What do you think?
Rate this book
The Heights
#1 International bestselling author Ian Rankin returns with a razor-sharp, twisty standalone thriller—this one exposing the lives of the 1% in London’s most exclusive high rise
Facing Hyde Park, The Heights is London’s most coveted luxury high-rise apartment—designed to satisfy every need, with a gym, infinity pool, cinema, and more, where self-made owner-developer Allan Franklyn himself has claimed the penthouse duplex. His neighbors include some of “Money London’s” biggest personalities: a wealthy art dealer, a young heartthrob pop star, a foreign heiress, a gangster’s wife. The residents are used to service, deference, and privacy, all on their terms.
But when nighttime concierge Dwayne Hogarth is found dead in the lobby, none of that is in their control anymore, and everyone’s under the unwelcome scrutiny of Detective Sergeant Gillian Gish. Her questions begin with the party on the 4th floor the night Dwayne died, which ended with a fight; the missing key to one of the apartments; and a mysterious gap in the security camera footage. Before long, Gish uncovers the unsavory truths and dark secrets that lurk beneath the glittering facades of the building and its inhabitants.
Filled with shocking twists and unforgettable characters, The Heights confirms Ian Rankin’s status as one of the most original and compelling crime writers of our time.
Facing Hyde Park, The Heights is London’s most coveted luxury high-rise apartment—designed to satisfy every need, with a gym, infinity pool, cinema, and more, where self-made owner-developer Allan Franklyn himself has claimed the penthouse duplex. His neighbors include some of “Money London’s” biggest personalities: a wealthy art dealer, a young heartthrob pop star, a foreign heiress, a gangster’s wife. The residents are used to service, deference, and privacy, all on their terms.
But when nighttime concierge Dwayne Hogarth is found dead in the lobby, none of that is in their control anymore, and everyone’s under the unwelcome scrutiny of Detective Sergeant Gillian Gish. Her questions begin with the party on the 4th floor the night Dwayne died, which ended with a fight; the missing key to one of the apartments; and a mysterious gap in the security camera footage. Before long, Gish uncovers the unsavory truths and dark secrets that lurk beneath the glittering facades of the building and its inhabitants.
Filled with shocking twists and unforgettable characters, The Heights confirms Ian Rankin’s status as one of the most original and compelling crime writers of our time.
330 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2026
About the author
Ian Rankin
399 books6,781 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
August 30, 2026
Dwayne Hogarth, an apparent simpleton doorman of an opulent London high-rise, receives a fatal head bashing to begin our story. The reader is immediately asked to consider if anyone wealthy enough to live in a fifteen-million-dollar home could possibly stoop to murder, and if so, why? We meet a large cast of suspects in the opening chapters of The Heights, as each resident gossips about neighbors and possible motives. A tag team of detectives is responsible for deciding if an insider or outsider is the culprit. Wise-owl, Jack Milton, an older cop who still uses (gasp!) paper business cards, and Gillian Gish, a risk-taker closer in age to the B-list celebrity inhabitants who communicate mostly through emojis, represent our primary sleuths.
Once Dwayne’s body is carted off, a police procedural sputters along, this author’s most comfortable literary territory. Gish cozies up to a reporter and discovers he was paying the newly deceased for sleazy insider information on the residents. A protestor, seemingly always planted outside the grand grounds, draws suspicion for being at the scene on the night of the murder. The wife of a notorious gangster calls the building home, and she might have been too friendly with the doorman. By the time a second body appears, the cop’s murder wall expands but the reader is nowhere near hazarding educated guesses as to what might have happened.
The pacing of the first half is choppy. Short chapters bounce between characters discussing topics we don’t really understand, and the police digging for clues. Drugs might have played a factor, perhaps organized crime or revenge for an uncovered affair. The focus of the police constantly changes and the reader is never offered a sturdy limb to grasp. Scattered plot lines finally settle on a valuable art theme, for a Picasso went missing around the time of the murder. The painting must be connected to the killings, but as new characters are introduced as late as the 90% mark, the reader can’t help but surrender to the role of bystander.
The writing is fine, but the plotting and pacing are weak. The Heights never decides what it wants to be, and tries many narrative directions, but none effectively engage the reader.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a review copy.
Once Dwayne’s body is carted off, a police procedural sputters along, this author’s most comfortable literary territory. Gish cozies up to a reporter and discovers he was paying the newly deceased for sleazy insider information on the residents. A protestor, seemingly always planted outside the grand grounds, draws suspicion for being at the scene on the night of the murder. The wife of a notorious gangster calls the building home, and she might have been too friendly with the doorman. By the time a second body appears, the cop’s murder wall expands but the reader is nowhere near hazarding educated guesses as to what might have happened.
The pacing of the first half is choppy. Short chapters bounce between characters discussing topics we don’t really understand, and the police digging for clues. Drugs might have played a factor, perhaps organized crime or revenge for an uncovered affair. The focus of the police constantly changes and the reader is never offered a sturdy limb to grasp. Scattered plot lines finally settle on a valuable art theme, for a Picasso went missing around the time of the murder. The painting must be connected to the killings, but as new characters are introduced as late as the 90% mark, the reader can’t help but surrender to the role of bystander.
The writing is fine, but the plotting and pacing are weak. The Heights never decides what it wants to be, and tries many narrative directions, but none effectively engage the reader.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a review copy.
October 13, 2026
Ian Rankin's first stand alone novel in many years is a mixed bag.
The numerous characters are varied and well drawn and the dialogue is excellent throughout. The real problem is the dull plot, which is only saved by the excellent last few chapters.
The Heights is a novel that Ian Rankin expanded from a previous short story he had written. I think he should have left it in its original form and not wasted his time (& indeed mine) on this novel.
