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Inspector Rebus #19
Saints of the Shadow Bible
Rebus and Malcolm Fox go head-to-head when a 30-year-old murder investigation resurfaces, forcing Rebus to confront crimes of the past
Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a demotion and a chip on his shoulder. He is investigating a car accident when news arrives that a case from 30 years ago is being reopened. Rebus's team from those days is suspected of helping a murderer escape justice to further their own ends.
Malcolm Fox, in what will be his last case as an internal affairs cop, is tasked with finding out the truth. Past and present are about to collide in shocking and murderous fashion. What does Rebus have to hide? And whose side is he really on? His colleagues back then called themselves "The Saints," and swore a bond on something called the Shadow Bible. But times have changed and the crimes of the past may not stay hidden much longer -- and may also play a role in the present, as Scotland gears up for a referendum on independence.
Allegiances are being formed, enemies made, and huge questions asked. Who are the saints and who the sinners? And can the one ever become the other?
Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a demotion and a chip on his shoulder. He is investigating a car accident when news arrives that a case from 30 years ago is being reopened. Rebus's team from those days is suspected of helping a murderer escape justice to further their own ends.
Malcolm Fox, in what will be his last case as an internal affairs cop, is tasked with finding out the truth. Past and present are about to collide in shocking and murderous fashion. What does Rebus have to hide? And whose side is he really on? His colleagues back then called themselves "The Saints," and swore a bond on something called the Shadow Bible. But times have changed and the crimes of the past may not stay hidden much longer -- and may also play a role in the present, as Scotland gears up for a referendum on independence.
Allegiances are being formed, enemies made, and huge questions asked. Who are the saints and who the sinners? And can the one ever become the other?
328 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
1030 people are currently reading
4724 people want to read
About the author
Ian Rankin
423 books6,525 followersAKA Jack Harvey.
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987; the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianrankin
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987; the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianrankin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,229 reviews
May 5, 2021
I find I am enjoying the later Rebus novels even more than I did the early ones. I think John Rebus has improved with age and he has managed to find a way to meld his old fashioned ways with the new views on policing.
Of course he still rankles at being supervised by people he does not consider worthy of their roles, and he still circumvents procedure whenever he can. However he does solve crimes and it is watching him at work which makes these novels so readable.
I really enjoy Rebus's interactions with the other characters especially his relationships with Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox. There is an amazing amount of humour going on in what is basically a serious book. Altogether an excellent read!
Of course he still rankles at being supervised by people he does not consider worthy of their roles, and he still circumvents procedure whenever he can. However he does solve crimes and it is watching him at work which makes these novels so readable.
I really enjoy Rebus's interactions with the other characters especially his relationships with Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox. There is an amazing amount of humour going on in what is basically a serious book. Altogether an excellent read!
June 14, 2024
When Rebus returned following retirement, in Standing in Another Man’s Grave, I was pleased to see him back but a little disappointed with the result. This time around, now demoted to sergeant but no longer working cold cases, it’s much more like the rough-hewn Rebus of old. I loved it!
It’s complex and dual plotted as Rebus probes a routine but slightly dodgy road accident and Malcolm Fox (Rankin’s Internal Affairs investigator followed in a separate series) examines a 30 year old case in which Rebus is potentially implicated in tainting a murder trial. Old allegiances are tested as Rebus is forced to juggle his loyalty to former colleagues against his thirst to impose the rule of law.
The alliance between Rebus and Fox strays perilously close to friendship at times as Rebus agrees to help unearth the truth. But, for me, there is always just enough tension here to prevent their relationship, feeling false or forced. This series is set in real-time and the authenticity of this is highlighted by references to current or recent events such as the Scottish Independence Referendum and, importantly for the plot, recent changes in Scottish law creating exemptions in cases of ‘double jeopardy’ and thus paving the way for suspect retrials.
Ok, so lately Rankin may have slowed down time just a little to allow Rebus to creep under state retirement age but, endangered species that he is, I really hope the author keeps tweaking his time machine long enough for this Edinburgh detective to solve a few more crimes.
It’s complex and dual plotted as Rebus probes a routine but slightly dodgy road accident and Malcolm Fox (Rankin’s Internal Affairs investigator followed in a separate series) examines a 30 year old case in which Rebus is potentially implicated in tainting a murder trial. Old allegiances are tested as Rebus is forced to juggle his loyalty to former colleagues against his thirst to impose the rule of law.
The alliance between Rebus and Fox strays perilously close to friendship at times as Rebus agrees to help unearth the truth. But, for me, there is always just enough tension here to prevent their relationship, feeling false or forced. This series is set in real-time and the authenticity of this is highlighted by references to current or recent events such as the Scottish Independence Referendum and, importantly for the plot, recent changes in Scottish law creating exemptions in cases of ‘double jeopardy’ and thus paving the way for suspect retrials.
Ok, so lately Rankin may have slowed down time just a little to allow Rebus to creep under state retirement age but, endangered species that he is, I really hope the author keeps tweaking his time machine long enough for this Edinburgh detective to solve a few more crimes.
April 1, 2015
Scottish detective John Rebus returns for the nineteenth time in this gripping tale in which both the character and the story are as fresh and entertaining as they were in the first Rebus novel, Knots and Crosses, which was published in 1987.
Rebus is considerably older by now, but just as cantankerous and just as grimly determined to pursue his own path to justice irrespective of what his superiors might think. A few years ago, Rebus reached mandatory retirement age and had to leave the force, but he managed to return as the member of a cold case squad, which was open to retired detectives. Now that the law has been changed, he is able to return to the regular force, albeit at a lower rank. The latter matters little to Rebus who is simply grateful to be back in the game.
As the book opens, Rebus is charged with investigating an auto accident involving the daughter of a wealthy and powerful businessman. The daughter, who is dating the son of a prominent politician, was found in the driver's seat of the wrecked car and insists that she was driving, that she was alone, and that she simply lost control of the car. But the circumstances surrounding the accident raise Rebus's suspicions, and he's convinced that there's something more sinister going on.
At the same time, investigators have reopened a thirty-year-old case involving murder and possible police corruption that centers on a group of police detectives who were known as the Saints of the Shadow Bible back in their heyday in the 1980s. It was a different day and age, one in which detectives sometimes coerced confessions, planted evidence and administered their own brand of justice. As a young detective, Rebus was initiated into the Saints, although as the newbie in the group he was not told all of their secrets.
Rebus winds up being both a potential target of the investigation into the Saints as well as part of the team investigating their activities. In this, he's teamed with Malcolm Fox, a member of the Complaints--the Scottish equivalent of Internal Affairs--and the protagonist of another excellent Ian Rankin novel, The Complaints.
Needless to say, the relationship between Rebus and Fox is a complicated one. Rebus shares the distain that most regular police feel for cops like Fox, and Fox doesn't know how far he can trust Rebus or if he can trust him at all. Rebus doesn't know if he's been included in the investigation simply as a means of incriminating himself along with his old pals or if Fox genuinely expects him to help solve the case.
Rebus is naturally caught between the rock and the proverbial hard place. He's the only member of the Saints still on the force and his old comrades expect that he's going to be true to his oath and protect them from being exposed. Rebus, though, is his own man and will follow his own path in both of these cases, irrespective of what Fox, his other superiors or the aging Saints might want.
