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The Rise
In this short thriller from bestselling author Ian Rankin, murder comes to London’s most exclusive high-rise—and every resident is a suspect. The Rise is a gleaming residential tower, newly constructed from steel and blackened glass, that stands on some of London’s most prestigious real estate. Looming imposingly over Hyde Park, only multi-millionaires need apply for one of its sumptuous apartments. But when the young night concierge is found murdered in the building’s lobby, the elite residents quickly find their gilded lifestyles under unwelcome police scrutiny. Investigating officer DS Gish has her work cut out. The only suspects, those who live in the building, aren’t accustomed to police interrogation. But it seems horribly certain that one of them must be the killer. Could it be the Russian oligarch? Or the lonely actress? Maybe it’s the family of the career criminal? Or perhaps it’s the building’s reclusive developer who lives alone in the penthouse? Obstructed continually by locked doors, governments both foreign and domestic, and an apparent absence of motive, can DS Gish solve this impenetrable mystery and apprehend the murderer—before they slip away forever?
86 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2023
2817 people are currently reading
4659 people want to read
About the author
Ian Rankin
423 books6,530 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 795 reviews
November 24, 2023
Amazon First Reads - Scheduled Release: 11/03/23
In a little over eighty pages, Rankin's The Rise brings an exciting who-done-it to a shocking and very satisfying conclusion.
The story starts out with two highly polished detectives arriving at exclusive apartment building - The Rise - after being called out to investigate the murder of the night shift concierge. There are many suspects to be investigated. Every one of the current tenants has questionable histories. There is a mafia member, washed up movie star, a stalker, an unconventional art dealer, a shady developer, Russian oligarch, etcetera.
The two detectives have their work more than cut out for them as they run into resistance with each interviewee. Thanks to doggedness, intelligence, keen listening and observation skills the case does finally get tied up in a spectacular bow.
I thought I paid close attention to all of the clues and I never came close to figuring out who was responsible. The evidence and clues are clearly laid out from start to finish, so pay close attention and do a better job solving this case than I did.
Highly recommend for a quick and very smart mystery romp.
In a little over eighty pages, Rankin's The Rise brings an exciting who-done-it to a shocking and very satisfying conclusion.
The story starts out with two highly polished detectives arriving at exclusive apartment building - The Rise - after being called out to investigate the murder of the night shift concierge. There are many suspects to be investigated. Every one of the current tenants has questionable histories. There is a mafia member, washed up movie star, a stalker, an unconventional art dealer, a shady developer, Russian oligarch, etcetera.
The two detectives have their work more than cut out for them as they run into resistance with each interviewee. Thanks to doggedness, intelligence, keen listening and observation skills the case does finally get tied up in a spectacular bow.
I thought I paid close attention to all of the clues and I never came close to figuring out who was responsible. The evidence and clues are clearly laid out from start to finish, so pay close attention and do a better job solving this case than I did.
Highly recommend for a quick and very smart mystery romp.
December 19, 2023
In a Nutshell: A police procedural novelette about a murder investigation at an elite residential tower. Too many characters and not enough depth for a short fiction work.
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Story Synopsis:
I’m not a thriller fanatic and am very picky about the thrillers I do choose. So I have never read the works of some reputed thriller writers, Ian Rankin being one of them. I use such short stories to see if their style works for me. In this case, I was even more excited as this was a police procedural, which is among my favourite thriller subgenres. However, the execution left me disappointed. Rankin might be a great novelist, but as a short fiction writer, he didn’t impress me much.
Highlights of this work:
📌 Tagged as a short story, this is more of a novelette at 86 pages.
📌 Way too many characters and not enough character development. Gish is a decent character, but the others are flat.
📌 Even worse, the characters are clichéd. The Arab princess, the Russian oligarch, the reclusive actress, the career criminal… No imaginativeness to their backgrounds at all!
📌 The pacing is decent, as long as you can keep track of the characters.
📌 The plot feels overly complicated. There’s no smoothness to the proceedings the way police procedurals usually have. This was too ambitious and cluttered for a short.
📌 The ending was a decent one, though there are cues that indicate how that was the only ending possible. So if you pay attention, even that surprise isn’t a surprise anymore.
