute by one of the gangs fighting for dominance over the city, in her apartment...

In "The Hanging Garden" (the first Rankin book I have tried - very encouraging!) perhaps the most interesting thing is the personality of Inspector Rebus and his private phobias and the reminiscences of past mistakes, which seem to overwhelm him quite often as he is immersing himself deeper and deeper into his work. Now he is trying to find out if Joseph Lintz, the retired professor and German immigrant, is a mass murderer from World War II and at the same time to put the Edinburgh emerging mobster, Tommy Telford, behind bars. The Japanese mafia, Yakuza, appears at the scene, as well as the Serbian disfigured gangster Jake Tarawicz from Newcastle, a corrupted Dr Colquhoun, Rebus' ex-wife, Sammy's nosy journalist boyfriend... There is a little too much thrown in for my taste, the plot is very twisted and seems that the author entangled himself too much in it at some point.

Nevertheless, it is worth reading for all those who like Rebus and his complicated mind. His psychological portrait is one of the best in the contemporary mystery fiction. The Edinburgh from Rankin's novels is also much different from its tourist side (which I saw and loved), much more shady and dirty, with all the social classes present and great descriptions of various locations.

Gang warfare breaks out in Edinburgh and Rebus is in the middle of it
Eagles: There's a new kid in town

Thomas (Tommy) Telford has come to Edinburgh, and is in the process of taking over Morris Gerald (Big Ger) Cafferty's turf.One of the first casualties turns out to be Rebus' daughter Samantha.It's been hard enough for John, having his daughter working with ex-cons but now she's taken up with a writer-cum-journalist.

While investigating a potential escaped nazi, who came to scotland just after the war and taught at a local college.His investigation leads him to Telfond's mentor, Jake Tarawicz who is based in Newcastle, some Japanese Yakuza who are looking to buy a golf course in the area.During this time he also rescues a prossie who turns out to be an illegal Bosnian, smuggled over the border and forced to work in the sex trade.

With everyone and his brother (and sister) involved in one or two of the concurrent cases he is working on, John is busier than a one armed bartender.He's been on the wagon for five months and has only slipped once.His sponsor, Jack Morton is there at the phone when he needs him, and on the job undercover.

It's hard to believe that in 335 pages, he manages to deal with his daughter's trauma, his ex-wife, ex(?)girlfriend Patience, the hooker, his brother, Siobhan, Jack, Abernathey from London, an ad-hoc member of a Jewish group tracking down nazis, members of three gangs, their bosses and lieutenants, and a problem with customs in Inverness airport.Surprisingly, no one seems to get short-schrift.

As the series has gone along, it has continued to be new and different, without the books becoming formulaic.Let's hope this continues.

Above-Average Police Drama
It's perhaps a bit inaccurate to call the Rebus novels "mysteries" in that there is often little mystery to the goings-on.Rankin is a very good writer, but what he does best is setting up strong, shocking, and sometimes moving police precedurals around seeming mysteries.Like the other Rebus books I've read, the resolution to the main mysteries is a bit weak, especially when compared to the other events in the book.

So that alone puts the Rebus books a bit below the Morse or Dalgleish novels.However, John Rebus is almost as memorable as a plainclothesman as his English counterparts, rougher around the edges than either, hard to take but sympathetic.He makes the books move as he bounces around, as we see him through the eyes of his colleagues and his enemies.He's not an easy hero to like, but is an easy man to feel for.The rest of the cast, some totally heinous, others much more pure, set him to sharp relief.And the setting, while most likely not at all the true Edinburgh, helps a lot too.

Compared to American novles of this ilk, this series is a stunning gem.Mystery and police drama fans alike could do far worse.

Fine little book, this.
Ian Rankin, The Hanging Garden (St. Martin's Press, 1998)

In a couple of months of reading almost nothing save mysteries, The Hanging Garden stood out as the best of the lot. Rankin is capable of weaving clues into a narrative with the deftest hand in a British mystery author since Colin Wilson, and his characters are more than engaging enough; as with most series mysteries, reading them out of order is liable to drop the reader into the middle of a plotline, and so it is here. The soap opera quality is not, however, as intrusive as it is in, say, the Spenser novels of Robert Parker. Funny, unexpectedly sweet at times, and more contemplative than your usual mystery novel. Rankin is something of a change of pace for the mystery reader, and a refreshing one he is. *** ½

Hanging by every word in the page
This is my first Ian Rankin novel and it will definitely not be my last. John Rebus is a complex character who is battling his own personal demons. He is an Edinburgh Detective Inspector who is a recovering alcoholic and who is trying to reconnect with his daughter, Sammy, after many years of separation.