All in all, it's a great read and one of the best books in this series. The dynamic between Rebus and Fox is very complicated and interesting, as is the relationship between Rebus and Siobhan Clarke, the woman he mentored for so many years and who now outranks him. The investigations are complex and Rankin keeps the tension building at just the right pace. No fan of the series will want to miss this installment and readers who have somehow missed the series will enjoy the book as well, although naturally they will want to read the first eighteen Rebus novels along with The Complaints before tackling this one.
Rebus is considerably older by now, but just as cantankerous and just as grimly determined to pursue his own path to justice irrespective of what his superiors might think. A few years ago, Rebus reached mandatory retirement age and had to leave the force, but he managed to return as the member of a cold case squad, which was open to retired detectives. Now that the law has been changed, he is able to return to the regular force, albeit at a lower rank. The latter matters little to Rebus who is simply grateful to be back in the game.
As the book opens, Rebus is charged with investigating an auto accident involving the daughter of a wealthy and powerful businessman. The daughter, who is dating the son of a prominent politician, was found in the driver's seat of the wrecked car and insists that she was driving, that she was alone, and that she simply lost control of the car. But the circumstances surrounding the accident raise Rebus's suspicions, and he's convinced that there's something more sinister going on.
At the same time, investigators have reopened a thirty-year-old case involving murder and possible police corruption that centers on a group of police detectives who were known as the Saints of the Shadow Bible back in their heyday in the 1980s. It was a different day and age, one in which detectives sometimes coerced confessions, planted evidence and administered their own brand of justice. As a young detective, Rebus was initiated into the Saints, although as the newbie in the group he was not told all of their secrets.
Rebus winds up being both a potential target of the investigation into the Saints as well as part of the team investigating their activities. In this, he's teamed with Malcolm Fox, a member of the Complaints--the Scottish equivalent of Internal Affairs--and the protagonist of another excellent Ian Rankin novel, The Complaints.
Needless to say, the relationship between Rebus and Fox is a complicated one. Rebus shares the distain that most regular police feel for cops like Fox, and Fox doesn't know how far he can trust Rebus or if he can trust him at all. Rebus doesn't know if he's been included in the investigation simply as a means of incriminating himself along with his old pals or if Fox genuinely expects him to help solve the case.
Rebus is naturally caught between the rock and the proverbial hard place. He's the only member of the Saints still on the force and his old comrades expect that he's going to be true to his oath and protect them from being exposed. Rebus, though, is his own man and will follow his own path in both of these cases, irrespective of what Fox, his other superiors or the aging Saints might want.
All in all, it's a great read and one of the best books in this series. The dynamic between Rebus and Fox is very complicated and interesting, as is the relationship between Rebus and Siobhan Clarke, the woman he mentored for so many years and who now outranks him. The investigations are complex and Rankin keeps the tension building at just the right pace. No fan of the series will want to miss this installment and readers who have somehow missed the series will enjoy the book as well, although naturally they will want to read the first eighteen Rebus novels along with The Complaints before tackling this one.
July 16, 2021
In this 19th book in the 'Inspector Rebus' series, Rebus investigates a suspicious car accident and comes under investigation for 'police misconduct' that occurred three decades ago. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.
*****
John Rebus, previously retired, is back working for the CID in Scotland. Having accepted a demotion Rebus is now supervised by his previous mentee Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke.
They're investigating a car accident in which Jessica Traynor, the daughter of influential businessman Owen Traynor, was injured.
Jessica claims she was the sole occupant of the crashed car but Rebus and Siobhan suspect someone else may have been driving - perhaps her boyfriend Forbes McCuskey, son of the Justice Minister.
Meanwhile, Rebus and his former colleagues are being investigated by Inspector Malcolm Fox, who probes charges of police misconduct.
Fox is looking into a 30-year-old murder case that occurred during Rebus's first posting at Summerhall. The murderer, Billy Saunders, escaped prosecution because the shady police badly mishandled the case. 🙁
Rebus was a junior officer at the time and had little involvement with the Saunders fiasco. Now, however, his former colleagues are pressuring him to deflect the investigation. But Rebus - inherently honest - feels compelled to find out what REALLY happened 30 years ago.
Before long the Justice Minister is badly injured during a robbery, Billy Saunders disappears, illegal drugs get involved, a mummified dead body appears, and the game is on.
As usual Rebus resists following orders and goes his own way, pissing off the brass and getting into trouble.
This is a good mystery book with familiar well-liked characters. 👍💕
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
May 3, 2020
Book 19 in the John Rebus series first published 2013.
After 19 book in the series it could be said that John Rebus is getting a bit long in the tooth and that maybe so but it certainly can’t be said about the stories.
There’s a lot going on here from police corruption from another era ‘The Saints of the Shadow Bible’ you’ll need to read the book to understand the title, to murders in the modern day, turf wars and three young teenagers up to their collective necks in trouble.
After a short retirement John Rebus is back on the force albeit in a lesser position, he left as a DI and is now reduced to DS. His one time apprentice, Siobhan Clarke, is now his boss.
Clarke and Rebus are at the scene of a car crash which appears to be caused by excessive speed. But Rebus sees more going on here than meets the eye.
Some feathers need to be ruffled and Rebus is the man to do it. In the meantime the father, who happened to be a Politian of some note, of one of the young people in the car is found dead under very suspicious circumstances and John Rebus see nothing but read flags.
At the same time Inspector Malcolm Fox of the Complaints Division is looking into a case of police corruption back in the 1980’s in a station that Rebus was attached to.
This is, of course, just scratching the surface of this story and as I said earlier ‘there’s a lot going on’.
John Rebus’s investigative powers may be unconventional but he has a knack of getting to the truth and if he has to stand on a few toes along the way, even to his own detriment, sobeit.
A cracker of a tale.
A recommended 4 star read.
After 19 book in the series it could be said that John Rebus is getting a bit long in the tooth and that maybe so but it certainly can’t be said about the stories.
There’s a lot going on here from police corruption from another era ‘The Saints of the Shadow Bible’ you’ll need to read the book to understand the title, to murders in the modern day, turf wars and three young teenagers up to their collective necks in trouble.
After a short retirement John Rebus is back on the force albeit in a lesser position, he left as a DI and is now reduced to DS. His one time apprentice, Siobhan Clarke, is now his boss.
Clarke and Rebus are at the scene of a car crash which appears to be caused by excessive speed. But Rebus sees more going on here than meets the eye.
Some feathers need to be ruffled and Rebus is the man to do it. In the meantime the father, who happened to be a Politian of some note, of one of the young people in the car is found dead under very suspicious circumstances and John Rebus see nothing but read flags.
At the same time Inspector Malcolm Fox of the Complaints Division is looking into a case of police corruption back in the 1980’s in a station that Rebus was attached to.
This is, of course, just scratching the surface of this story and as I said earlier ‘there’s a lot going on’.
John Rebus’s investigative powers may be unconventional but he has a knack of getting to the truth and if he has to stand on a few toes along the way, even to his own detriment, sobeit.
A cracker of a tale.
A recommended 4 star read.
November 24, 2014
Rebus is back, as flawed and wonderful as ever. Multiple plots emerge, multiple officers seek solutions, and Rebus belligerently disobeys orders and winds his way through the morass to develop new leads and confront suspects, including police with whom he worked three decades before.
Serious questions are raised over police tactics that take the law into their own hands. The reader is left to decide when, if ever, such approaches are justified.
Underlying the action are pointed and sometimes disturbing observations on the terrors of aging and the wonder of whether what one has done with his life has made it worthwhile.