The Heights, as well as Rankin's previous two dull John Rebus novels, show that this once excellent writer really is losing his touch. Worrying times indeed.
The numerous characters are varied and well drawn and the dialogue is excellent throughout. The real problem is the dull plot, which is only saved by the excellent last few chapters.
The Heights is a novel that Ian Rankin expanded from a previous short story he had written. I think he should have left it in its original form and not wasted his time (& indeed mine) on this novel.
The Heights, as well as Rankin's previous two dull John Rebus novels, show that this once excellent writer really is losing his touch. Worrying times indeed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In 2023, I read a short story by Ian Rankin named The Rise, set in a high-rise apartment block and featuring much the same characters as in this novel. At the time, I said I would have preferred to read the story as a novel, as I felt it needed fleshing out. Well, Ian Rankin has returned to fulfil this request. The Rise is now renamed The Heights, a luxury high-rise apartment block facing Hyde Park. When the night-time concierge is found murdered, D.S. Gillian Gish and D.I. Jack Milton investigate.
Since 2023, I have discovered Rebus, but this is a stand-alone novel set in London among those who are wealthy enough - or have enough influence or fame - to live in the luxury of The Heights. These include an art dealer, the wife of a gangster, a reality TV star, a singer and others. However, as is so often the case in these luxury London apartments, most of them are empty - either bought as investments or visited only rarely by those who own them, whether companies or individuals. Rankin does a good job in highlighting the precarious investments, the desire so many of those involved to be seen as successful, and the violence around wealth.
I enjoyed this a lot, am pleased the author revisited and enlarged his short story, and recommend this highly. I received a copy of this from NetGalley, for review.
Since 2023, I have discovered Rebus, but this is a stand-alone novel set in London among those who are wealthy enough - or have enough influence or fame - to live in the luxury of The Heights. These include an art dealer, the wife of a gangster, a reality TV star, a singer and others. However, as is so often the case in these luxury London apartments, most of them are empty - either bought as investments or visited only rarely by those who own them, whether companies or individuals. Rankin does a good job in highlighting the precarious investments, the desire so many of those involved to be seen as successful, and the violence around wealth.
I enjoyed this a lot, am pleased the author revisited and enlarged his short story, and recommend this highly. I received a copy of this from NetGalley, for review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Recently there have been quite a few books set in large apartment buildings, which seems to be a popular trend as a setting. This affords the author to provide backstories from a number of individuals and their interactions, introducing many characters without having to travel very far. This standalone from Ian Rankin uses this trope with varying results. While I was intrigued by the investigators and the SOC participants, I found the numerous residents of the building blended together at times and found that there were periods where I simply did not care. But it is Rankin, and the writing is above par. Still, it could have used a bit of trimming.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Heights had a premise that promised more than the reading experience ultimately delivered for me. I finished it, but getting to the end felt like a chore. I struggled to connect with the characters, and the uneven pacing made it difficult to stay invested.
Depth
There was potential in the setup, but the story didn’t develop it in a way I found satisfying. By the end, I felt there was a gap between the intrigue the premise offered and what the book delivered.
Connection — Low
I had trouble caring about the characters. That made it harder to become invested in the mystery: I was following what happened without feeling particularly connected to the people involved.
Momentum — Low
The pacing went back and forth rather than building sustained momentum. I kept reading, but it took effort. Finishing was more a matter of pushing through than feeling compelled to turn the next page.
Who It’s For
Readers who enjoy police investigations and don’t need an immediate attachment to the characters may find more to appreciate here.
Who It’s Not For
Readers looking for consistent pacing, strong character connection, and a mystery that pulls them through the book may find it frustrating.
Verdict
Three stars—Read and Release
I finished The Heights, but it was a chore rather than a satisfying reading experience. The premise interested me; the execution never gave me the connection or momentum I wanted.
Depth
There was potential in the setup, but the story didn’t develop it in a way I found satisfying. By the end, I felt there was a gap between the intrigue the premise offered and what the book delivered.
Connection — Low
I had trouble caring about the characters. That made it harder to become invested in the mystery: I was following what happened without feeling particularly connected to the people involved.
Momentum — Low
The pacing went back and forth rather than building sustained momentum. I kept reading, but it took effort. Finishing was more a matter of pushing through than feeling compelled to turn the next page.
Who It’s For
Readers who enjoy police investigations and don’t need an immediate attachment to the characters may find more to appreciate here.
Who It’s Not For
Readers looking for consistent pacing, strong character connection, and a mystery that pulls them through the book may find it frustrating.
Verdict
Three stars—Read and Release
I finished The Heights, but it was a chore rather than a satisfying reading experience. The premise interested me; the execution never gave me the connection or momentum I wanted.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I've been an Ian Rankin fan since discovering his John Rebus series many years ago. Along the way, he has written several standalone books, all equally satisfying. This book, however, didn't grab me. Between too many unlikable characters and slow pacing, I had a hard time getting into it.
The Heights is a luxurious apartment complex in the heart of London. It caters to the ultra-wealthy, offering amenities to satisfy their every need. Its tenants, a mixed bag, range from a pop star to a gangster's wife, but when the night concierge is killed after a party hosted by the gangster's wife, the tenants are subject to a police investigation, led by DS Gillian Gish. Their valued privacy is invaded, and their lives are upended as Gish and her team begin to pry into each tenant's movements. As the investigation deepens and secrets are revealed, Gish finds multiple suspects among the tenants.
It was hard for me to keep track of the many characters; none of them was likable, and most had motives to kill the concierge. It took a while for the pace to pick up, and by then I was having trouble caring who the killer was. I'm a mood reader, and perhaps I was yearning for a different read, because this book didn't hold my attention. There were enough red herrings that I was surprised when the killer was revealed. Overall, this is a good crime novel, but not what I was expecting. 3/5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley and Cardinal, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is November 3, 2026.
