Fleshmarket Close

Inspector Rebus #15

by Ian Rankin

An illegal immigrant is found murdered in an Edinburgh housing a racist attack, or something else entirely? Rebus is drawn into the case, but has other his old police station has closed for business, and his masters would rather he retire than stick around. But Rebus is that most stubborn of creatures. As Rebus investigates, he must visit an asylum seekers' detention centre, deal with the sleazy Edinburgh underworld, and maybe even fall in love...Siobhan meanwhile has problems of her own. A teenager has disappeared from home and Siobhan is drawn into helping the family, which will mean travelling closer than is healthy towards the web of a convicted rapist. Then there's the small matter of the two skeletons - a woman and an infant - found buried beneath a concrete cellar floor in Fleshmarket Close. The scene begins to look like an elaborate stunt - but whose, and for what purpose? And how can it tie to the murder on the unforgiving housing-scheme known as Knoxland?

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Scotland, Thriller, Detective, Mystery Thriller

482 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

AKA 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

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always look forward to picking up a Rebus novel because I can be sure that I am going to enjoy a good read. Fleshmarket Close turned out to be even better than good.

The character of Rebus has developed so much over the course of fifteen books. He seems a bit more empathetic now and even manages to smoke and drink a little less if he feels he might upset others. He has definitely retained his warped sense of humour and he kept me entertained with his practical jokes and his caustic comments. Mostly though he is just so very, very good at his job. It is a pity he has never learned not to annoy his superiors.

In Fleshmarket Close Rebus is approaching retirement and can feel that the higher ups are trying to push him towards this. Nevertheless he is still achieving results with his old style methods of policing. It is interesting to see some of his ways rubbing off on the other major character in these books, Siobhan.

This was another excellent book in this great series. Rebus is certainly up there with my favourite main characters in the crime genre..

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a reread. It proved to be a night and day experience, the reread being the night. It does have some professionally installed bells and whistles, but made for pretty raw and rough reading.

Rebus is too much the gallant knight in shining armour. He gets the best lines, probably to the detriment of any other Detective in the book. The hero - for that he is - shouldn't exist in the world created by Rankin. It jolts yours truly to fit in the misfit.

It was a slog finishing this book. Never again will I reread a thriller that I touched upon in the Dark Days, when the internet for my country was a privilege for the few and at a time Stephen King was trying to bypass the publishers to reach out electronically.

But yeah. Fleshmarket Close was a wretched experience. The best aspect was the discovery of unfamiliar words, all of them coined 'familiar' by the dictionary. My next read has not a lot to live up to. Toodle-oo for now.

[Ammar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Rebus novel .. another look at the underbelly and dark side of Edinburgh.

Three stories.. a case of a missing girl, the murder of an asylum seeker, and a couple of skeletons unearthed from cement in a cellar.

Rebus in my opinion a bit more joyful for some unknown reason investigates the murder of an asylum seeker, and gets his hand on various shady guys who got their fingers in many illegal pies.

Siobhan looks for a lost girl. A sister of a murder victim.. a favour for the family.. an an unexpected ending

This novel showed the dark side of large cities
The hidden xenophobia
This innate fear of the other
It's always us vs. Them

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Αγαπημένος συγγραφέας (και για μένα κάτι εναλλακτικό του Νέσμπο για όσους έχουν τελειώσει τα βιβλία του), αγαπημένος ήρωας και ο Τζον Ρέμπους (και Σκωτία με Εδιμβούργο στο σκηνικό)

Μαύρο χιούμορ, σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα, πτώματα σε διάφορες περιοχές της πόλης, κάποιοι ρίχνουν τις τιμές στα ακίνητα, άλλοι προσφέρουν έσοδα για ξεναγήσεις σε στοές φαντασμάτων. Και - πάνω απ' όλα, όλοι να θέλουν να διώξουν το Ρέμπους στη σύνταξη (αυτό θα πει αγάπη προς το συνάδελφο) κι αυτός να θέλει να σου τη σπάσει τόσο πολύ που να μη φεύγει με τίποτα (όχι, δεν τους αγαπάει και τους γίνεται κολλιτσίδα, τους βρίζει με κάθε αφορμή που βρίσκει, χωρίς να του τη δώσουν απαραίτητα!)