One surprising development concerns an internal affairs officer who turns out not to be the total creep he might have been. There is also a hint that Rebus might actually have a date with a woman in his future.
All in all, an excellent read from a masterly author.
Serious questions are raised over police tactics that take the law into their own hands. The reader is left to decide when, if ever, such approaches are justified.
Underlying the action are pointed and sometimes disturbing observations on the terrors of aging and the wonder of whether what one has done with his life has made it worthwhile.
One surprising development concerns an internal affairs officer who turns out not to be the total creep he might have been. There is also a hint that Rebus might actually have a date with a woman in his future.
All in all, an excellent read from a masterly author.
December 3, 2018
Review to come
January 7, 2022
Η ιστορία εξελίσσεται στο Εδιμβουργο όπου ο Ρέμπους έχει αναλάβει μια σοβαρή υπόθεση και υπάρχουν ελάχιστα στοιχεία. Πολύ καλό.
April 6, 2017
Let us count the ways that Ian Rankin’s antisocial Scottish police detective, John Rebus, is worth following, book after book (Saints of the Shadow Bible is the 19th in the Rebus series):
He is delightfully contrarian, always finding openings to new perspectives in the cracks between revealed facts, and thus he frequently surprises.
His dialogue with his longtime partner (now his superior), Siobhan (“Shiv”) Clarke, is so palpably believable that you can picture yourself in the room hearing their conversation.
He lives in the real world in real time, aging as the years go by (and none too gracefully!) and confronting the many changes in Scotland as it grows ever-richer from North Sea oil.
Two novels ago, Rebus was on his way to retirement, but he proves too resilient, and too ornery, for that. In Saints of the Shadow Bible, Rebus, now demoted to Detective Sergeant under his mentee Clarke, a Detective Inspector, is perched precariously in a crime-fighting unit whose boss would rather he worked somewhere else. In his own way, Rebus obliges him, by intervening in two seemingly unrelated investigations that keep him out of the office most of the time. One involves a car crash on a country road in circumstances Rebus finds mysterious (though the brass would like the case closed). The other is a 30-year-old murder case in which Rebus himself was peripherally involved very early in his career.
Saints of the Shadow Bible is, in a sense, a transitional work to Rankin’s new series that features Inspector Malcolm Fox of the “Complaints” (Internal Affairs). Fox has been high on Rebus’ enemies list, but circumstances throw them together in an investigation into his old squad’s role in bungling that 30-year-old murder case. As the two police officers work closely — along with Inspector Clarke — they come to, first grudging, then genuine mutual respect, setting up Fox for stardom in his own, more recent series.
The action in Saints of the Shadow Bible revolves around the three officers’ pursuit of the wealthy and powerful developer who ran Rebus’ squad three decades earlier (the “Saints” of the title) and a shady and equally powerful London businessman whose daughter was injured in the mysterious crash. Predictably, the two plot-lines intersect — but not in predictable ways. Saints of the Shadow Bible is suspenseful to the end — a thoroughly enjoyable read.
He is delightfully contrarian, always finding openings to new perspectives in the cracks between revealed facts, and thus he frequently surprises.
His dialogue with his longtime partner (now his superior), Siobhan (“Shiv”) Clarke, is so palpably believable that you can picture yourself in the room hearing their conversation.
He lives in the real world in real time, aging as the years go by (and none too gracefully!) and confronting the many changes in Scotland as it grows ever-richer from North Sea oil.
Two novels ago, Rebus was on his way to retirement, but he proves too resilient, and too ornery, for that. In Saints of the Shadow Bible, Rebus, now demoted to Detective Sergeant under his mentee Clarke, a Detective Inspector, is perched precariously in a crime-fighting unit whose boss would rather he worked somewhere else. In his own way, Rebus obliges him, by intervening in two seemingly unrelated investigations that keep him out of the office most of the time. One involves a car crash on a country road in circumstances Rebus finds mysterious (though the brass would like the case closed). The other is a 30-year-old murder case in which Rebus himself was peripherally involved very early in his career.
Saints of the Shadow Bible is, in a sense, a transitional work to Rankin’s new series that features Inspector Malcolm Fox of the “Complaints” (Internal Affairs). Fox has been high on Rebus’ enemies list, but circumstances throw them together in an investigation into his old squad’s role in bungling that 30-year-old murder case. As the two police officers work closely — along with Inspector Clarke — they come to, first grudging, then genuine mutual respect, setting up Fox for stardom in his own, more recent series.
The action in Saints of the Shadow Bible revolves around the three officers’ pursuit of the wealthy and powerful developer who ran Rebus’ squad three decades earlier (the “Saints” of the title) and a shady and equally powerful London businessman whose daughter was injured in the mysterious crash. Predictably, the two plot-lines intersect — but not in predictable ways. Saints of the Shadow Bible is suspenseful to the end — a thoroughly enjoyable read.
January 15, 2018
“Conspiracies, connections and coincidences,” says Malcolm Fox, Rankin’s younger detective who has been brought on the scene to replace the aging Rebus and who teams up for the first time with the old curmudgeon to solve a double murder, and those three Cs become the modus operandi of this book.
The plot is rather sketchy. There are actually two plots: one dating back to the ‘80’s when a young Rebus was introduced to a secret police team, Saints of the Shadow Bible, that used unconventional methods to bring criminals to justice; the other is set in the present when Rebus has returned from retirement out of boredom and rejoined the force as a DS (Detective Sergeant, a step down from his former Detective Inspector role) and is investigating a routine car accident involving some college students. DI Fox is investigating misdemeanours conducted by the Saints and hooks onto Rebus as his link into the past and into the group. Very soon, murder is introduced to both investigations. And some of the characters from both cases overlap, making one wonder whether the two puzzles are connected.
Thereafter, we go through endless cups of tea, coffee, alcohol, cigarettes and the workings of the police procedural, where plodding and dull work eventually produce results, especially when Rebus begins to see “conspiracies, connections and coincidences” in random events that others bypass. It was as if Rankin sat down with his 14 sections of the book (each section is a day in the life of the investigation) and sprinkled the story strands among them, and then drew them all back in the final two sections. All the murders are solved, needless to say, earning Rebus the wrath of his boss for his continuing unconventional methods, the gratitude of Fox (lining the two up for another book together), and the admiration of his mentee, Siobhan Clarke, now in Rebus’s old job as Detective Inspector. And in the epilogue, we see that despite internal investigations into unorthodox and illegal police methods, and a new way of doing things emerging in the Scottish Police force, you really can’t teach old dogs like Rebus new tricks.
I have read just one other Rebus novel, which I liked better than this one, and it may have been that I had been interested in him as a character in that first book, a deeply flawed human being with a total dedication to his job. In this book though, having now established his credentials, I was looking for more, and I didn’t find it. The prose was pedestrian, even clumsy in places and there was a lot of circular conversation, very little action. Contrivances are thrown in lavishly to advance the plot: “Do we need a crowbar somewhere? Then let’s just throw one in.” If at all I can heap praise, it is in the way the various strands of the investigation are woven together over the 14 days, in an oblique fashion, to close the case, with all the bad guys getting their comeuppance in their own deserving way.