The Heights is a luxurious apartment complex in the heart of London. It caters to the ultra-wealthy, offering amenities to satisfy their every need. Its tenants, a mixed bag, range from a pop star to a gangster's wife, but when the night concierge is killed after a party hosted by the gangster's wife, the tenants are subject to a police investigation, led by DS Gillian Gish. Their valued privacy is invaded, and their lives are upended as Gish and her team begin to pry into each tenant's movements. As the investigation deepens and secrets are revealed, Gish finds multiple suspects among the tenants.
It was hard for me to keep track of the many characters; none of them was likable, and most had motives to kill the concierge. It took a while for the pace to pick up, and by then I was having trouble caring who the killer was. I'm a mood reader, and perhaps I was yearning for a different read, because this book didn't hold my attention. There were enough red herrings that I was surprised when the killer was revealed. Overall, this is a good crime novel, but not what I was expecting. 3/5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley and Cardinal, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is November 3, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rankins first stand-alone for 20 years has moved away from his home country and is set in London. The Heights is the city’s most recent and luxurious apartment block for the super rich. Everything the discerning could want in luxury and security is there but when a night concierge, Dwayne Hogarth, is found dead the lives of the inhabitants are under the microscope. There are a lot of characters, a lot, but the pace was such I found it easy to keep them clear in my mind.
Briefly, DS Gillian Gish, a Tottenham girl, and her mentor and boss DI Jack Milton are handed the case. A very eclectic cast of characters live in the apartments from a Russian oligarch to a pop singer a number of whom are clearly erring on the wrong side of the law. But as they come under increasing scrutiny their lives, stories and alibis start to fall apart.
I really liked the two main characters, I had a lot of sympathy with Gish and her mother, who is living with dementia, as my mother also had dementia, but I also love the banter between her and Milton. They are the perfect foils for each other. I love a good police procedural and this is certainly that. A good plot, great twists and an ending I didn’t expect. I know it’s a standalone but I’d really like to see Gish and Milton again. Good entertaining read.
4.5⭐️
Briefly, DS Gillian Gish, a Tottenham girl, and her mentor and boss DI Jack Milton are handed the case. A very eclectic cast of characters live in the apartments from a Russian oligarch to a pop singer a number of whom are clearly erring on the wrong side of the law. But as they come under increasing scrutiny their lives, stories and alibis start to fall apart.
I really liked the two main characters, I had a lot of sympathy with Gish and her mother, who is living with dementia, as my mother also had dementia, but I also love the banter between her and Milton. They are the perfect foils for each other. I love a good police procedural and this is certainly that. A good plot, great twists and an ending I didn’t expect. I know it’s a standalone but I’d really like to see Gish and Milton again. Good entertaining read.
4.5⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Heights by Ian Rankin was a really enjoyable read with a good pace that kept the story moving throughout. I liked getting to know the main character Gish and seeing more of her life outside of the investigation. The investigation itself kept me interested and wanting to know how everything would unfold. A comfortable read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A standalone Ian Rankin isn’t something you see very often, so I was interested to read this, particularly because he chose a setup that fits so well with our times of extreme disparity between economic classes.
Developer Allan Franklyn has built The Heights, a “super-prime” property, to take advantage of the super-rich who want to live luxuriously in London, but in a tower, so they can be above it all and behind lots of security. Residents include Franklyn, an architect, a pop singer, a well-known internet influencer, the daughter of an African diplomat, the wife of a powerful criminal, and, of course, in these times they must also include a Russian oligarch. In a building with 25 flats (or “suites,” as Allan Franklyn insists they be called), an astonishing 14 are rarely occupied, being used as investments, possible money-laundering pawns, or pied-a-terres.
Real life comes crashing into The Heights when the night security guard, Dwayne Hogarth, is murdered. That brings in DI Jack Milton and DS Gillian Gish, poking into the goings-on at The Heights and ruffling the feathers of a group of suspects who aren’t used to having to cooperate with anybody. With only 11 of the suites permanently occupied, there are fewer on-site suspects than the detectives initially anticipated, but it soon appears that there are outsiders who have to be added to the suspect pool. More crimes pop up, deadly and otherwise, and the case broadens further.
I like our detective team, Milton and Gish. As the book goes on, more emphasis is placed on Gish, which makes sense since Milton is soon to retire. Gish’s work life is complicated by the fact that her mother has dementia. She’s still at the stage where she remembers people, but she’s passing into the phase where she can’t be left alone. I’m a reader who prefers having as little of a police procedural book as possible devoted to the detectives’ home lives, so this part of the book wasn’t of much interest to me. In any case, it seemed sort of crammed into the plot, rather than integrated. I also wondered why Rankin chose to name his lead Gillian Gish, which is just one letter away from film star Lillian Gish. True, LG’s career peaked during the silent film era, but can it be that neither Rankin nor any of the readers of his manuscript knew of LG? Maybe I’m just that old that it jumped out to me and to nobody else involved in the project—though Rankin himself is no spring chicken, having been born in 1960.
This is a deliberately-paced, classic British urban police procedural. While the various crimes are intertwined, they add considerable complexity. Rankin drops his clues carefully throughout the book, making it challenging for the reader to piece them all together, though easy to recall when the detectives put them together to resolve the crimes.
Developer Allan Franklyn has built The Heights, a “super-prime” property, to take advantage of the super-rich who want to live luxuriously in London, but in a tower, so they can be above it all and behind lots of security. Residents include Franklyn, an architect, a pop singer, a well-known internet influencer, the daughter of an African diplomat, the wife of a powerful criminal, and, of course, in these times they must also include a Russian oligarch. In a building with 25 flats (or “suites,” as Allan Franklyn insists they be called), an astonishing 14 are rarely occupied, being used as investments, possible money-laundering pawns, or pied-a-terres.