Ένα καλοστημένο αστυνομικό θρίλερ που ούτε που θα καταλάβετε πώς φτάσατε στο τέλος!

[. . . _ _ _ . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Θέλω να πάω στην Σκωτία/Εδιμβούργο και να τα πιω με τον Επιθεωρητή Ρέμπους*
*αναστεναγμός*
*αφού πάω στην Βόρεια Ιρλανδία/Μπέλφαστ και τα πιω με τον Αστυνόμο Ντάφι*
*αναστεναγμός*
*Χριστούγεννα στο μαγευτικό Σουρδιστάν*
*τριπλός αναστεναγμός*

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

2011 view: Two skeletons are found during renovations to a bar cellar and a few days later an asylum seeker is stabbed to death on a sink estate. St Leonards has closed down its major crimes unit, causing Rebus and Siobhan to be working out of another office. They find themselves on the skeleton case; and as ever Rebus 'helps'with the murder investigation. despite not being assigned to it. Another great case by Rankin covering immigration, modern slavery, manipulation, revenge and as ever murder. 6 out of 12
20o8 view: This is was the first Inspector Rebus book I ever read. I went into in blind not knowing anything about the series at all! My one-sentence 2008 review said: 'My first 'Rebus' crime novel, by the talented Rankin… couldn't put it down.'
In addition I remember the impressive writing for a detective crime fiction series and the way everything felt dark and claustrophobic. How you're never quite sure how Rebus is thinking, or what he plans to do next. Very nice introduction for me. 7.5 out of 12.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortunately this book held my attention over a number of days of active travel through the Canadian Rockies and more, with natural beauty taking a starring role. Both Rebus and Siobhan performed above and beyond in their separate yet related investigations of murder and exploitation of immigrants.

[Karl]

This is the Orion UK hardcover of this book.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good thriller. Although having Rebus and Siobhan working on two separate murder cases and then linking them together was a bit too ambitious. An immigrant is murdered in a housing estate with racist overtones. Elsewhere where a immigrant centre is located near a small village another murder occurs and a girl goes missing.

Rebus plays the role of white knight giving toys to immigrant children and being compassionate. He investigates the immigrant journalist death uncovering a trail that leads back to his nemesis Cafferty in a hot tub.

Around this is the discovery of two skeletons in an Edinburgh cellar in a pub. One turns out to be fake and the other one used by medical students.

The illegal immigrant scam of getting them to work and pay for accommodation through illegal letting of flats was good as a plot. Overcrowding, fear of being deported and then the criminal gang killing the immigrant journalist to avoid discovery. Cafferty is informing immigration about his rival’s activities so he could take over the scam. The immigrant centre manager is revealed to be the inside man and all is revealed.

The other plot was Siobhan trying to find a missing girl whose sister committed suicide after being raped. The bar owner where the two skeletons were found turns out to be her boyfriend. He then takes the blame for the rapists murder although it was likely to have been the missing girl.

Rankin ties it all together in atmospheric Edinburgh with a few surprises.

[James Thane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another moody, atmospheric tale from Ian Rankin that examines the dark underside of contemporary Scottish society. As much by accident as anything else, Inspector John Rebus becomes involved in the investigation of the murder of a Kurdish immigrant who is knifed to death in a depressing housing complex. The place is a seething cauldron of hate, resentment and racism. Nobody trusts the police; no one wants to cooperate with the investigation, and only Rebus's determined efforts will keep the case moving forward.