The plot is rather sketchy. There are actually two plots: one dating back to the ‘80’s when a young Rebus was introduced to a secret police team, Saints of the Shadow Bible, that used unconventional methods to bring criminals to justice; the other is set in the present when Rebus has returned from retirement out of boredom and rejoined the force as a DS (Detective Sergeant, a step down from his former Detective Inspector role) and is investigating a routine car accident involving some college students. DI Fox is investigating misdemeanours conducted by the Saints and hooks onto Rebus as his link into the past and into the group. Very soon, murder is introduced to both investigations. And some of the characters from both cases overlap, making one wonder whether the two puzzles are connected.
Thereafter, we go through endless cups of tea, coffee, alcohol, cigarettes and the workings of the police procedural, where plodding and dull work eventually produce results, especially when Rebus begins to see “conspiracies, connections and coincidences” in random events that others bypass. It was as if Rankin sat down with his 14 sections of the book (each section is a day in the life of the investigation) and sprinkled the story strands among them, and then drew them all back in the final two sections. All the murders are solved, needless to say, earning Rebus the wrath of his boss for his continuing unconventional methods, the gratitude of Fox (lining the two up for another book together), and the admiration of his mentee, Siobhan Clarke, now in Rebus’s old job as Detective Inspector. And in the epilogue, we see that despite internal investigations into unorthodox and illegal police methods, and a new way of doing things emerging in the Scottish Police force, you really can’t teach old dogs like Rebus new tricks.
I have read just one other Rebus novel, which I liked better than this one, and it may have been that I had been interested in him as a character in that first book, a deeply flawed human being with a total dedication to his job. In this book though, having now established his credentials, I was looking for more, and I didn’t find it. The prose was pedestrian, even clumsy in places and there was a lot of circular conversation, very little action. Contrivances are thrown in lavishly to advance the plot: “Do we need a crowbar somewhere? Then let’s just throw one in.” If at all I can heap praise, it is in the way the various strands of the investigation are woven together over the 14 days, in an oblique fashion, to close the case, with all the bad guys getting their comeuppance in their own deserving way.
May 23, 2018
On the road...note to self: We see what should be a more sedate, controlled Rebus still on probation, yet part of team headed by Siobhan, now a DI. And Rebus a DS. Right. Of course he shines, even when faced with having to deal with 30-year old mishandling of suspects by a team he was a part of, a group of men coined as saints. Rebus must find harmony, working alongside Fox of Complaints. Will he manage with these and other challenges? Well, he is our man.
Very good read if familiar with series; highly recommended.
Very good read if familiar with series; highly recommended.
November 11, 2013
John Rebus is back again, again, but this time he's back on the police force and demoted down to DS, which his friend and comrade Siobhan, now a DI, likes to remind him of every so often. In jest of course.
He's really on form this time and I loved every minute of it. As ever, the plot revolves around current events that concern Scotland but with a killer plot to go with it. I liked that Rebus and Fox join forces, I wondered when that would happen and I hope that they continue to have adventures in the future as Fox just got a whole lot cooler. I hope the three of them stick around for a while, at least until Rebus finally retires, as Edinburgh will be a safer place with them around!
It's the little details that I love - Rebus is like a bloodhound when he's on a case but can also provide with some light relief, such as his insistence on biscuits in a meeting or asking out a woman in the most inopportune moment. You get to know the other characters quickly and then you rattle on with the plot, intelligent but without too much navel gazing. And you always know exactly what car everyone is driving as well, you can tell a lot about someone by the car they drive.
This is a rattlingly good story and November is now my favourite month, because it means there's another Rankin ready to download!
He's really on form this time and I loved every minute of it. As ever, the plot revolves around current events that concern Scotland but with a killer plot to go with it. I liked that Rebus and Fox join forces, I wondered when that would happen and I hope that they continue to have adventures in the future as Fox just got a whole lot cooler. I hope the three of them stick around for a while, at least until Rebus finally retires, as Edinburgh will be a safer place with them around!
It's the little details that I love - Rebus is like a bloodhound when he's on a case but can also provide with some light relief, such as his insistence on biscuits in a meeting or asking out a woman in the most inopportune moment. You get to know the other characters quickly and then you rattle on with the plot, intelligent but without too much navel gazing. And you always know exactly what car everyone is driving as well, you can tell a lot about someone by the car they drive.
This is a rattlingly good story and November is now my favourite month, because it means there's another Rankin ready to download!
February 1, 2014
Rankin neatly dovetails two series (those featuring Inspector Rebus of the Edinburgh Police and Malcolm Fox of the Complaints), and in this latest novel the longtime adversaries work together to solve a cold case involving Rebus's old associates in the police force.
Rebus has come out of retirement to work on unsolved crimes but finds himself involved in a new case as well. Siobhan Clark has taken over Rebus' old role as Detective Inspector and now commands Rebus, rather than the other way around. But the two fit together like hand and glove, and with Malcolm Fox due to return to the police force after his stint in the Complaints, the three of them are more like "Hand IN Glove."
Rankin has pulled off a coup with this smooth mesh of two series. So nice to see John Rebus again. After all, sixty is the new forty.
Rebus has come out of retirement to work on unsolved crimes but finds himself involved in a new case as well. Siobhan Clark has taken over Rebus' old role as Detective Inspector and now commands Rebus, rather than the other way around. But the two fit together like hand and glove, and with Malcolm Fox due to return to the police force after his stint in the Complaints, the three of them are more like "Hand IN Glove."
Rankin has pulled off a coup with this smooth mesh of two series. So nice to see John Rebus again. After all, sixty is the new forty.
Read
October 15, 2021DNF
June 14, 2024
Interestingly Rebus and Malcolm Fox pair together investigating a murder 30 years ago with a group of detectives Rebus worked together with. He also investigates a minor car accident that leads to more violence. The dual investigations lead to conclusions with Fox and Rebus almost becoming friends!
I liked the procedural navigation of what happened 30 years ago where police were inclined to be judge and jury cutting corners. A good story with Rebus getting older and a bit wiser.
I liked the procedural navigation of what happened 30 years ago where police were inclined to be judge and jury cutting corners. A good story with Rebus getting older and a bit wiser.
November 9, 2013
Each of Ian Rankin's Rebus novels is a gem, but this one is the best yet. If you've never read Rebus, this is a fine place to start. If you're already a fan of the series, you're in for an extra-special treat.
November 24, 2013
A classic Rebus, a return to form after the lacklustre (in my opinion) previous 'Standing in Another Man's Grave', could we be seeing a more permanent partnering of Rebus, Fox and Clarke?
August 18, 2014
Double jeopardy...
When the 'double jeopardy' law is relaxed, the Solicitor General asks Malcolm Fox to reinvestigate a case from the '80s, one involving a young DC Rebus. It had been thought at the time that the officers of Summerhall had tampered with the evidence to allow a murderer to go free - a murderer who also happened to be an informer to the head of the Summerhall team. Meantime, in the present day, Siobhan Clarke and Rebus are back working as a team. With the new rules on retirement age, Rebus has been taken back into CID but has had to take a downgrading to Detective Sergeant, meaning Siobhan now outranks him. They are called out to what looks at first like a straightforward road accident, but a couple of things about the scene make them suspect there may be more to it than that.
When I try to pin down why Rankin is head and shoulders above most crime writers, it really comes down to two things. Firstly, the quality of his writing never wavers - he knows how to tell a good story, his pacing is superb and his plots are always both complex and believable. His characterisation is second to none - Rebus and Clarke have been real people to us for years now, people we feel we know, and Fox is rapidly joining them as just as important a character. They don't perform superhuman feats, nor does every book end with them being saved from hideous danger. There is a realism that makes us believe this is how the police really work - we've even seen Rebus over the years learning to tow the line as the Police Force has tightened up on mavericks and corruption in real life.