Real life comes crashing into The Heights when the night security guard, Dwayne Hogarth, is murdered. That brings in DI Jack Milton and DS Gillian Gish, poking into the goings-on at The Heights and ruffling the feathers of a group of suspects who aren’t used to having to cooperate with anybody. With only 11 of the suites permanently occupied, there are fewer on-site suspects than the detectives initially anticipated, but it soon appears that there are outsiders who have to be added to the suspect pool. More crimes pop up, deadly and otherwise, and the case broadens further.
I like our detective team, Milton and Gish. As the book goes on, more emphasis is placed on Gish, which makes sense since Milton is soon to retire. Gish’s work life is complicated by the fact that her mother has dementia. She’s still at the stage where she remembers people, but she’s passing into the phase where she can’t be left alone. I’m a reader who prefers having as little of a police procedural book as possible devoted to the detectives’ home lives, so this part of the book wasn’t of much interest to me. In any case, it seemed sort of crammed into the plot, rather than integrated. I also wondered why Rankin chose to name his lead Gillian Gish, which is just one letter away from film star Lillian Gish. True, LG’s career peaked during the silent film era, but can it be that neither Rankin nor any of the readers of his manuscript knew of LG? Maybe I’m just that old that it jumped out to me and to nobody else involved in the project—though Rankin himself is no spring chicken, having been born in 1960.
This is a deliberately-paced, classic British urban police procedural. While the various crimes are intertwined, they add considerable complexity. Rankin drops his clues carefully throughout the book, making it challenging for the reader to piece them all together, though easy to recall when the detectives put them together to resolve the crimes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Cardinal/Grand Central Publishing for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This was my first book by this author despite his long and lauded catalog. It was competently written and plotted and kept my interest. This is a police procedural/whodunnit where the setting is a main character itself. It felt a lot like a screenplay. I could easily see it being picked up as a limited series.
The book’s biggest strength was its social commentary. Not too long ago, I read an article about central London’s high streets and neighborhoods basically dying for the remaining residents as the ultra rich bought properties but didn’t live in them or patronize the things in a neighborhood that make it feel like a neighborhood. (Much like how AirBnB has ruined so many places in the US). This London problem was a clear theme, with the characters in The Heights each embodying a different type of wealth, and with just one lone protestor acknowledging that this mostly empty box full of jerks was where a community center once stood.
I appreciated that the author included a handful of nonfiction books for further reading, all about how central London has changed due to the influence of the elite, the oligarchs, and all kinds of ultra wealthy assholes.
This was my first book by this author despite his long and lauded catalog. It was competently written and plotted and kept my interest. This is a police procedural/whodunnit where the setting is a main character itself. It felt a lot like a screenplay. I could easily see it being picked up as a limited series.
The book’s biggest strength was its social commentary. Not too long ago, I read an article about central London’s high streets and neighborhoods basically dying for the remaining residents as the ultra rich bought properties but didn’t live in them or patronize the things in a neighborhood that make it feel like a neighborhood. (Much like how AirBnB has ruined so many places in the US). This London problem was a clear theme, with the characters in The Heights each embodying a different type of wealth, and with just one lone protestor acknowledging that this mostly empty box full of jerks was where a community center once stood.
I appreciated that the author included a handful of nonfiction books for further reading, all about how central London has changed due to the influence of the elite, the oligarchs, and all kinds of ultra wealthy assholes.
September 28, 2026
A member of staff is found murdered at The Heights, a luxury high rise for billionaires and the rarefied atmosphere of the building is shattered. With all its residents coming under scrutiny, it is down to Detective Gillian Gish to find a way past their power and find out who is responsible.
I have never read an Ian Rankin book, but thought a standalone was a good place to start. This ended up being a well written police procedural, with an interesting premise. Despite reading similar tropes, I liked the setting of the luxury building and learning about those who live there. What I didn’t like so much was the amount of characters introduced in quick succession, which I found hard to keep track of and differentiate between. I also found the story too slow paced and drawn out for me, whereby I struggled to stay fully invested and I didn’t feel the excitement, grittiness or suspense I would have liked.
Even though I had some issues with the story, I appreciate the rave reviews this author gets and as written well, wouldn’t be fully adverse to checking out his series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
I have never read an Ian Rankin book, but thought a standalone was a good place to start. This ended up being a well written police procedural, with an interesting premise. Despite reading similar tropes, I liked the setting of the luxury building and learning about those who live there. What I didn’t like so much was the amount of characters introduced in quick succession, which I found hard to keep track of and differentiate between. I also found the story too slow paced and drawn out for me, whereby I struggled to stay fully invested and I didn’t feel the excitement, grittiness or suspense I would have liked.
Even though I had some issues with the story, I appreciate the rave reviews this author gets and as written well, wouldn’t be fully adverse to checking out his series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Here's a twisty British police procedural about a pricey London hi-rise where all of the tenants are wealthy and troubled. When a mysterious death occurs it is up to a couple of intrepid detectives to sift through the red herrings and personal dramas to follow the clues to tie it all together.
Rankin is a prolific crime writer, though this was the first of his that I read so I can't compare it to his other titles. This standalone moves pretty quickly, as a whole gaggle of characters - most of them intentionally not so likeable - weave in and out of the narrative. I really liked the two detective leads, and their constant back-and-forth, so if there was another book featuring them I would certainly be interested.
For fans of British police procedurals - here you go!
Enjoyably fun.....
Rankin is a prolific crime writer, though this was the first of his that I read so I can't compare it to his other titles. This standalone moves pretty quickly, as a whole gaggle of characters - most of them intentionally not so likeable - weave in and out of the narrative. I really liked the two detective leads, and their constant back-and-forth, so if there was another book featuring them I would certainly be interested.