Meanwhile, Rebus's sometime partner, Siobhan Clarke, is searching for a missing young woman when two skeletons are discovered buried in the basement of a pub. Inevitably, the two cases will wind up linked together, taking Rebus and Clarke deep into a world of illegal immigration and the contemporary slave trade, and exposing a myriad of ways in which human beings exploit each other.

As always, especially in the more recent Rebus books, the plot is fairly complex. In this case it's perhaps a bit too ambitious, and it seems like Rankin overreaches in the effort to tie two disparate cases together. I assume that this is a way of giving both Rebus and Siobhan something to do while giving them a chance to interact on a regular basis. But at least for a while you feel like you're being jerked back and forth between two totally unrelated stories. The Rebus side of the tale is especially engrossing and timely; the Clarke side feels like it's been grafted on as an afterthought. It's always a treat to watch Rebus at work, but I would have enjoyed the book more if Rankin had simply detailed both Rebus and Siobhan to the immigrant murder case.

[Effie Saxioni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Κλασικός Ρέμπους για μια ακόμα φορά,όμως νομίζω ότι θα μπορούσε να είναι μικρότερο χωρίς να χάσει τίποτα από τα μυνήματα που ήθελε να περάσει.Ρατσισμός,μισαλλοδοξία,εκμετάλλευση,μεταναστευτικό,υπόκοσμος, ήταν όλα εδώ,δοσμένα με την ιδιαίτερη γραφή του Ράνκιν,που δεν "χαρίζει κάστανα".Αν δεν πλατείαζε τόσο σε μερικά σημεία(- 100 σελίδες περίπου),θα ήταν ένα από τα πιο δυνατά του.4⭐

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Rebus #15 and it’s another good one. As usual we have several investigations by Rebus, Siobhan and others of which all eventually tie into each other. Ian Rankin is a master at his craft.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ian Rankin. His novels are about character, about Scotland, about issues. Mysteries serve as the framework for some serious substance and glorious, gripping writing.

This novel is about murder and detecting, about relationships between detectives and other, of course, but also about exploitation of undocumented immigrants--in Scotland, mind. It's dark, of course. A few examples of what Rankin has to say and why his writing is irresistible, keeping me up late no matter the time for which I've set the alarm:

1. Dirwan, a prominent immigrants' rights lawyer & Rebus, Rankin's detective--

R. "But all cops are racist?"
D."We are all racist, Inspector, even me. It's how we deal with that ugly fact that's important."

2. Rebus & Ellen, a colleague--
E. "That's the problem, though: who is it I am pissed off with?"
R: "The people in charge?" Rebus guessed. "The ones we never see." He waited to see if she'd agree. "We spend most of our time chasing something called 'the underworld,' but it's the overworld we should really be keeping an eye on."

3. finally, Rebus, again, interacting with a right-wing agitator leafleting outside a meeting involving Dirwan:

L: "All we want is fair rights for British people." The word "British" almost came out as a bark. "Britain for the British--you tell me what's wrong with that."
R: Rebus dropped the leaflet and kicked it aside. "I get the feeling your definition might be a bit narrower than most"
L: "You won't know unless you give us a try." The man's lower jaw jutted forward. Christ, Rebus thought, and this is him trying to be nice. . . . It was like watching a gorilla's first attempt at flower arranging.

Of course, it would be nice if cops really were like Rebus. Ok, so the alcohol abuse and other lifestyle matters are unfortunate. And Rebus is in law enforcement, not all the way over on the side of goodness and light, from a left perspective, but with a heart, you know? So you can't not like the guy. Hey, maybe in Scotland cops are different. I'm guessing it's more likely that Rankin, like so many mystery writers, is giving us cops as we would like them to be. It's fiction, right? To be sure, he does include a few that will be more familiar to American readers.

But we don't read murder mysteries as objective social science research, right? If you like authors who explore serious social issues in the process of telling their stories, grab some Rankin, get in some food, and cancel your appointments.