All in all, this was just an okay read for me. I was expecting far more from my first Ian Rankin story. But some authors are way better as novelists than as short fiction writers. I hope Rankin is one of them.
2 stars.
This standalone story is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
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Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
Detective Sergeant Gish has been called to investigate the murder of the concierge at The Rise, an elite residential tower and home to some intriguing multi-millionaires in London. Gish definitely has her work cut out, as the wealthy are helpful neither as witnesses nor as informants when it comes to investigating a murder.
I’m not a thriller fanatic and am very picky about the thrillers I do choose. So I have never read the works of some reputed thriller writers, Ian Rankin being one of them. I use such short stories to see if their style works for me. In this case, I was even more excited as this was a police procedural, which is among my favourite thriller subgenres. However, the execution left me disappointed. Rankin might be a great novelist, but as a short fiction writer, he didn’t impress me much.
Highlights of this work:
📌 Tagged as a short story, this is more of a novelette at 86 pages.
📌 Way too many characters and not enough character development. Gish is a decent character, but the others are flat.
📌 Even worse, the characters are clichéd. The Arab princess, the Russian oligarch, the reclusive actress, the career criminal… No imaginativeness to their backgrounds at all!
📌 The pacing is decent, as long as you can keep track of the characters.
📌 The plot feels overly complicated. There’s no smoothness to the proceedings the way police procedurals usually have. This was too ambitious and cluttered for a short.
📌 The ending was a decent one, though there are cues that indicate how that was the only ending possible. So if you pay attention, even that surprise isn’t a surprise anymore.
All in all, this was just an okay read for me. I was expecting far more from my first Ian Rankin story. But some authors are way better as novelists than as short fiction writers. I hope Rankin is one of them.
2 stars.
This standalone story is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
October 30, 2023
3.5⭐ Police procedural short story.
With a view of Hyde Park, this exclusive high-rise apartment has a handful of multimillionaire and elite residents. You might think a place like this will have top-notch security. Aside from using key fobs for the apartments, there is ONE night shift concierge/security guy who is found dead at the front desk and another body in the trunk of a Bentley.
Two detectives comb the scene and interview suspicious "The Rise" residents. I must say, I didn't see THAT reveal coming!
Expected publication November 1, 2023
Amazon First Reads
With a view of Hyde Park, this exclusive high-rise apartment has a handful of multimillionaire and elite residents. You might think a place like this will have top-notch security. Aside from using key fobs for the apartments, there is ONE night shift concierge/security guy who is found dead at the front desk and another body in the trunk of a Bentley.
Two detectives comb the scene and interview suspicious "The Rise" residents. I must say, I didn't see THAT reveal coming!
Expected publication November 1, 2023
Amazon First Reads
October 4, 2023
Short story
Well written as one would expect of Ian Rankin. Fine, believable characters caught up in murders. I may have been skimming and missed a bit, but I don't see how the criminals were planning to avoid the concierge being able to describe and possibly identify them later.
I read this story free through Amazon Prime first reads.
Well written as one would expect of Ian Rankin. Fine, believable characters caught up in murders. I may have been skimming and missed a bit, but I don't see how the criminals were planning to avoid the concierge being able to describe and possibly identify them later.
I read this story free through Amazon Prime first reads.
January 9, 2024
Hmmm.
Murder mystery in a high rise.
I had such a difficult time reading this because I read it in spurts. It seemed like quite a good ‘whodunnit’ but I couldn’t get the hang of the story. So many characters.
Murder mystery in a high rise.
I had such a difficult time reading this because I read it in spurts. It seemed like quite a good ‘whodunnit’ but I couldn’t get the hang of the story. So many characters.
August 28, 2024
A police procedural in London. DS Gish and her partner investigate a murder in The Rise. It's quite long for a "short story," but at 86 pages, I guess it's not quite long enough to be a novela.
February 3, 2024
A short story crime procedural via Prime Reading that I just could not get into. Because it was a short story, I kept on, but struggled to the end to finish.
This is the first I’ve read from this author and the Goodreads community has fantastic reviews of his books, but this one was not for me. Would try another though! Just one.
This is the first I’ve read from this author and the Goodreads community has fantastic reviews of his books, but this one was not for me. Would try another though! Just one.
October 7, 2023
4.5
The concierge at luxury apartments known as The Rise is found dead with DI Jack Milton and DS Gillian Gish on the case. Things get way more fishy with every passing hour.