For fans of British police procedurals - here you go!
Enjoyably fun.....
October 10, 2026
I wanted to put this book down so many times. It's jam-packed with so many people and none of them very different or interesting, many with similar names, and the detectives keep jumping from one to the next without any sequence do it's confusing. They're incompetent too, the first thing you do when someone is wanted is check airspaces and seaspaces. Even private airfields give notice to public ones so it's virtually impossible for people to leave the UK legally these days without being captured on camera or their passport being flagged up. I held out until the end which was majorly disappointing because apparently all the way through from the beginning Gish knew who did it but never followed the lead or told anyone! Absolutely ridiculous.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Many years ago, I read a lot of Rankin's Inspector Rebus books and liked them, because they were gritty, edgy, required some thinking, and immersed me in Scotland. Rebus was quite the character. I use his "FYTP" acronym to this day.
I expected another taut and gritty book with the Heights. I was totally bored; there was no feeling to the city of London, the characters weren't at all interesting to me, and I continuously wondered if Rankin had written this book at all. Several times I thought about not finishing.
Sorry, but this book didn't do it for me at all. If I want some good detecting, I'll go read old Rebus books. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book in return for my honest opinion. 2.5 stars
I expected another taut and gritty book with the Heights. I was totally bored; there was no feeling to the city of London, the characters weren't at all interesting to me, and I continuously wondered if Rankin had written this book at all. Several times I thought about not finishing.
Sorry, but this book didn't do it for me at all. If I want some good detecting, I'll go read old Rebus books. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book in return for my honest opinion. 2.5 stars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Heights, just off Park Lane and overlooking Hyde Park, is not popular with everyone, just ask the original residents of the area before its construction. It’s the brainchild of Allan Franklyn who raises the money and is also a resident. The semi-occupied luxury suites contain a mixed bag of uber wealthy occupants including a Russian oligarch with obligatory minders, a reality TV star, an elusive woman who has Mozambique diplomatic protection, a pop star, a COVID PPE fortune maker and the wife of a gangster DI Jack Milburn is determined to put behind bars before his imminent retirement. When the night concierge is murdered, Milton and DS Gillian Gish are on the case. Gilded private lives are under intense scrutiny but these are people to whom different rules apply than to mere mortals. However, the higher you fly, the harder you fall.
It’s always good to read something by Ian Rankin especially as I’m a huge Rebus fan, indeed, he’s one of my favourite characters in police procedural mystery thrillers. I enjoy this standalone very much especially the atmosphere the author creates around London and particularly around The Heights, with all the feelings it invokes from pride to full blown resentment. It’s described very well and in addition it raises pertinent issues regarding developments in the capital city. It’s easy to visualise the varied characters the building contains within its luxury walls. There are quite a lot of them to get your head around but IR does a good job of giving them a distinctive flavour. They’re not necessarily likeable but that’s often a bonus in this type of storytelling. The characters of Milburn and Gish are great and I love the relationship and banter between them.
The novel has a good, strong, complex and well connected storyline and I enjoy the twists and turns along the route to an outcome I don’t foresee. That’s no huge surprise as sifting through the multiple lies, the deception and the veneer of respectability makes it a tough call. It’s easy to read with an engaging and compelling plot. The pace isn’t especially fast but that suits the difficulties and barriers placed before the police investigation.
Overall, it’s an entertaining read and I would love to see what happens next for the very likeable Gish especially with her situation with her ailing mother and if Milton retires in a blaze of glory! It’s not Rebus but it’s still good and very readable.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
It’s always good to read something by Ian Rankin especially as I’m a huge Rebus fan, indeed, he’s one of my favourite characters in police procedural mystery thrillers. I enjoy this standalone very much especially the atmosphere the author creates around London and particularly around The Heights, with all the feelings it invokes from pride to full blown resentment. It’s described very well and in addition it raises pertinent issues regarding developments in the capital city. It’s easy to visualise the varied characters the building contains within its luxury walls. There are quite a lot of them to get your head around but IR does a good job of giving them a distinctive flavour. They’re not necessarily likeable but that’s often a bonus in this type of storytelling. The characters of Milburn and Gish are great and I love the relationship and banter between them.
The novel has a good, strong, complex and well connected storyline and I enjoy the twists and turns along the route to an outcome I don’t foresee. That’s no huge surprise as sifting through the multiple lies, the deception and the veneer of respectability makes it a tough call. It’s easy to read with an engaging and compelling plot. The pace isn’t especially fast but that suits the difficulties and barriers placed before the police investigation.
Overall, it’s an entertaining read and I would love to see what happens next for the very likeable Gish especially with her situation with her ailing mother and if Milton retires in a blaze of glory! It’s not Rebus but it’s still good and very readable.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
September 5, 2026
Oh. I liked this one. I mean, it's an Ian Rankin novel so there was a fairly strong chance that it would be featuring a brilliant cast of characters and a plot that would keep my mind whirring and utterly entertained to the very last page. And, as one might expect, he delivered in every aspect. This is a case that starts in perhaps a puzzling, tragic, but relatively mundane way - as much as an unexplained, suspect, death can do that it - and takes one heck of a dramatic, and surprising turn, and it had me hooked from the very beginning. The (not so) great, and the (definitely no so) good of The Heights, in London's extortionately priced Hyde Park/Park Lane neighbourhood, are well and truly in the spotlight, and with some rather dubious connections to less than lawful activities, the list of suspects is as long as the building complex is tall.