[LilBib’Phile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another twisty plot from the creative mind of Ian Rankin.
Inspector Rebus is a compelling and not always sympathetic character.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 15th adventure of Edinburgh Police Detective John Rebus. Our hero can be a lone wolf – although a few of his peers do make the Rebus grade – he’s acerbic, seemingly knows every pub in Scotland – and their bartenders, him – and if nothing else he is persistent; working round the clock between pints and malts to solve cases. This is a very good series with Rebus fighting the good fight – usually on his own terms – exposing the seamy underside of the Scottish criminal element.

In Fleshmarket Alley, a police department reorg has occurred with the “aging” Rebus and the much younger Siobhan Clarke – one of the few who’ve made it inside the Rebus circle – having been farmed out of the St. Leonard’s precinct. Neither of them is thrilled about the move. To stay out of the office, Rebus almost immediately inserts himself into the investigation of a murdered Kurdish refugee; Clarke is enlisted by a married couple – whom she knows from a previous case – to locate their missing teenaged daughter. Just to add to the mix, a pair of skeletons – one an infant’s – is found in the cellar of a near-by pub. All of this seems unconnected – at least initially – but not so in this author’s hands.

A lot of ground with many characters is covered here, but the core of the story is the plight of illegal immigrants/refugees/asylum seekers and the associated xenophobia and resentment among the Scottish “natives” – all troublesome and trouble for Rebus, Clarke and Company, as they go about solving their soon intertwined cases. At times the author’s portrayal of these newcomers to Scotland – and their plight - although admirable, comes across as heavy-handed – and may frustrate the reader. Still Rankin’s point is valid and there is still an engaging mystery here. And for fans of this series, Ger Cafferty, an old Rebus nemesis, pops into the story-line.

Maybe not the best addition to the series, but still a good one. If you are new to the series, start with an earlier book in the Rebus canon.

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another dark tale in the adventures of DI Rebus and again, Rankin does not disappoint. In this entry, Rebus and his team are investigating the traffic in illegal immigrants and murder. The beauty of these stories is that they deal with real issues that plague our modern world and the author does not pull any punches. Rankin paints a very succinct picture of the Scotland of today and his characters all have their own demons with which to deal. A highly recommended book for mystery lovers.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book. I don’t normally read crime fiction but I gave this a go.
It was a good easy read with solidly built characters. Rebus is great. He brings humanity to his role as Detective Inspector, and doesn’t lose himself to the badge and the system.
Crime fiction still isn’t my thing but I don’t think I’d turn down an Ian Rankin novel.

[Effie (she-her) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αρχικά να πω ότι η αστυνομική λογοτεχνία είναι από τα είδη που σπάνια διαβάζω γιατί δε μου προσφέρουν κάτι περισσότερο από σασπένς, το οποίο κάπου μετά τη μέση συνήθως εξαφανίζεται.
Αποφάσισα να διαβάσω Ian Rankin λίγο πριν το τελευταίο μου ταξίδι στο Εδιμβούργο. Η ιδέα ήταν να διαβάζω το βιβλίο όσο θα είμαι εκεί ώστε να επισκέπτομαι τα μέρη που θα με πήγαινε το βιβλίο. Τελικά δεν έγινε μιας και ήταν απόφαση τελευταίας στιγμής. Παρ' όλ' αυτά, όταν περίπου ένα μήνα αργότερα βρήκα αυτό το βιβλίο, αποφάσισα να του δώσω μια ευκαιρία όταν διάβασα στην περιγραφή ότι πρόκειται για πιθανό ρατσιστικό έγκλημα. ήταν κάτι που με ξάφνιασε αφού, έχοντας ζήσει 2 μήνες στο Εδιμβούργο και έχοντας συζητήσει με φίλο που μένει εκεί τα τελευταία δύο χρόνια, η εντύπωση μου ήταν ότι ο ρατσισμός είναι μια σχεδόν άγνωστη έννοια εκεί. Τελικά απ' ότι φαίνεται έκανα μεγάλο λάθος. Ίσως βέβαια αυτό να οφείλεται και στο γεγονός ότι το βιβλίο έχει γραφτεί 13 χρόνια πριν.