In this novel, Sammy is a victim of a hit-and-run and is currently unconscious in the hospital; a gang war is brewing and seems that the Yakuza might be involved; and an elderly man is being investigated as a Nazi war criminal. Rebus is trying to save Karina, a Bosnian refugee who is working as a prostitute in the streets of Edinburgh. Rankin does an excellent job with characterization giving depth to all the supporting players involved in the story. He focuses on their strengths as well as their weaknesses and does a great job in showing irony on several occasions.

The author knows how to structure the story. He makes use of flashbacks without warning the readers. It helps one to appreciate the then as well as the now. The story is not linear and it helps one to understand the motivation of most of the characters. I enjoyed my first John Rebus novel and I hope that all the others are as good as this one. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Edinburgh police inspector John Rebus's obsession--rock & roll--seems odd for a man whose dark, depressed side is so central to his character, but Ian Rankin always manages to work it gracefully into his noirish novels featuring Rebus. In Set in Darkness, Rebus has a fling with Lorna Grieve, a faded rock muse who's the sister of Roddy Grieve, an up-and-coming politico who turns up dead on the grounds of the boarded-up hospital that's being torn down to make way for the new Scottish Parliament. Grieve's body is the second in the space of days found at Queensberry House; the first was a skeleton bricked up in the fireplace. That decades-old murder seems to be tied to the suicide of a mysterious homeless man whose hefty bank balance is revealed well before his true identity.

'So what's the story with Mr Supertramp anyway?'

'He had all this money he either couldn't spend or didn't want to. He took on a new identity. My theory is that he was hiding.'

'Maybe.' He was rifling through the scraps on the desk. She folded her arms, gave him a hard look which he failed to notice. He opened the bread bag and shook out the contents: disposable razor, a sliver of soap, toothbrush. 'An organized mind,' he said. 'Makes himself a wash bag. Doesn't like being dirty.'

'It's like he was acting the part,' she said.

Customer Reviews (26)

I Was A Little Disappointed
This was my first Ian Rankin novel. There are three investigations going on in this novel and at the end theyall tie in together.John Rebus is well drawn and is interesting. I found the storydragging at times.It's a complex crime novel. I rate this a A-.

A long and slow spiral
I have been reading this series in sequence, so I have been entertained by how Rankin is getting better at creating complex and convoluted plot twists and marveled at how refined his character development has become.

I believe this book marked a turning point. Rebus' drinking had always been a continuous and important sidebar of the story, it got relief earlier in the series.But when Rebus'friend Jack Morton was killed, Rebus fell off the wagon hard, and it really and truly made the character all the more complex and interesting.The drinking is now front and center and ruling his life and his work.Rebus can be seen to be in aslow death spiral towards uncontrollable depression, or does it?This is the beauty of the Inspector Rebus series, you begin to care about Rebus, no matter how bad he is with truth, women, relationships, and rules.As in a relation ship with real people, no one starts being completely hateful, but over the series of 12 books, I have come to know the character, I feel I know his history, and despite his odious state of de-evolution, I still care about the character because of the history that Rankin built up over the 12 books.I can't wait to read the rest of the series just for the Rebus development.

The mystery part involves three seemingly disparate deaths, one of a tramp, the second of a up and coming politician, and the third of a man whose death went unnoticed 20 years ago but he jumped back into the public consciousness in a very notable way.At first blush, I didn't think Rankin would be able to pull all this together into one story arc, but he did.I really should stop doubting his ability to do this.The procedureand methodology that Rankin uses to progress his story is once again, very enlightening.Mix in his accounting of the Scottish government and history, the history of 60's and70's rock and roll, as well as his understated sarcastic asides makes this a very complex and enjoyable read, if you like life complicated, real, and not easily categorized nor understood.The story comes to an end, a very conclusive end, but also with a very depressing twist which sets Rebus up with a very difficult reality.You may not like it, but it is definitely a juicy beginning for the rest of the series.