A Gangster's wife, a Russian Oligarch, an Art Dealer, a Diplomat's daughter - and one dead night security guard - leave the Detectives in this investigation, DS Gillian Gish, and her soon to be retired boss and mentor, DI Jack Milton with one heck of a headache. Not as bad as that of the victim, his being fatal and all, but bad enough. As you can imagine, nobody in the building is keen to cooperate, least of all the building's developer, Allan Franklyn, who would do anything to avoid the bad publicity given that attention on this sudden, and suspicious, death is likely to draw, and that just adds to the frustration the pair feel as they try to get to the bottom of what happened. And, in fairness, as eventually becomes clear, the guard's death is really only the start.
I liked Gish. She has a pretty complicated home life, as all good Detectives do, but she is focused on the case, no matter how difficult, and messed up, it is set to become. She is very astute and whilst it would be easy to be distracted in her personal situation, it's clear that she is the one person whose focus we need to pay attention to. Ian Rankin has created a really strong character here, one who could easily hold her own series should the mood ever take him to revisit the (other) capital. The team around her all have their merits too, although at times Milton feels more like the Junior to Gish's character, a feeling that stems from his personal countdown to retirement alongside another of his colleagues.
The wider team all add depth and colour to the story, as do the various residents and suspects that they come into contact with, and I love how their different personalities are portrayed, with the kind of authenticity I've grown to expect in an Ian Rankin novel. There are many twists and turns in the book, driven not just from the case but the various people connected to it, some of which lead to some tense, and even surprising, moments and some of the characters themselves showed unexpected traits that endeared them to me in ways that I definitely hadn't expected. Others I found as repugnant and off putting as I expected, with the affectations of power, money and influence eliminating most, if not all, redeeming qualities of their personality, but it all added to the fun of the story. Strangely, seeing some of them get their just deserts did bring a smile to my face.
The complexity of this story sits in the many lies of omission and duplicitous natures of the residents of The Heights, as much as the 'murder mystery' at its heart. There is a story within a story, and some unexpected turn of events that when executed feel like they were actually almost inevitable. It is both a classic Police based investigative thriller, and a study in personality and motivations. A mystery with a potential gangland twist, but also not, and a whole heap of misdirection to keep the truth well and truly hidden, even thought much about the case really does stink ... as the Detectives are set to find out soon enough. But it hooked me at the start and, through the lives of the variously rich and utterly shameful, kept me completely entertained. Definitely recommended.
A Gangster's wife, a Russian Oligarch, an Art Dealer, a Diplomat's daughter - and one dead night security guard - leave the Detectives in this investigation, DS Gillian Gish, and her soon to be retired boss and mentor, DI Jack Milton with one heck of a headache. Not as bad as that of the victim, his being fatal and all, but bad enough. As you can imagine, nobody in the building is keen to cooperate, least of all the building's developer, Allan Franklyn, who would do anything to avoid the bad publicity given that attention on this sudden, and suspicious, death is likely to draw, and that just adds to the frustration the pair feel as they try to get to the bottom of what happened. And, in fairness, as eventually becomes clear, the guard's death is really only the start.
I liked Gish. She has a pretty complicated home life, as all good Detectives do, but she is focused on the case, no matter how difficult, and messed up, it is set to become. She is very astute and whilst it would be easy to be distracted in her personal situation, it's clear that she is the one person whose focus we need to pay attention to. Ian Rankin has created a really strong character here, one who could easily hold her own series should the mood ever take him to revisit the (other) capital. The team around her all have their merits too, although at times Milton feels more like the Junior to Gish's character, a feeling that stems from his personal countdown to retirement alongside another of his colleagues.
The wider team all add depth and colour to the story, as do the various residents and suspects that they come into contact with, and I love how their different personalities are portrayed, with the kind of authenticity I've grown to expect in an Ian Rankin novel. There are many twists and turns in the book, driven not just from the case but the various people connected to it, some of which lead to some tense, and even surprising, moments and some of the characters themselves showed unexpected traits that endeared them to me in ways that I definitely hadn't expected. Others I found as repugnant and off putting as I expected, with the affectations of power, money and influence eliminating most, if not all, redeeming qualities of their personality, but it all added to the fun of the story. Strangely, seeing some of them get their just deserts did bring a smile to my face.
The complexity of this story sits in the many lies of omission and duplicitous natures of the residents of The Heights, as much as the 'murder mystery' at its heart. There is a story within a story, and some unexpected turn of events that when executed feel like they were actually almost inevitable. It is both a classic Police based investigative thriller, and a study in personality and motivations. A mystery with a potential gangland twist, but also not, and a whole heap of misdirection to keep the truth well and truly hidden, even thought much about the case really does stink ... as the Detectives are set to find out soon enough. But it hooked me at the start and, through the lives of the variously rich and utterly shameful, kept me completely entertained. Definitely recommended.
Read
August 8, 2026
MURDER IN A HIGH RISE!
I received this book free from the author through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Written by Ian Rankin in 2026, this is a British detective novel Published by the HachetteGroup of Cardinal Publishing in New York. The setting is London, England, and the Metropolitan Police Department (the Met). The primary protagonist is Detective Sergeant Gillian Gish, who works with her senior partner, Detective Inspector Jack Milton. The Heights is a high-end condo building that is eighteen stories tall, and is occupied, for the most part, by the rich and famous. In this story, the detectives must solve a murder. No Wait! Two murders.
The first victim is a young black concierge who was struck on the head from behind, but in turn struck his head on the corner of a marble desk when he fell to the floor. His head injury led to his death. Who would want to kill a simple concierge? It is a puzzle. Who did it, and why did they do it.
It doesn’t take Detective Sergeant Gish too long to discover that a valuable work of art has gone missing from one of the condo apartments (suites). Where is it, and who took it. It would certainly be sufficient motive for murder with an estimated value of tens of millions of English Pounds. The basement of the building contains a private garage for the residents, and it isn’t long before another body is discovered in one of the automobiles, a Bently. The victim was a bodyguard for one of the residents. He was strangled manually (by somebody’s hands). Why was he killed?