I thoroughly enjoy this and IR has me completely fooled as my brain goes rattling off in the wrong direction altogether! A very entertaining short story.
Amazon Prime First Read October 2023
The concierge at luxury apartments known as The Rise is found dead with DI Jack Milton and DS Gillian Gish on the case. Things get way more fishy with every passing hour.
I thoroughly enjoy this and IR has me completely fooled as my brain goes rattling off in the wrong direction altogether! A very entertaining short story.
Amazon Prime First Read October 2023
October 19, 2023
DS Gish is called one night to a murder scene at The Rise - a posh London building where only wealthy people can afford an apartment. This makes the investigation very hard, as the people in the building are not accustomed to police looking into their private lives.
This is a well-written short police investigation story with a very unexpected final.
This is a well-written short police investigation story with a very unexpected final.
October 23, 2024
3.5 stars
short review for busy readers:
A decent, longish non-Rebus, non-Fox short story from Scotland's finest Tartan Noir writer, centred on some murders in an exclusive London high rise.
While the signature Rankin no nonsense, flows-like-cream writing style is present in spades, the story itself is overladen with too many characters and too much going on. We don't know where to look, and although the supporting facts for the reveal are planted early on, the likelihood of them seems a bit...stretched.
The most enjoyable part, I found, was
Average for Rankin, but still readable.
short review for busy readers:
A decent, longish non-Rebus, non-Fox short story from Scotland's finest Tartan Noir writer, centred on some murders in an exclusive London high rise.
While the signature Rankin no nonsense, flows-like-cream writing style is present in spades, the story itself is overladen with too many characters and too much going on. We don't know where to look, and although the supporting facts for the reveal are planted early on, the likelihood of them seems a bit...stretched.
The most enjoyable part, I found, was
Average for Rankin, but still readable.
October 17, 2023
A 48-hour Police Procedural
Review of the Amazon Original Stories Kindle edition (via Amazon Prime First Reads) (October 1, 2023) in advance of the official release November 1, 2023.
This is a fast-paced short story set in an exclusive high-rise apartment building in London, England. It is therefore not set in the usual Tartan Noir world of Rankin's regular Inspector Rebus series and its offshoots. I usually feel let down by the First Reads ARCs but with a veteran writer like Ian Rankin you are in good hands, even if the setting is not his usual Edinburgh and its environs.
The police inspectors arrive in the middle of the night when the building concierge / security guard is found murdered at the security desk. Further investigation reveals a missing apartment key fob, a disabled security system, and yet another body in the trunk of a car in the apartment garage. The building does not lack in suspects. An over-extended real estate developer, the wife of a crime lord, a Russian oligarch, an Arabian princess, a down-on-her-luck actress, her stalker businessman, etc.
It proceeds in a whirlwind of a police procedural where the detectives are kept on the chase for most of 48 hours until the surprise reveal of the motive and the culprits.
Trivia and Links
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Review of the Amazon Original Stories Kindle edition (via Amazon Prime First Reads) (October 1, 2023) in advance of the official release November 1, 2023.
This is a fast-paced short story set in an exclusive high-rise apartment building in London, England. It is therefore not set in the usual Tartan Noir world of Rankin's regular Inspector Rebus series and its offshoots. I usually feel let down by the First Reads ARCs but with a veteran writer like Ian Rankin you are in good hands, even if the setting is not his usual Edinburgh and its environs.
The police inspectors arrive in the middle of the night when the building concierge / security guard is found murdered at the security desk. Further investigation reveals a missing apartment key fob, a disabled security system, and yet another body in the trunk of a car in the apartment garage. The building does not lack in suspects. An over-extended real estate developer, the wife of a crime lord, a Russian oligarch, an Arabian princess, a down-on-her-luck actress, her stalker businessman, etc.
It proceeds in a whirlwind of a police procedural where the detectives are kept on the chase for most of 48 hours until the surprise reveal of the motive and the culprits.
Trivia and Links
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
November 16, 2023
I liked this story but it fell just a little short for me. Short stories are sometimes funny things. I wanted more here but also I felt that the ending didn't live up to the lead up. It was technically well done but just didn't give me what I was hoping for. YMMV.