Secondly, Rankin has his finger on the political pulse of Scotland - his books always relate to the main concerns of the day, without ever obsessing about them and without ever taking a stance. In this book, there are three parts of the plot that could only be written about at this point in time - the change to 'double jeopardy', the reorganisation of the various regional police forces in Scotland into one national force and, most of all, the campaign for the Scottish Independence referendum. Rankin doesn't beat us about the head with these; he just works them through the plot, as they are worked through Scottish society. So as well as telling a first-rate crime story, Rankin also reflects our society back to us - again, total realism.
I admit it - Rankin always gets five stars from me. When I pick up one of his books, it's in the comfortable knowledge that it will be great. So when I say that this one is the best of his that I've read in years, how can I convince you? I could tell you that we're beginning to get a nostalgic, elegiac strain running through Rebus' story; that we're seeing Siobhan blossom into the fine senior officer we, like Rebus, have always known she would be; that Fox, now moving out of Complaints into CID, is learning to appreciate the basic integrity that underpins Rebus' sometimes casual disregard for the rules. I could say that reading this book will let you understand how the City of Edinburgh is changing now it's a political capital; how the upcoming referendum is filtering through every aspect of Scottish life; how policing methods are changing in this new millennium. Or I could just say this is a well-written enjoyable police procedural with a complex plot that will keep you guessing throughout. But, in short, what I will say is - read the book. Read the book!
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When the 'double jeopardy' law is relaxed, the Solicitor General asks Malcolm Fox to reinvestigate a case from the '80s, one involving a young DC Rebus. It had been thought at the time that the officers of Summerhall had tampered with the evidence to allow a murderer to go free - a murderer who also happened to be an informer to the head of the Summerhall team. Meantime, in the present day, Siobhan Clarke and Rebus are back working as a team. With the new rules on retirement age, Rebus has been taken back into CID but has had to take a downgrading to Detective Sergeant, meaning Siobhan now outranks him. They are called out to what looks at first like a straightforward road accident, but a couple of things about the scene make them suspect there may be more to it than that.
When I try to pin down why Rankin is head and shoulders above most crime writers, it really comes down to two things. Firstly, the quality of his writing never wavers - he knows how to tell a good story, his pacing is superb and his plots are always both complex and believable. His characterisation is second to none - Rebus and Clarke have been real people to us for years now, people we feel we know, and Fox is rapidly joining them as just as important a character. They don't perform superhuman feats, nor does every book end with them being saved from hideous danger. There is a realism that makes us believe this is how the police really work - we've even seen Rebus over the years learning to tow the line as the Police Force has tightened up on mavericks and corruption in real life.
Secondly, Rankin has his finger on the political pulse of Scotland - his books always relate to the main concerns of the day, without ever obsessing about them and without ever taking a stance. In this book, there are three parts of the plot that could only be written about at this point in time - the change to 'double jeopardy', the reorganisation of the various regional police forces in Scotland into one national force and, most of all, the campaign for the Scottish Independence referendum. Rankin doesn't beat us about the head with these; he just works them through the plot, as they are worked through Scottish society. So as well as telling a first-rate crime story, Rankin also reflects our society back to us - again, total realism.
I admit it - Rankin always gets five stars from me. When I pick up one of his books, it's in the comfortable knowledge that it will be great. So when I say that this one is the best of his that I've read in years, how can I convince you? I could tell you that we're beginning to get a nostalgic, elegiac strain running through Rebus' story; that we're seeing Siobhan blossom into the fine senior officer we, like Rebus, have always known she would be; that Fox, now moving out of Complaints into CID, is learning to appreciate the basic integrity that underpins Rebus' sometimes casual disregard for the rules. I could say that reading this book will let you understand how the City of Edinburgh is changing now it's a political capital; how the upcoming referendum is filtering through every aspect of Scottish life; how policing methods are changing in this new millennium. Or I could just say this is a well-written enjoyable police procedural with a complex plot that will keep you guessing throughout. But, in short, what I will say is - read the book. Read the book!
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
November 8, 2017
Casi siempre es un placer leer alguno de los títulos del Inspector Rebus, escritos por la brillante pluma de Ian Rankin. En esta entrega, (la número 19 del inspector), Rebus está a las órdenes de Siobhan Clarke, y además contamos con la colaboración de Malcolm Fox, el otro personaje del escritor, que, a medida que progresamos en la serie, vamos conociendo mejor, llegando a empatizar con su papel, aunque lejos todavía de Rebus, a quien hemos seguido ya desde hace muchos años.
En esta novela se entrelazan dos tramas, una actual, a raiz de un misterioso accidente de tráfico, en el que las cosas no parecen haber sucedido como las han contado, y otro, de los tiempos en los que Rebus era un policía novato, y se unía a una de las muchas “Cofradías” policiales, en las que los casos se resolvían de una manera muy peculiar, y en muchos ocasiones, al margen de la ley.
Excelentes diálogos, sobre todo los mantenidos entre Rebus y su némesis Fox, y una trama muy bien desarrollada y convincente, en un ambiente de Edinburgo que sin duda no saldrá en las guías de viaje, pero que Rankin dibuja con su maestría habitual. Me encantó.
En esta novela se entrelazan dos tramas, una actual, a raiz de un misterioso accidente de tráfico, en el que las cosas no parecen haber sucedido como las han contado, y otro, de los tiempos en los que Rebus era un policía novato, y se unía a una de las muchas “Cofradías” policiales, en las que los casos se resolvían de una manera muy peculiar, y en muchos ocasiones, al margen de la ley.
Excelentes diálogos, sobre todo los mantenidos entre Rebus y su némesis Fox, y una trama muy bien desarrollada y convincente, en un ambiente de Edinburgo que sin duda no saldrá en las guías de viaje, pero que Rankin dibuja con su maestría habitual. Me encantó.
October 16, 2017
Εξαιρετικό, διαβάζεται μονορούφι! Δεν μπορείς να το αφήσεις από τα χέρια.
February 6, 2014
John Rebus flirted with retirement for a while but found out it didn't suit him. He went back to the Borders and Lothian Police in a civilian capacity, working on cold cases, in Standing in Another Man's Grave but that just increased his itch to get back into the fray once again.
When the retirement rules were loosened, allowing old guys like him to continue to work, he applied to get back in harness. He was given a job, but since the police had no openings for Detective Inspectors, he had to take a position as a Detective Sergeant. That's all right with Rebus. For him, it's never been about the title; it's all about the work.
Ironically, DS Rebus's boss is his former DS, now Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke. Together again but now in reversed positions, the two are still an effective team.
Rebus is investigating a car accident where a young woman has been injured when news arrives that a case that he worked on 30 years before is being reopened. Rebus had been a rookie policeman at the time and the team that he became a part of was suspected of helping a murderer escape justice in furtherance of their own pursuit of getting bad guys off the streets. In that pursuit, they often chose to be judge, jury, and executioner. As the new guy on the team, it's not clear just how much a part of all that Rebus ever was.
Malcolm Fox, the internal affairs (The Complaints) cop, is charged with finding out the truth and exposing the miscreants. He has butted heads with Rebus before and now he needs to get his cooperation in finding out the truth about the 30 year old case.
Soon, though, the past collides with the present as assaults and murders in the present day seem to be tied in somehow to that old case. Rebus signs on to help Fox with his inquiries, but is he really to be trusted?