The pace of the story is fairly fast, although character development is shallow. We learn that Gillian lives with her mother Jacqui, who has dementia. Gillian hires caregivers to come and stay with her mother while Gillian is working.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think I am detecting a trend in detective and mystery novels lately. Authors who lack the creativity of those such as Agatha Christie are substituting a great many characters and an overly convoluted plot for good suspense writing. Such is the case with this novel. For my tastes, this story has too many characters, too many loose ends, and a plot that is way too complex. Still, the author is a fairly good writer so you might very well enjoy this book. I will award four of the available five stars and a recommendation to read it. You might very well like it much more than I did.
I received this book free from the author through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Written by Ian Rankin in 2026, this is a British detective novel Published by the HachetteGroup of Cardinal Publishing in New York. The setting is London, England, and the Metropolitan Police Department (the Met). The primary protagonist is Detective Sergeant Gillian Gish, who works with her senior partner, Detective Inspector Jack Milton. The Heights is a high-end condo building that is eighteen stories tall, and is occupied, for the most part, by the rich and famous. In this story, the detectives must solve a murder. No Wait! Two murders.
The first victim is a young black concierge who was struck on the head from behind, but in turn struck his head on the corner of a marble desk when he fell to the floor. His head injury led to his death. Who would want to kill a simple concierge? It is a puzzle. Who did it, and why did they do it.
It doesn’t take Detective Sergeant Gish too long to discover that a valuable work of art has gone missing from one of the condo apartments (suites). Where is it, and who took it. It would certainly be sufficient motive for murder with an estimated value of tens of millions of English Pounds. The basement of the building contains a private garage for the residents, and it isn’t long before another body is discovered in one of the automobiles, a Bently. The victim was a bodyguard for one of the residents. He was strangled manually (by somebody’s hands). Why was he killed?
The pace of the story is fairly fast, although character development is shallow. We learn that Gillian lives with her mother Jacqui, who has dementia. Gillian hires caregivers to come and stay with her mother while Gillian is working.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think I am detecting a trend in detective and mystery novels lately. Authors who lack the creativity of those such as Agatha Christie are substituting a great many characters and an overly convoluted plot for good suspense writing. Such is the case with this novel. For my tastes, this story has too many characters, too many loose ends, and a plot that is way too complex. Still, the author is a fairly good writer so you might very well enjoy this book. I will award four of the available five stars and a recommendation to read it. You might very well like it much more than I did.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is an expanded version of the Amazon Original Short Story, The Rise, which I first read back in 2023. I mostly remembered it, but specifically recalled that I thought that the premise was worth so much more than just a short story. A sentiment that I remember others also agreed with, and it appears our thoughts and feelings might have been listened to and acted on by the great man himself. The Rise is now The Heights, a luxury apartment block with an eclectic mix of inhabitants and, as our story starts, one dead night-time concierge, found by his girlfriend who was "visiting" him at work.
Enter DI Jack Milburn and DS Gillian Gish to begin their investigations. And what a motley bunch of witnesses and potential suspects they encounter, but I will leave you to get to know them as the author intends. Suffice to say that, even though the building is only partly occupied, the inhabitants being rather larger than life well makes up for that shortfall. There's quite a few characters to get to grips with but I wrote me a cast list and with that and the author doing a stonking job in creating and describing them, it wasn't long before I got them all straight.
The characters also lend themselves very well to the provision of secrets, lies and more dysfunctional behaviour than is really befitting. But it all goes together with a tightly plotted narrative which, although I recall much from the short story, it was never guaranteed to follow exactly the same path - whether it did or not, I'm also leaving for you to discover.
Suffice to say that, for me anyway, it finished strongly and left me wholly satisfied. I do wonder however whether it could be the stat of a new series for the author, even though it is billed as a stand alone. I mean, it started off as a short story so it as progressed thus far already... I for one would be happy if it was...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Enter DI Jack Milburn and DS Gillian Gish to begin their investigations. And what a motley bunch of witnesses and potential suspects they encounter, but I will leave you to get to know them as the author intends. Suffice to say that, even though the building is only partly occupied, the inhabitants being rather larger than life well makes up for that shortfall. There's quite a few characters to get to grips with but I wrote me a cast list and with that and the author doing a stonking job in creating and describing them, it wasn't long before I got them all straight.
The characters also lend themselves very well to the provision of secrets, lies and more dysfunctional behaviour than is really befitting. But it all goes together with a tightly plotted narrative which, although I recall much from the short story, it was never guaranteed to follow exactly the same path - whether it did or not, I'm also leaving for you to discover.
Suffice to say that, for me anyway, it finished strongly and left me wholly satisfied. I do wonder however whether it could be the stat of a new series for the author, even though it is billed as a stand alone. I mean, it started off as a short story so it as progressed thus far already... I for one would be happy if it was...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Heights is a really refreshing read precisely because it lets Ian Rankin stretch outside the long shadow of Rebus for a while. There’s an immediate sense of freedom in the storytelling — you can feel Rankin enjoying the chance to build something self‑contained, something that doesn’t rely on decades of backstory or familiar rhythms. As a reader, that’s a treat. You get all the sharpness and atmosphere he’s known for, but in a world that feels newly built rather than inherited.
What stood out most is how confidently the novel stands on its own legs. Rankin doesn’t lean on old tricks or recurring characters; instead, he crafts a tight, focused story that moves with purpose. The pacing feels cleaner, the stakes more intimate, and the characters have that fresh‑paint quality — vivid, but not weighed down by history. It’s nice to see him explore different emotional beats and different kinds of tension without needing to tie anything back to a larger universe.