October 15, 2023
My rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ entertaining, fun stars for a little shortie!!!
An exclusive high rise aptly named, The Rise, for multi-millionaires only. Located in London, The Rise is the setting for a brutal murder of the night concierge.
There is a cast of characters that could have done it… but this short story will have you guessing until the very end.
I am not going to get stuck right into a really lengthy review… this is only just over 100 pages so I highly recommend if you got this as your Amazon First Reads book for October (as I did) you give it a go. If you get it on KU again… just give it a go.
I have never read an Ian Rankin book before even though I have a few on my TBR (along with the multitude of others… ) but I really enjoyed this. The writing was really good quality… the story was engaging and the characters were interesting.
I am really pleased I picked this as my book of the month and will be going through IR back catalogue and trying something full length soon.
I must say I read this about a week ago and every so often I find myself thinking how clever it was. It isn’t like the story is BRAND new… the execution was just really well done.
Overall I would recommend to most people… it is a bit of fun in a locked room style way… and the writing is really good quality.
An exclusive high rise aptly named, The Rise, for multi-millionaires only. Located in London, The Rise is the setting for a brutal murder of the night concierge.
There is a cast of characters that could have done it… but this short story will have you guessing until the very end.
I am not going to get stuck right into a really lengthy review… this is only just over 100 pages so I highly recommend if you got this as your Amazon First Reads book for October (as I did) you give it a go. If you get it on KU again… just give it a go.
I have never read an Ian Rankin book before even though I have a few on my TBR (along with the multitude of others… ) but I really enjoyed this. The writing was really good quality… the story was engaging and the characters were interesting.
I am really pleased I picked this as my book of the month and will be going through IR back catalogue and trying something full length soon.
I must say I read this about a week ago and every so often I find myself thinking how clever it was. It isn’t like the story is BRAND new… the execution was just really well done.
Overall I would recommend to most people… it is a bit of fun in a locked room style way… and the writing is really good quality.
October 4, 2023
Search Warrant Anyone?...
THE RISE: A SHORT STORY by Ian Rankin
No spoilers. 3 stars. This novella was book 2 of 2 Amazon First Reads selections for the month of October 2023...
The scant plot: DS Gish and DI Jack Milton are on the case of murder(s) at a luxury condominium complex known as...
The Rise...
That's about it, folks. The entire story was literally a police procedural, and I felt like I was reading one long police report...
If I had a dollar...
... for every time one of the characters inquired about a search warrant, I would be rich indeed...
For those trying to select Amazon First Reads novels for October 2023, I come from a law enforcement background, and I found this story tedious and boring... but if YOU are into police procedurals, consider this novella your jackpot!
THE RISE: A SHORT STORY by Ian Rankin
No spoilers. 3 stars. This novella was book 2 of 2 Amazon First Reads selections for the month of October 2023...
The scant plot: DS Gish and DI Jack Milton are on the case of murder(s) at a luxury condominium complex known as...
The Rise...
That's about it, folks. The entire story was literally a police procedural, and I felt like I was reading one long police report...
If I had a dollar...
... for every time one of the characters inquired about a search warrant, I would be rich indeed...
For those trying to select Amazon First Reads novels for October 2023, I come from a law enforcement background, and I found this story tedious and boring... but if YOU are into police procedurals, consider this novella your jackpot!
March 12, 2024
The Rise is an exclusive high-rise tower in London England, a residential complex peopled by multi-millionaires. When the young concierge is found dead in the lobby, investigating officer DS Gish has her work cut out for her.
For a short story there are an awful lot of characters but it was an entertaining little story. I read this last week and had to re-read parts to remind myself whodunit before I could write this review. I don't think I've read anything else by this author but I think a full-length book would be more up my alley.
I chose this as my October Amazon First Reads so thanks to them for early access to this novella even though I waited months to read it.
For a short story there are an awful lot of characters but it was an entertaining little story. I read this last week and had to re-read parts to remind myself whodunit before I could write this review. I don't think I've read anything else by this author but I think a full-length book would be more up my alley.
I chose this as my October Amazon First Reads so thanks to them for early access to this novella even though I waited months to read it.