Back in the day, Rebus' colleagues in the old unit called themselves "The Saints" and they swore an oath of allegiance to each other on something they called the "Shadow Bible," really just a copy of Scots Criminal Law. And so they were known as the "Saints of the Shadow Bible." Some of them still hold to those oaths all these years later.
All of this - crimes of the past mixed with crimes of the present - is overlaid with the stench of politics as the campaign to decide Scotland's future heats up and everyone is choosing sides.
Ian Rankin has skillfully brought together his two detectives, Fox and Rebus, in this tale. The two start out from a position of distrust and contempt but somehow manage to work together as their desire to solve the puzzle preempts their personal feelings. This is to be Malcolm Fox's last case with the internal affairs unit. One is left wondering if perhaps he and Rebus have a future together.
Meantime, it turns out that the irascible Rebus has his admirers among those of his colleagues who appreciate diligent police work. Thus, we get these thoughts from a young woman who has just helped him find some information that he needed on the computer, even though she knows their superior, James Page would not approve. As he leaves the room to do his legwork, she stares at the computer screen.
We will all miss Rebus should he vanish from our world of detective fiction, as he did once before after Exit Music. But let's hope that that doesn't happen again for a long, long time.
When the retirement rules were loosened, allowing old guys like him to continue to work, he applied to get back in harness. He was given a job, but since the police had no openings for Detective Inspectors, he had to take a position as a Detective Sergeant. That's all right with Rebus. For him, it's never been about the title; it's all about the work.
Ironically, DS Rebus's boss is his former DS, now Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke. Together again but now in reversed positions, the two are still an effective team.
Rebus is investigating a car accident where a young woman has been injured when news arrives that a case that he worked on 30 years before is being reopened. Rebus had been a rookie policeman at the time and the team that he became a part of was suspected of helping a murderer escape justice in furtherance of their own pursuit of getting bad guys off the streets. In that pursuit, they often chose to be judge, jury, and executioner. As the new guy on the team, it's not clear just how much a part of all that Rebus ever was.
Malcolm Fox, the internal affairs (The Complaints) cop, is charged with finding out the truth and exposing the miscreants. He has butted heads with Rebus before and now he needs to get his cooperation in finding out the truth about the 30 year old case.
Soon, though, the past collides with the present as assaults and murders in the present day seem to be tied in somehow to that old case. Rebus signs on to help Fox with his inquiries, but is he really to be trusted?
Back in the day, Rebus' colleagues in the old unit called themselves "The Saints" and they swore an oath of allegiance to each other on something they called the "Shadow Bible," really just a copy of Scots Criminal Law. And so they were known as the "Saints of the Shadow Bible." Some of them still hold to those oaths all these years later.
All of this - crimes of the past mixed with crimes of the present - is overlaid with the stench of politics as the campaign to decide Scotland's future heats up and everyone is choosing sides.
Ian Rankin has skillfully brought together his two detectives, Fox and Rebus, in this tale. The two start out from a position of distrust and contempt but somehow manage to work together as their desire to solve the puzzle preempts their personal feelings. This is to be Malcolm Fox's last case with the internal affairs unit. One is left wondering if perhaps he and Rebus have a future together.
Meantime, it turns out that the irascible Rebus has his admirers among those of his colleagues who appreciate diligent police work. Thus, we get these thoughts from a young woman who has just helped him find some information that he needed on the computer, even though she knows their superior, James Page would not approve. As he leaves the room to do his legwork, she stares at the computer screen.
"Maybe," she said to herself. "Just maybe..." She fixed her eyes on the the doorway. She hadn't known John Rebus long, but she knew he was good at this, like a bloodhound given a scent and then left to do what it was best at. Form-filing and protocols and budget meetings were not Rebus's thing - never had been and never would be. His knowledge of the Internet was rudimentary and his people skills were woeful. But she would lie for him to James Page, and take the rap if caught. Because he was a breed of cop that wasn't supposed to exist anymore, a rare and endangered species.
And she would miss his kind when they did - as they would - eventually vanish from the world.
We will all miss Rebus should he vanish from our world of detective fiction, as he did once before after Exit Music. But let's hope that that doesn't happen again for a long, long time.
October 25, 2014
In the early 1980s I defended a man in the High Court. He had been charged with armed robbery and the main evidence against him was a signed confession. According to the police, he had dictated this two-page document and signed it after tripping, falling and breaking his jaw on the way in to the interview room. In those days, questions of fairness were left up to the jury and despite me asking them to disregard the 'confession' they convicted, no doubt being more interested in whether he had committed the crime than whether he had been treated fairly.
This book took me back to those days. A gang of officers who made their own rules and got off with it is put under the spotlight many years on. They seem to have changed and gone their separate ways, but have they? Rankin captures the justifications, the worry, the conflicts and the bravado the situation brings out. Oh, I could quibble about this or that, and I did spot the culprit quite early, but this is a brilliantly truthful, understanding novel, one that stands out from the best ordinary crime fiction.
This book took me back to those days. A gang of officers who made their own rules and got off with it is put under the spotlight many years on. They seem to have changed and gone their separate ways, but have they? Rankin captures the justifications, the worry, the conflicts and the bravado the situation brings out. Oh, I could quibble about this or that, and I did spot the culprit quite early, but this is a brilliantly truthful, understanding novel, one that stands out from the best ordinary crime fiction.
March 11, 2015
Rebus is back but demoted to Inspector Sergeant. He was required to retire due to age and when he came back, he couldn't return at his old rank. Little happens in this novel. There is a car accident with one young woman found injured at the scene of the accident. But Rebus isn't satisfied it's as simple as that. Well, why not? In the end when he finds out, and it is a convoluted, I didn't care. Rebus is faced with Malcolm Fox, the officer who works in the Complaints unit, investigating police misconduct. A 30-year old case is being reopened. It's a case of a suspicious death handled by Rebus and his cronies who call themselves "the saints of the shadow bible". Rebus's attitude is "who cares" and I felt the same. Rebus has always been a heavy drinker and smoker. He seems to be drinking less, but it seems the story is constantly mentioning him ducking out for a smoke, buying cigarettes, and fixated on smoking. Little if anything of the character of Edinburgh comes through in this book. Fox is mostly unlikeable and Rebus is pretty boring. The narrator though was great!
January 25, 2025
Rebus is harassing a murderer when he gets the call to investigate a car accident. It seems the son of a high ranking politician is involved...
I felt like this one was too long, and ended up skipping whole chapters.
I felt like this one was too long, and ended up skipping whole chapters.
March 26, 2014
This cigarette smoking deputy inspector is not my cup of tea. 2 of 10 stars
May 25, 2018
‘Ever since I started hanging out with you, I seem to be seeing conspiracies everywhere – conspiracies, connections and coincidences...
Arts student Jessica Traynor, daughter of English businessman Owen Traynor, a man known for his temper, is found behind the wheel of her crashed car outside Edinburgh, possibly run off the road, and is taken to hospital. John Rebus, formerly with the Cold Cases unit and now back in CID as a Detective Sergeant under DI Siobhan Clarke, investigates, with evidence pointing to someone else in the vehicle who fled the scene. Rebus contacts her boyfriend Forbes McCuskey, son of the Justice Minister, and Alice Bell, the student who Jessica shares a flat with. But when the Justice Minister is found is his home with life-threatening head injuries, an apparent robbery gone wrong, a Major Incident Team is set up.