Alfred Hitchcock would have loved John Rebus' Character
Once again (it's so repetitious) Ian Rankin has written a novel that is almost perfect in every way.The story just seems to grow as it goes along, and the characters appear as if this is just a narrative of some tragedy that actually happened and Rankin is just the reporter.

A murder (of a man of a well known family who is standing for the Scottish Parliment and brother of an MP), a suicide (by a man we would call a street person) and a dead body (murdered twenty years ago and wall up in a building under renovation.All this is happening around and in the new Scottish Parliment building and John and Siobhan are off on the most interesting story so far (until the next one).

With the imminent retirement of the Chief Super, Farmer Watson, we know that John is in for trouble with whoever becomes his next boss. It's nice to see Watson get in a few good licks before he leaves the scene.Another DI (the blue eyed boy), is sent by Fettes to watch over this case which they feel is too high profile for a maverick like Rebus.

Of course Rebus gets on his bad side immediately, not to mention everyone else.But with the tenacity that he brings to everything his does, Rebus will find out the truth in the end.What he's not expecting is how.Once again a great read.

It's a stretch to tie this all together.

A body found in a bricked up fireplace after twenty years, a murdered candidate for Scottish parliament, and a suicide with a big secret and it all ties together? Well, it's a bit of a stretch in this one. Renkin works hard and it shows. This is a disparate lot of puzzles, and it is really reaching to work them together. Without the deus ex machina in the form of Rebus's favorite foe, Big Ger it wouldn't really happen at all. It is this occasional dependence on the Scottish crime lord that often works against the series, sometimes it seems an easy way out when Rebus needs something done, either directly or indirectly, and in pops Cafferty. This is a solid outing, but too many characters pop in and out without real purpose making the novel probably 100 pages more than it needs to be.

A Book that is Dark, Brooding and Forbidding and Very Alive
Hard-drinking, hard-smoking, divorced Edinburgh cop DI John Rebus is a man who does things his way as he moves through the brooding city of Edinburgh, searching for both his own lost soul and the criminals who lurk in its dark places. DI Derek Linford, in contrast, does things the boss's way, much to Rebus's chagrin.

Both are seconded to the police liaison team for the new Scottish Parliament at Queensberry House when a corpse is found hidden behind a fireplace in one of the parliament buildings. From the condition of the body, it appears that it's been there a long time, years, decades.

A few days later the body of Roddy Grieve, a Labor Party candidate for a seat in the new parliament, is found on the grounds. Grieve comes from a well-known Scottish family. His mother is a famous artist, his brother is a Tory MP, his sister is an ex-supermodel married to an ageing rock star and there is another brother who went missing 20 years ago. Sniffing about for clues as only he can, Rebus comes to suspect the body in the fireplace may be connected to Grieve's murder.

Meanwhile, Rebus's former partner, DetectiveSergeant Siobhan Clarke, is driving home one evening when she happens to see a homeless man leap to his death from a bridge. Following up, she discovers that the supposedly poor and destitute man had over £400,000 in a building society account. He also had the same name as the man whose remains were found behind that fireplace.

Add to the above the escalating violence of a serial rapist who targets women in singles clubs and, as if that isn't enough, Rebus must face the unexpected prison release of his old nemesis, Edinburgh crime boss Big Ger Cafferty, whose interest in Rebus isn't exactly friendly. And through all this, Rebus has to work alongside Linford, a paper pusher on the fast track to promotion.

Little of modern Edinburgh has escaped Rankin's attention here. In fact, one might mistake this excellent novel as a travel guide about where not to go when visiting there. However, there is hope in this book, too. It's just that sometimes it's just a little hard to find, especially when Rankin writes about, corruption, homelessness and despair as if he's been there and seen it all. Yes, this is a dark book. It's also a book that stands apart from others in the genre. It's the kind of book the others aspire to.