June 27, 2025
I started to read THE RISE, then stopped because I was tired. Four days later, I tried to pick up where I stopped (at the 18% point) and couldn't remember what had gone before. So I had to start over again. Thus, I can understand those low ratings from readers who might have thought it was the usual easy-to-read short story that typically is part of the kindle First Reads program. THE RISE has a complex plot line that needs careful reading to pick up all the subtle cues. Perhaps it is too full of complex details for a novella length narrative.
THE RISE is set in an exclusive London high-rise apartment building that contains several dicey characters, and as the detectives investigate the death of the security guard, they uncover several secrets. But as the interviews progress, DS Gish takes note of small clues that lead her to the ultimate solution. It's just that these small clues are hidden amongst several red herrings, and so the ending comes as a surprise.
I love Ian Rankin's novels, but I think he tried to pack too much into THE RISE. There are too many different types of characters doing too many different things (in other words, a typical complex Rankin plot), and the short length doesn't leave enough space for character development. Still, for a careful reader, it is rewarding, which is why I have given it four stars.
THE RISE is set in an exclusive London high-rise apartment building that contains several dicey characters, and as the detectives investigate the death of the security guard, they uncover several secrets. But as the interviews progress, DS Gish takes note of small clues that lead her to the ultimate solution. It's just that these small clues are hidden amongst several red herrings, and so the ending comes as a surprise.
I love Ian Rankin's novels, but I think he tried to pack too much into THE RISE. There are too many different types of characters doing too many different things (in other words, a typical complex Rankin plot), and the short length doesn't leave enough space for character development. Still, for a careful reader, it is rewarding, which is why I have given it four stars.
October 20, 2023
Good police procedural with a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. I haven’t read any Ian Rankin before. I haven’t even watched Rebus - shock horror! Perhaps I should.
February 26, 2024
“The Rise” is a short story by author Ian Rankin and focus’s on the luxurious and secretive world of London’s most exclusive high-rise. When the young night concierge is found murdered in the building’s lobby, the elite residents quickly find their gilded lifestyles under unwelcome police scrutiny. Investigating officer DS Gish has her work cut out. The only suspects are those who live in the building and aren’t accustomed to police interrogation. But it seems horribly certain that one of them must be the killer. A short story but still a fascinating read with murder at its core, an intriguing investigation where every resident is a potential suspect.
For a short story there is still plenty of intrigue and tension as DS Gish confronts the cast of wealthy residents who are not comfortable been put under police scrutiny. The setting is a tower block looking over Hyde Park which makes an atmospheric backdrop to the plot. My only criticism is the usual issue I have with short stories that they just don’t have enough pages to set the plot and characters up sufficiently.
That said it is still a well worth read.
For a short story there is still plenty of intrigue and tension as DS Gish confronts the cast of wealthy residents who are not comfortable been put under police scrutiny. The setting is a tower block looking over Hyde Park which makes an atmospheric backdrop to the plot. My only criticism is the usual issue I have with short stories that they just don’t have enough pages to set the plot and characters up sufficiently.
That said it is still a well worth read.
January 24, 2024
A Short story from the Edinburgh crime-meister, this one set in London. Two cops attend the scene of a reported death at a high rise building in exclusive Park Lane. A security guard has been found dead having suffered a blow to the head – accident or murder? The latter, say conclude and an investigation is set in motion. The building is comprised of a number of exclusive flats, each with a view over Hyde Park. The cheapest of these would sell for around £10 million.
The ‘owner’ lives in the penthouse suite, a slippery character who looks like he has something to hide. Only six of the flats are currently occupied – a mix monied homebred and international characters – but not all of these are currently in residence. But the ones that are an interesting bunch. As the the cops snoop around they find a distinct lack of clues, but suspect an inside job. The murderer is therefore likely to be someone we’ve been introduced to, but who and to what end?
It’s difficult to build investment in the characters in a story as short as this (86 pages or a couple of hours of audio), but Rankin still does a reasonable job. So the tale really is all about the twist, and he does a pretty good job with that too. Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
The ‘owner’ lives in the penthouse suite, a slippery character who looks like he has something to hide. Only six of the flats are currently occupied – a mix monied homebred and international characters – but not all of these are currently in residence. But the ones that are an interesting bunch. As the the cops snoop around they find a distinct lack of clues, but suspect an inside job. The murderer is therefore likely to be someone we’ve been introduced to, but who and to what end?