Παρ' όλα αυτά, η πρώτη μου γνωριμία με τον Επιθεωρητή Ρέμπους κάθε άλλο παρά αρνητική ήταν. Όταν είχα διαβάσει ότι πρόκειται για αντιήρωα περίμενα έναν ρατσιστή, σεξιστή, ομοφοβικό με τάση να δέρνει όποιον πιστεύει ότι μπορεί να ξέρει κάτι. Σίγουρα δεν τον λες πρότυπο συμπεριφοράς, αλλά είναι πάνω από το μέσο όρο του κλασικού μπάτσου. Γενικά οι χαρακτήρες του Ρέμπους φάνηκαν ενδιαφέροντες και όχι καρικατούρες. Η υπόθεση κάπου με κούρασε λίγο, αλλά με κράτησε το γεγονός ότι τα γεγονότα συνέβαιναν σε μέρη που ξέρω και ότι σίγουρα ήθελα να μάθω το τέλος, το οποίο μου άρεσε αρκετά.

Αν κάποια στιγμή νιώσω ότι μου λείπει το Εδιμβούργο, ξέρω ότι έχω ένα καλό συνταξιδευτή να περιπλανηθεί μαζί μου για λίγο, και αυτό κάποιες φορές είναι αρκετό.

[jrendocrine at least reading is good · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not the audience for detective/police procedurals, so why did I read it?

Since I had been to Edinburgh (fab city) years ago, I've always wanted to read Rankin, whose hero, detective John Rebus, rides/walks/drinks from one end of the city to the other by way of nooks and crannies and bars. Saw this book in a library support sale, and got my chance.

It's probably not fair to drop in at #15, but probably wouldn't make much of a difference. Rebus is a good hero. He does drink so much it makes a girl nervous. But I'm just not that interested in a very gordian knot of events/facts having to do with murders, and in this case the sad stories of immigration, all sorted out by Rebus and his knowledge of the city and its residents by the end.

I did read it all - I'd probably like to read about Rebus whilst walking around Edinburgh. Otherwise, I've done my Ian Rankin read. Good cheers.

[Stephanie Taylor-baptiste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every now and then I like to interrupt my usual literary druthers with a nice mindless mystery/thriller. I find I have been discontent with the books I have been reading lately and needed something light and good to recharge. So I drafted Ian Rankin novelist-distractionaire for this task, and Rankin’s Fleshmarket Close did just that.

Carrying on his Detective Rebus series, Rankin begins his story with a man found stabbed in a dodgy area of Edinburgh. The victim, a refugee with several stab wounds, is thought by the police to be the result of a racially-motivated crime. And so tells the murder-solving story that weaves several different crimes that all take place over a week.

Rankin is a great storyteller and bravely takes on the touchy subject of race relations. He exposes the harsh realities faced by refugees and asylum-seekers, and depicts their attempts to start new lives in a better country only to find themselves poor, desolate, and the subject of hate crimes.

Rankin’s readers know that sometimes his stories wrap everything up together all too nicely, but that’s easy to get over considering you’ve devoured page after page because he’s kept you entertained. The great thing about Rankin’s novels is they don’t subject the reader to procedural dribble; rather he makes his novels interesting, funny, and with a healthy dose of police work that makes you hang on for more.

[Eddie Owens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Police procedural at it's slowest.

I have bought a few Rebus books and I am working my way through them, slowly, so very slowly.

The author describes every journey in excruciating detail - I don't need to know the name of every street in Edinburgh. It is just filler and it adds nothing to the book.

Likewise, every alcoholic drink is detailed - again, we don't need to know this. Rebus is a heavy drinker, we get it.