Amidst this Inspector Malcolm Fox of “Complaints” is charged by the Solicitor General to investigate the questionable practices used by detectives at Summerhall Police Station (members of the “Saints”), in the early eighties, when Rebus was a recruit. Billy Saunders, one-time snitch of one of the officer’s, was acquitted of murder, due to foul-ups in the investigation, and with the Double Jeopardy ruling now revoked Saunders is facing a retrial. With the internal enquiry threatening to overshadow the case of the Justice Minister, DI Clarke wants to know if Fox will find anything to incriminate Rebus.
Rebus considered this. ‘If he looks hard enough, there might be a skeleton or two. Thing is, a lot of the supporting staff have left the stage – gone walkies or been fitted for the wooden suit. So while he might find stuff, he’ll have the devil’s own job making it stick.
Set against a background of the Scottish referendum on independence, and the reorganisation of the police, Ian Rankin brings together Rebus and Fox who, along with an accompanying cast of former detectives, villains and fly-by-night operators, produces one of the most complex police procedurals I have ever read. The plot not so much thickens as curdles as the body count rises. And of course there’s Rebus’ politically-incorrect wicked sense of humour.
DC Christine Esson pointed towards the printer. ‘You being old school, I decided you’d want it on paper.’
‘Are we out of papyrus, then?’
Verdict: absorbing.
Arts student Jessica Traynor, daughter of English businessman Owen Traynor, a man known for his temper, is found behind the wheel of her crashed car outside Edinburgh, possibly run off the road, and is taken to hospital. John Rebus, formerly with the Cold Cases unit and now back in CID as a Detective Sergeant under DI Siobhan Clarke, investigates, with evidence pointing to someone else in the vehicle who fled the scene. Rebus contacts her boyfriend Forbes McCuskey, son of the Justice Minister, and Alice Bell, the student who Jessica shares a flat with. But when the Justice Minister is found is his home with life-threatening head injuries, an apparent robbery gone wrong, a Major Incident Team is set up.
Amidst this Inspector Malcolm Fox of “Complaints” is charged by the Solicitor General to investigate the questionable practices used by detectives at Summerhall Police Station (members of the “Saints”), in the early eighties, when Rebus was a recruit. Billy Saunders, one-time snitch of one of the officer’s, was acquitted of murder, due to foul-ups in the investigation, and with the Double Jeopardy ruling now revoked Saunders is facing a retrial. With the internal enquiry threatening to overshadow the case of the Justice Minister, DI Clarke wants to know if Fox will find anything to incriminate Rebus.
Rebus considered this. ‘If he looks hard enough, there might be a skeleton or two. Thing is, a lot of the supporting staff have left the stage – gone walkies or been fitted for the wooden suit. So while he might find stuff, he’ll have the devil’s own job making it stick.
Set against a background of the Scottish referendum on independence, and the reorganisation of the police, Ian Rankin brings together Rebus and Fox who, along with an accompanying cast of former detectives, villains and fly-by-night operators, produces one of the most complex police procedurals I have ever read. The plot not so much thickens as curdles as the body count rises. And of course there’s Rebus’ politically-incorrect wicked sense of humour.
DC Christine Esson pointed towards the printer. ‘You being old school, I decided you’d want it on paper.’
‘Are we out of papyrus, then?’
Verdict: absorbing.
December 13, 2016
John Rebus, newly returned to the force and rescued temporarily from an obscure retirement. The main condition of his reinstatement is the demotion of his rank from Detective Inspector to Detective Sergeant. He is working under the auspices of Siobhan Clarke who ironically is now promoted to DI, of no real concern to Rebus as he is just pleased to have been returned to his old hunting ground.
Rebus and Clarke arrive at the scene of an accident; a VW Golf travelling at speed suddenly leaves the road and impacts with an oak tree. It would appear there is only one casualty, Jessica Traynor, but Rebus is suspicious that Traynor was not actually the driver and is covering for this unknown person who has fled the scene. As with all Rankin books events as initially portrayed rarely tell the truth and as avid fans will be pleased to know, on closer investigation, our two intrepid heroes discover unscrupulous underhand activity with political undertones. The author is very fond of introducing a secondary plot and usually involves John Rebus at a different time in his career. Malcolm Fox (just returned from the Complaints/Professional Standards dept) is investigating a newly reopened 30 year old case. At that time it could be argued that police enforcement was more akin to an episode of "Life on Mars" (British tv series 2007 where officers were content to physically abuse a suspect in order to attain a confession) and Fox is tasked with investigating the suspicious death of Douglas Merchant, the seemingly unreliable evidence of snitch Billy Saunders, and the shadowy underhand involvement of "Saint of the Shadow Bible" a number of police colleagues who swore a bond on something called the shadow bible.
However, all of the above is I feel incidental to what is really at the heart of Ian Rankin's writing; his Scottishnes and his unbelievable drawing of characters, in particular John Rebus. Rebus is an isolated individual, separated from his wife Rhona and daughter Samantha, living a lonely existence in his Marchmont flat, surrounded by his booze, cigarettes and endless vinyl records of 70's/80's music icons...."He led the way up two flights of stairs to the door to his flat. Unlocked it and scooped up the mail before switching on the hallway light. She followed him into the living room. The ashtray next to his armchair needed emptying. A couple of beer bottles sat alongside, plus an empty whisky glass." Rebus is best described as an old fashioned "dogged" copper, not for him meetings, protocols and endless google searches....and this is what makes us love him!..."She hadn't known John Rebus long, but she knew he was good at this, like a bloodhound given a scent and then left to do what it was best at. Form-filling and protocols and budget meetings were not Rebus's thing-never had been and never would be. His knowledge of the internet was rudimentary and his people skills were woeful....he was a breed of copper that wasn't supposed to exist anymore, a rare and endangered species."
D I Siobhan is the complimentary opposite to Rebus and holds a great respect and platonic love for him. She is highly intelligent and understands how JR operates, curtailing even cautioning him but values his deep understanding of the criminal mind and how it operates. She feels for him and worries about him; his out of control drinking, smoking, loneliness and what, she wonders, will finally become of him when he is no longer able to operate and contribute to the Scottish Constabulary.
I as a reader adore John Rebus, I see him as a real and living individual and for that I hold the greatest admiration for his creator Ian Rankin. I highly recommend this book and in closing this review leave the parting words to Detective Sergeant John Rebus..."I'm from the eighties, Peter- I'm not the newfangled touchy-feely model. Now get out of my f***ing car!"
Rebus and Clarke arrive at the scene of an accident; a VW Golf travelling at speed suddenly leaves the road and impacts with an oak tree. It would appear there is only one casualty, Jessica Traynor, but Rebus is suspicious that Traynor was not actually the driver and is covering for this unknown person who has fled the scene. As with all Rankin books events as initially portrayed rarely tell the truth and as avid fans will be pleased to know, on closer investigation, our two intrepid heroes discover unscrupulous underhand activity with political undertones. The author is very fond of introducing a secondary plot and usually involves John Rebus at a different time in his career. Malcolm Fox (just returned from the Complaints/Professional Standards dept) is investigating a newly reopened 30 year old case. At that time it could be argued that police enforcement was more akin to an episode of "Life on Mars" (British tv series 2007 where officers were content to physically abuse a suspect in order to attain a confession) and Fox is tasked with investigating the suspicious death of Douglas Merchant, the seemingly unreliable evidence of snitch Billy Saunders, and the shadowy underhand involvement of "Saint of the Shadow Bible" a number of police colleagues who swore a bond on something called the shadow bible.