It’s difficult to build investment in the characters in a story as short as this (86 pages or a couple of hours of audio), but Rankin still does a reasonable job. So the tale really is all about the twist, and he does a pretty good job with that too. Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
November 5, 2023
Gish is a good character.However,the plot's thin,and full of holes.Saddens me to write this about Rankin.
October 2, 2023
Rating: 2.0/5
I admire any writer who successfully tackles the short story format. There is a real skill in drafting a fully rounded story with properly drawn characters within the confines of a mere 100 or so pages. Unfortunately, although it is okay, I don't think this is one of the better examples of the format. For the most part this police procedural reads more like an extract taken from a full-length novel rather than a short story in its own right. A quick read, but not the most satisfying.
I admire any writer who successfully tackles the short story format. There is a real skill in drafting a fully rounded story with properly drawn characters within the confines of a mere 100 or so pages. Unfortunately, although it is okay, I don't think this is one of the better examples of the format. For the most part this police procedural reads more like an extract taken from a full-length novel rather than a short story in its own right. A quick read, but not the most satisfying.
November 25, 2023
A decent short story from a very decent author!
October 2, 2023
I've read all of Rankin's Rebus books, so I was eager to read this Kindle First reads story. It did not disappoint. DS Gish is called to a posh high rise residence in London when the concierge is found dead. There are a number of suspects among the very few that live there, among them a Middle Eastern royal and a gangster's wife. Gish cleverly solves the case, and makes me hope that Rankin will be starting a new series.
October 6, 2023
My first Ian Rankin. I wasn't all that impressed to be honest. Maybe his full-length novels are more fleshed-out, but this longish (86 pages) short story was so short on any kind of character development with its relentless drive forward to be a police procedural, it was kind of dry and boring. To be honest, I was almost done with it when I moved on to my next book, never realizing I hadn't read the last few pages--not a good sign.
November 2, 2023
This is a very clever and freshly imagined short story on crime with a twist.
Kindle Unlimited
Kindle Unlimited
October 6, 2023
2.75*
October 31, 2023
Rankin pulls a dirty trick in this one, but it is a short story and one I got lost in, so I'll let him get away with it. It is about the suspicious death of the concierge of a brand new, multi-million dollar apartment condominium high rise which is only occupied by a handful of super rich, super disconnected individuals, each of whom had reasons for wanting somebody dead. Just not the victim.
October 31, 2023
I have been a fan of Ian Rankin for many years, so I leaped to get this short story by him that was free for Amazon Prime members in October.
DI Jack Milton and DS Gillian Gish are on call when a murder occurs at an exclusive residential high-rise in London, aptly named The Rise. The highly wealthy inhabitants find themselves suspects, and some aren't very cooperative. The detectives must tread lightly to solve the murder.
This is a solid police procedural with a twist. Typical of Rankin, the murderer isn't apparent, and although a few clues are meted out, there aren't enough to figure out the whodunit in this intricate story—that part I didn't like. I felt like the author held back too much information--a fine line for a murder mystery, I admit, and one that often frustrates me. Overall, this is a good, solid read, and the price couldn't be beaten.
DI Jack Milton and DS Gillian Gish are on call when a murder occurs at an exclusive residential high-rise in London, aptly named The Rise. The highly wealthy inhabitants find themselves suspects, and some aren't very cooperative. The detectives must tread lightly to solve the murder.
This is a solid police procedural with a twist. Typical of Rankin, the murderer isn't apparent, and although a few clues are meted out, there aren't enough to figure out the whodunit in this intricate story—that part I didn't like. I felt like the author held back too much information--a fine line for a murder mystery, I admit, and one that often frustrates me. Overall, this is a good, solid read, and the price couldn't be beaten.
November 1, 2023
This was my first time reading anything by Ian Rankin. If his other works are like this, then it will be the last time I read anything by Rankin. The two lead characters were wooden, had no descriptions and lacked any dynamic interest. Even the sudden jump and easy to predict ending was boring and quick. The story was one-dimension and used too many ‘police drama’ cliches. It was a slog. The one saving grace is that I read it free through Amazon’s First Reads program. There are way better and elaborate crime fictions out there to read. This is definitely not any of those.
December 7, 2023
I was so uninterested in this story it hurt. 🤦🏻♀️😭
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