There are two unrelated plots and they are both entirely unconnected. Or are they?

Well, they should be, because the coincidence factor that brings them together is literally unbelievable.

All that being said, Rebus is a decent enough cunt - Leithspeak for a nice enough chap.

So on I plod. Looking for a decent plot that isn't miraculously resolved.

Here's hoping.

[Menia · Rating 4 out of 5]

μια ακόμα περιπέτεια του αγαπημένου επιθεωρητή Ρέμπους, με επίκαιρα για την εποχή μας θέματα, με αλήθειες γνωστές αλλά "απαγορευμένες" και με τη γνωστή εξαιρετική γραφή του Ράνκιν.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Rebus in peak form.
Navigating a murder of an immigrant on a Council estate...attempting to impress a new woman in his life and aiding Siobhan in searching for a missing girl..she has a history with

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was done with these, but I still had this on my shelf and decided to finish it off to be really done. It's the same old, same old. Rankin shoehorning some current event into a creaky plot along with a bunch of other things. In this case it's the plight of illegal immigrants in Scotland. I remain unconvinced by his exploitation of real-life tragedies to drive his worn out detective tales. We get loads more of Siobahn in this one, but the only real nugget is that she doesn't like being called "Shiv". It's about as weak a characterization as anything else we've seen during the series. Rebus is still irritating and Rankin is still liberally borrowing from Lawrence Block as Big Ger Cafferty shows up once again, although, bizarrely he is only ever seen in an outdoor hot tub... in Scotland. It is a testament to the poor writing on display here and throughout the series that this is NOT the least believable thing going on.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fleshmarket Close is the 15th book in Ian Rankin's Inspector John Rebus mystery series set in Edinburgh. It's the second Rebus book I've read this month, this one even more enjoyable than the previous.

DI Rebus and DS Siobhan Clark, Rebus's partner have been moved to the Gayfield Police sub-station as part of a reallocation of resources in the Edinburgh PD. The story starts with Rebus assisting with a murder of an immigrant in the Knoxland housing development, not technically within Rebus's area of responsibility. In the meantime, Siobhan is meeting with the Jardine family. There oldest girl had been raped by one Donald Cruickshank and afterword committed suicide. He is now out of prison and their other daughter, Ishbel, has disappeared. As well both Rebus and Siobhan are called to the discovery of the bones of a woman and a baby buried in the cement in the basement of an Edinburgh pub.

This is a very rich story and also quite topical to today, dealing with immigrants and refugees and their treatment. We also get to meet Rebus's nemesis, Edinburgh gangster Cafferty. There are tensions between Rebus and Siobhan after events from the previous story and they find themselves working differing cases for the most part. There is also a bit of a frisson between Rebus and a woman he meets when he visits the refugee holding facility at Whitemire.

The story wanders from Rebus to Siobhan and back and flows very nicely. We meet some old characters, especially DS Ellen Wylie who spends time with Rebus. I quite like her, even if her part isn't extensive. Big Ger Cafferty of course plays a role. But there are new interesting characters who play varying roles in the story, refugee lawyer Dirwan, DI Les Young, AKA Captain Underpants, Siobhan's partner for the most part, Caro Quinn, who monitors Whitemire and develops a tentative relationship with Rebus.

This is one of my favorite Rebus stories. I really like his portrayal of the immigrant situation, the differing points of view, the difficulty of even coming to terms with it. He also presents the different cases and how they ultimately tie together in the end in a flowing, easy manner. It was a pleasure to read. (4.5 stars)