However, all of the above is I feel incidental to what is really at the heart of Ian Rankin's writing; his Scottishnes and his unbelievable drawing of characters, in particular John Rebus. Rebus is an isolated individual, separated from his wife Rhona and daughter Samantha, living a lonely existence in his Marchmont flat, surrounded by his booze, cigarettes and endless vinyl records of 70's/80's music icons...."He led the way up two flights of stairs to the door to his flat. Unlocked it and scooped up the mail before switching on the hallway light. She followed him into the living room. The ashtray next to his armchair needed emptying. A couple of beer bottles sat alongside, plus an empty whisky glass." Rebus is best described as an old fashioned "dogged" copper, not for him meetings, protocols and endless google searches....and this is what makes us love him!..."She hadn't known John Rebus long, but she knew he was good at this, like a bloodhound given a scent and then left to do what it was best at. Form-filling and protocols and budget meetings were not Rebus's thing-never had been and never would be. His knowledge of the internet was rudimentary and his people skills were woeful....he was a breed of copper that wasn't supposed to exist anymore, a rare and endangered species."
D I Siobhan is the complimentary opposite to Rebus and holds a great respect and platonic love for him. She is highly intelligent and understands how JR operates, curtailing even cautioning him but values his deep understanding of the criminal mind and how it operates. She feels for him and worries about him; his out of control drinking, smoking, loneliness and what, she wonders, will finally become of him when he is no longer able to operate and contribute to the Scottish Constabulary.
I as a reader adore John Rebus, I see him as a real and living individual and for that I hold the greatest admiration for his creator Ian Rankin. I highly recommend this book and in closing this review leave the parting words to Detective Sergeant John Rebus..."I'm from the eighties, Peter- I'm not the newfangled touchy-feely model. Now get out of my f***ing car!"
January 25, 2014
The latest Rebus novel is a real treat. The tagline on the cover reads ‘Saint or Sinner?’ and we all know there’s no easy answer to that one. It’s his duality that makes the man such an interesting character. It’s that duality that allows us to excuse some of our own extremes.
For a law-enforcer who began his career in a very different climate than we have today, the contradictions of Rebus are marked. He’s to live with the things he sees and understands about human nature and, at the same time, play it by the book and remain squeaky clean. It’s no wonder he’s the maverick he is. I tend to picture him in the style of a star in a noir movie, half his face in bright light, the other in complete darkness. Part Jeckyll, part Hyde, one copper.
This book works really well in terms of exploring aspects of a murky past while at the same time focusing on a current set of interlinking investigations. It’s also wrapped up perfectly with a prologue and epilogue that close the circle beautifully and allow for a highly satisfying conclusion to the novel.
The ingredients are all quality. There’s an investigation into Rebus and his days as a Saint Of the Shadow Bible, where policing methods were rough and tough and sometimes created victims of their own; there’s Siobhan Clarke heading up a murder investigation in relation to the death of a criminal linked to the Shadow Bible members and using some of what she learned from Rebus to do a very fine job; Malcolm Fox from Complaints; a new pathologist and some rather old ones; the conflicting politics of the Yes/No campaigns for Scottish independence; the same old internal wranglings of senior officers over the right to the limelight; a couple of leaders of the underworld; a mummified body; scrap-yard; an ex-lover; an old case of a missing woman; and a few pubs.
The pots are kept simmering wonderfully by Ian Rankin and when he finally allows it them come to the boil, the resulting feast is a treat.
If you’re a Rebus fan, you should be there. If you’re not, but you like your detective novels written with skill and style, why not give this a go? A pound to a penny says you’ll be back.
For a law-enforcer who began his career in a very different climate than we have today, the contradictions of Rebus are marked. He’s to live with the things he sees and understands about human nature and, at the same time, play it by the book and remain squeaky clean. It’s no wonder he’s the maverick he is. I tend to picture him in the style of a star in a noir movie, half his face in bright light, the other in complete darkness. Part Jeckyll, part Hyde, one copper.
This book works really well in terms of exploring aspects of a murky past while at the same time focusing on a current set of interlinking investigations. It’s also wrapped up perfectly with a prologue and epilogue that close the circle beautifully and allow for a highly satisfying conclusion to the novel.
The ingredients are all quality. There’s an investigation into Rebus and his days as a Saint Of the Shadow Bible, where policing methods were rough and tough and sometimes created victims of their own; there’s Siobhan Clarke heading up a murder investigation in relation to the death of a criminal linked to the Shadow Bible members and using some of what she learned from Rebus to do a very fine job; Malcolm Fox from Complaints; a new pathologist and some rather old ones; the conflicting politics of the Yes/No campaigns for Scottish independence; the same old internal wranglings of senior officers over the right to the limelight; a couple of leaders of the underworld; a mummified body; scrap-yard; an ex-lover; an old case of a missing woman; and a few pubs.
The pots are kept simmering wonderfully by Ian Rankin and when he finally allows it them come to the boil, the resulting feast is a treat.
If you’re a Rebus fan, you should be there. If you’re not, but you like your detective novels written with skill and style, why not give this a go? A pound to a penny says you’ll be back.
February 2, 2018
Ian Rankin has been writing stories about Inspector Rebus (sort of a Scottish Harry Bosch) since 1995 and about Malcolm Fox, of the complaints, Scotland's equivalent to internal affairs for just a few years. Both are major characters in this book and their relationship, somewhat predictably, evolves from nearly polite friction to one of companionable collegiality - I don't think that's a spoiler but, if it is, disregard it and wipe it from your mind as judges often instruct juries.
Rebus and Fox are nicely developed characters, quite consistent with their previous appearances. If you have read recent books in the Rebus series, you know that he has quit the police force and rejoined it due to extreme boredom but the kicker is that he has had to rejoin it at a lower rank and a former subordinate is now his boss. He gets along with her very well and she, whose name I cannot recall at the moment but I can tell you that it is not Gwendolyn, is another excellent character that I came to like quite a lot.
The case is a recent murder that is attached to crimes that occurred early in Rebus' career. As a result, several past colleagues play critical roles although they are no longer with the police.
The book is typical of Rankin's work in that it is well written, well plotted and a quite enjoyable read. He introduces enough twists to keep the reader guessing but not so many that the plot is silly, as is too often the case with many writers. One need not have read the previous Rebus books as this stands quite nicely on its own. I would recommend this book to those who appreciate an intelligently written Scottish police procedural with more thinking than shooting.
Rebus and Fox are nicely developed characters, quite consistent with their previous appearances. If you have read recent books in the Rebus series, you know that he has quit the police force and rejoined it due to extreme boredom but the kicker is that he has had to rejoin it at a lower rank and a former subordinate is now his boss. He gets along with her very well and she, whose name I cannot recall at the moment but I can tell you that it is not Gwendolyn, is another excellent character that I came to like quite a lot.
The case is a recent murder that is attached to crimes that occurred early in Rebus' career. As a result, several past colleagues play critical roles although they are no longer with the police.
The book is typical of Rankin's work in that it is well written, well plotted and a quite enjoyable read. He introduces enough twists to keep the reader guessing but not so many that the plot is silly, as is too often the case with many writers. One need not have read the previous Rebus books as this stands quite nicely on its own. I would recommend this book to those who appreciate an intelligently written Scottish police procedural with more thinking than shooting.
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