Haley Lawford, SV Cheerleader Too ... Read more

Book Description
Bible John killed three women, and took three souvenirs. Johnny Bible killed to steal his namesake's glory. Oilman Allan Mitchelson died for his principles. And convict Lenny Spaven died just to prove a point. "Bible John" terrorized Glasgow in the sixties and seventies, murdering three women he met in a local ballroom--and he was never caught. Now a copycat is at work. Nicknamed "Bible Johnny" by the media, he is a new menace with violent ambitions.

The Bible Johnny case would be perfect for Inspector John Rebus, but after a run-in with a crooked senior officer, he's been shunted aside to one of Edinburgh's toughest suburbs, where he investigates the murder of an off-duty oilman. His investigation takes him north to the oil rigs of Aberdeen, where he meets the Bible Johnny media circus head-on. Suddenly caught in the glare of the television cameras and in the middle of more than one investigation, Rebus must proceed wiht caution: One mistake could mean an unpleasant and not particularly speedy death, or, worse still, losing his job.

Written with Ian Rankin's signature wit, style and intricacy, Black and Blue is a novel of uncommon and unforgettable intrigue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

"Maybe I've just relocated my conscience" - Rebus
Taking off from the true case history of a Glasgow killer named Bible John, Rankin spins a complex (but still clear*) pageturner about a copycat murderer, dubbed Johnny Bible by the press and cops, but nicknamed the Upstart by the real Bible John, who is still alive, 30 years older, married, and in business under an assumed identity. Even though we know that Bible John is alive and trailing the Upstart, Rebus does not, although he is obsessed with the old case due to his youthful involvement in the earlier investigation.
Rebus is pulled into the later investigation (in Glasgow and Aberdeen) by the suspicious "suicide" of an oil company employee in Edinburgh which connects to an Aberdeen crime boss and eventually to the Glasgow/Aberdeen murders, old and new. Along the way, bent cops in Aberdeen suspect him of being Johnny Bible.There are hair-raising descriptions of a North Sea oil platform and its operations, as well as the usual "second home" pub meets with gangsters, journalists, suspects, and friends.Jack Morton, Rebus's Glasgow cop connection from Knots and Crosses, returns in this book and his deepening bond with Rebus leads to an unexpected and hopeful turn in Rebus's private life.
*A note on the complexity of this book -- geographically, I had to look back to pin down the cities involved, but I had no trouble remembering the main characters and interwoven plots, even though I took several days to finish the book.The portrait of the returning serial killer and the development of Rebus' character in this book make it one of Rankin's best.

Boring
It is my first and last book of Ian Rankin. The book is extremely boring, full of useless subplots, and I could not finish it.
Everything goes around the personality of Detective Rebus, who is a proud alcoholist and an immature, self centered, asocial, negative and depressing character, with deep problems in relating with other people, expecially women. The other (and too many)characters are uninteresting and impossible to remember, because they are not described or analyzed. Everybody acts only and exclusively for interest, without sentiments or positive emotions. I cannot really understand the popularity of Mr Rebus.

Less Than Average in a Great Series
Plenty of details in other reviews, but if you're wondering about just trying the Rebus line...

I have been VERY happy to find Rankins Rebus series after enjoying Connelly, Crais, White , Corcoran and some others. Great character depth and interplay. Cynical, gritty .......noirish, you'll likely enjoy your time in DI Rebus' world.

I've read 5 of these so far and would give 3 x 5 stars, 1 x 4 stars and this book 3 1/2 stars.

Each Book Gets Better Plotted and a Faster More Powerful Read
His first book in the series, Knots + Crosses, was straight-forward and less than 200 pages.This tome is closer to 400 and has more twists, turns, obfuscation, dead ends, cul-de-sacs and out-and-out right lies than a politician's testimony.Rankin also brings back Rebus' partner, Jack Morton, from the first book, to help Rebus get back on track.

That this story is based on the real 'Bible John' killer, the books antagonist, 'Johnny Bible' is fictitious.How close does Rebus get to the two killers?Read the book.

Rebus is tied to the killings because he happens to have had contact with one of the murdered woman.But, at the same time he is dealing with Brian Holmes break-up with Nell over his being a 'copper', trying to work out a relationship with Gill Templer, and finally comi