[Eadie Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a notorious street where propriety and decadence clash, in the basement of a newly renovated bar, the bones of a woman and child are discovered beneath a cement floor. It's an unusually gruesome find, even for Fleshmarket Alley. When Inspector John Rebus is called to investigate, every fact he finds unleashes a host of new questions. Are the bones those of a mother and child? Are they actual human remains or fakes? Were they planted there - and if so, why?It could be nothing more than a ruthless and enterprising pub owner looking to create a local legend that will help lure trade. Or it could be something far worse - something as grisly as the death of a recent immigrant found brutally murdered at a local housing project, or the murder of Donald Cruikshank, a recently paroled rapist whose body is found just as a young woman goes missing. The missing girl is a friend of Inspector Rebus's colleague Detective Siobhan Clarke, and Siobhan is shocked to find herself in the same intricate web of murderers as Rebus - all somehow tied to that pile of bones under Fleshmarket Alley. In a race to stop the killings before more bodies turn up - even as the possibility of romantic entanglements distracts and entices them - Rebus and Siobhan plumb the darkest corners of their beloved city and confront the lawless, conscienceless men who dwell there.

This was another good read from Ian Rankin. A set of complex plots which finally come together in the end for Rebus and Siobhan. Immigration and racial issues, which a lot of countries deal with, are the meat of the story. Rebus does not seem as depressed in this book as in some of the others. He is still contemplating retirement and hasn't made up his mind yet. I look forward to the next book and would recommend this series to those who love good suspense thrillers.

[Craig Pittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would've liked this book to be leaner, but I understand why Ian Rankin wrote it to be more than 400 pages long. In this aptly titled novel, Rankin's cranky detective, John Rebus, and sometime partner Siobhan Clark, delve into the business of human trafficking. Rankin clearly spent a lot of time researching the issue of illegal immigration, and a lot of what he found out wound up in the book. As a result, the plot starts pretty slowly, but by the last 100 pages or so it's going at a gallop.

The book starts with the murder of an unnamed and apparently unknown immigrant, and then the discovery of a couple of skeletons in a pub's cellar. Rankin does a masterful job of eventually tying those two threads together, and along the way painting a vivid portrait of the misery of illegal immigrants forced to either work long hours for little pay or to sit in a government detention facility waiting to either be deported or bailed out to go work some more.

Rebus manages to be in the thick of things right from the start, even though, as he points out in the opening pages, "I'm not even supposed to be here." He saves the life of an immigration lawyer, befriends a leftist protester and tries to make life a little better for one immigrant family in detention. He also winds up confronting his longtime nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty, not once but twice. Meanwhile "Shiv" tackles a missing person case that winds up helping her solve a nasty murder of someone she dealt with in the past.

All in all, despite its length, a satisfying read and one that makes you ponder a bit on one of the hot-button issues of our day, showing the immigrants as far more than mere statistics or straw men for politicians to scream at and about.

[Paul Chafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best from Ian Rankin dealing with Asylum Seekers, immigration policy, illegal workers, the unscrupulous who take advantage and the effect on the local communities where the newcomers try to integrate, all wrapped with murder and deception. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Rebus had never seen children in a mortuary before, and the sight of« fended him. This was a place for professionals, for adults, for the widowed. It was a place for unwelcome truths about the human body. It was the antithesis of childhood.

Then again, what was childhood to the Yurgii children but confusion and desperation?

Which didn’t stop Rebus pinning one of the guards to the wall. physically, of course, not using his hands. But by dint of placing himself: an intimidating proximity to the man and then inching forward, until the guard had his back to the wall of the waiting area.

“You brought kids here?” Rebus spat.

This -- even by Rebus' standards -- is a dark book, but we keep finding Rebus pushing back against it. It actually almost seems against his character -- the cynicism and pessimism that is so definitive of him seems frequently absent. That's not a bad thing -- it's just a little strange when you stop and think about it. Of course, there's an easy line to draw between idealism and cynicism, and Rebus has always been an absolutist about justice -- and doesn't let much stand in his way to pursue it. This time there's a lot more injustice that he seems to be targeting. Something about this murder that has gotten under his skin.

Maybe it's because he knows it could be one of the last cases he's involved in -- St. Leonard's has been reorganized and no longer has a CID, so the detectives have been reassigned throughout the city. He and Clarke were sent somewhere that reminds them on a regular basis that they're not welcome -- Rebus doesn't even get a desk. The message is clear: he should retire. Fat chance of that happening while he can say anything about it.

Which leads to Rebus jumping in to help some old friends investigate the what appears to be a race-based murder, which ends up opening up a tangled web of crimes in so many circles it's difficult to summarize (I deleted a couple of attempts to do that because they ended up undreadable) while staying spoiler-free. Just know that pretty much everywhere Rebus goes, he's going to find something else that's very, very wrong. The more Rebus learns about the victim -- and his life -- the less likely the fact that he's Kurdish seems to play in his killing, but it's inescapable -- the press, other police, and every one he talks to about the case won't stop bringing it up. It's easier for everyone when first impressions are right, but when you can't make the facts fit the narrative, you'd better have a detective like John Rebus around to actually get somewhere.

Siobhan meanwhile, gets involved in a couple of things that aren't really cases but end up dragging her into one. First, she starts doing a favor for a couple she knew years ago when their daughter was raped and later committed suicide. Now their younger daughter has gone missing and they fear the worst. Also, there's a couple of skeletons uncovered in Fleshmarket Alley that have an interesting story to tell. One thing leads to another and Siobhan becomes involved in a murder investigation that while not connected to Rebus' keeps the two of them brushing into one another at interesting points.

We also get to see Big Ger for a few minutes, and isn't that always fun?

There's some odd tension between Rebus and Siobhan in these pages -- something that feels natural, organic. They're not as static as Spenser and Hawk (for one bad example), with differing goals, aspirations, etc. It's good to see this dimension to their relationship, really. It makes be believe in them more.

Dark, tangled, well-paced, oddly timely for something written over a decade ago, and so wonderfully constructed that you really can't believe it when all the pieces start to fall in place. Fleshmarket Alley/Close is just one more bit of evidence that Ian Rankin is a master of his craft.

[Michael Martz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Ian Rankin's 'Fleshmarket Alley'.....in fact, I have probably over-rated it a bit just due to the fact that it was the right book at the right time for me: a whodunnit with great characters and solid police work.

Detective Rebus is one of the great, underrated characters in this genre. He knows his territory (Edinburgh) and its inhabitants like the back of his hand, he comes across to his peers as gruff yet competent, and he has trouble playing nicely with his superiors. Sounds like a bunch of other characters in the crime genre, but Rebus is actually one of a kind. His gruffness is a facade in front of feelings he takes great care to hide and he has many facets to his character that are exposed through Rankin's series. I've read the Rebus novels out of sequence so I don't have a linear view of how his character has been developed, but I can say that Rankin has done a great job creating him and showing his readers exactly who he is.

Fleshmarket has several plot elements that somehow eventually intersect. A young immigrant man is murdered in a rough part of town while a couple of old skeletons are unearthed in another. Throw in some drugs, white slavery, refugees, immigrant integration, race, and a little romance for the main characters and you have a target rich environment for a police procedural. The action isn't breathtakingly fast, but it moves along quickly.

One reason I like the Rebus series so well is that it's based across the pond and I like to think about the differences between 'them and us'. They may talk kind of funny, but the crimes are similar what you'd see over here, except for the relative absence of guns. The legal system is obviously different, but the job of the police seems to be pretty much the same.

One really interesting topic addressed in Fleshmarket was the immigration issue. At the time it was written (in the early 2000's) Scotland was facing a lot of illegal immigration and refugees and two of the key sites in the investigations were the immigration detention center (where the illegals are 'housed') and a high-rise project in Edinburgh where legal immigrants have found housing. Both are prisons, of a sort. Anyway, immigration was an important facet of this novel and it was fascinating to see how it was covered and reacted to by the Scottish characters.

All-in-all, a fine read!