There’s also a real pleasure in watching Rankin play with tone. The book still has his trademark grit, but it’s paired with a slightly different flavour — a bit more reflective, a bit more experimental in how it reveals information. Because it’s a standalone, every detail feels intentional, every twist earned. You’re not waiting for a cameo or a callback; you’re just immersed in the story in front of you.
Overall, The Heights feels like a reminder that Rankin isn’t just the master of one series — he’s a writer who can build a whole world from scratch and make it compelling in a single volume. As a standalone, it’s satisfying, self‑contained, and a great example of what happens when an author steps outside their usual lane and still delivers something gripping
What stood out most is how confidently the novel stands on its own legs. Rankin doesn’t lean on old tricks or recurring characters; instead, he crafts a tight, focused story that moves with purpose. The pacing feels cleaner, the stakes more intimate, and the characters have that fresh‑paint quality — vivid, but not weighed down by history. It’s nice to see him explore different emotional beats and different kinds of tension without needing to tie anything back to a larger universe.
There’s also a real pleasure in watching Rankin play with tone. The book still has his trademark grit, but it’s paired with a slightly different flavour — a bit more reflective, a bit more experimental in how it reveals information. Because it’s a standalone, every detail feels intentional, every twist earned. You’re not waiting for a cameo or a callback; you’re just immersed in the story in front of you.
Overall, The Heights feels like a reminder that Rankin isn’t just the master of one series — he’s a writer who can build a whole world from scratch and make it compelling in a single volume. As a standalone, it’s satisfying, self‑contained, and a great example of what happens when an author steps outside their usual lane and still delivers something gripping
August 17, 2026
As a big fan of Ian Rankin’s Rebus series, I was excited to read The Heights, and while it isn’t my favorite of Rankin’s books, I really enjoyed it for what it is.
There are definitely some familiar Rankin elements here—particularly the woman and man police partnership, plenty of twists and turns, and a mystery that keeps unfolding—but The Heights feels distinctly different from the Rebus books. As a standalone novel, Rankin has more freedom to build an entirely new story and develop a whole cast of characters, and I really enjoyed that. The characters developed much more quickly than they typically do in the Rebus books, which gave the story a different feel and kept me invested.
The pacing was somewhere in between for me. There was a lot happening early on, although the story moved a little slowly at times. That continued for much of the book, until around the three-quarter mark when things really took off. The final twist genuinely surprised me, and I liked the way it unraveled naturally rather than feeling forced. My only wish was that the ending had been fleshed out a little more throughout the book, because once everything came together, I wanted more of that story.
If you’re a Rebus fan, I would definitely recommend going into this knowing that The Heights is not a Rebus book. Instead, I think it’s best appreciated as a different side of one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed getting to experience Rankin outside of the world of Rebus, and I’d happily recommend this book to both longtime Rankin readers and those new to his work.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC granted by Grand Central Publishing for The Heights by Ian Rankin
Really enjoyed this quick paced detective murder mystery set in modern day London. The ease of reading and multiple character plots kept me wanting to reach the next part of the story. As someone within the legal field, I find I enjoy crime stories that are more direct and to-the-point rather than filled with unnecessary details that may skew the final lane of the plot.
Although the mystery kept me reading, I did find a want to get just a tad more character development from everyone. I often thought that I might have been dropped into a series where the characters were more developed in prior books. Although this doesn’t seem to be the case, it would have enjoyed knowing more about Gish and her motivations; an example is the shared background of Gish’s career where she was trained by someone on the outs with the police department? I found myself wanting to know why her background was considered controversial but her morals regarding her work in the current day were more conservative and to the book. Maybe I’m just a fan of Gish’s strength!
All in all, I think this book took a great look at a female detectives role, her relationship-balancing between the police force, media, and her personal life and how it all can work together to solve something convoluted and complicated such as an international murder.
Really enjoyed this quick paced detective murder mystery set in modern day London. The ease of reading and multiple character plots kept me wanting to reach the next part of the story. As someone within the legal field, I find I enjoy crime stories that are more direct and to-the-point rather than filled with unnecessary details that may skew the final lane of the plot.
Although the mystery kept me reading, I did find a want to get just a tad more character development from everyone. I often thought that I might have been dropped into a series where the characters were more developed in prior books. Although this doesn’t seem to be the case, it would have enjoyed knowing more about Gish and her motivations; an example is the shared background of Gish’s career where she was trained by someone on the outs with the police department? I found myself wanting to know why her background was considered controversial but her morals regarding her work in the current day were more conservative and to the book. Maybe I’m just a fan of Gish’s strength!
All in all, I think this book took a great look at a female detectives role, her relationship-balancing between the police force, media, and her personal life and how it all can work together to solve something convoluted and complicated such as an international murder.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ian Rankin proves he's not just about Rebus.
"The Heights" opens in present day London. DS Gillian Gish has been called to an incident off Park Lane. A body has been discovered in an upmarket high-rise building, and it's clear the death was no accident.
Immediately, Gish is embroiled in a mess of potential suspects - many of them well-known faces, all of them famous or infamous, in their own way. It's a large cast, plus the members of Gish's team, all of which means the reader has to pay close attention to who is who, and where they are. As the story progresses, there are plenty of red herrings, and mis-directs, unlike the Rebus books which move forward in a linear fashion. But the clues are there to be found if the reader pays close attention - Rankin is nothing if not a chess master, positioning pieces on the board.
This book certainly proves one thing - Ian Rankin is a master storyteller, and is not defined by the Rebus books. "The Heights" does not read like a Rebus book. Gish is not Rebus. There's little name-dropping of famous streets and locations, as found in the Rebus books. And the book is the better for all that - clearly the author has taken care to make a clean break from his large body of work, and do something new and fresh. And he's succeeded. This is a first-class piece of detective fiction and deserves to be a winner. I'm sure we'll see more of DS Gish.
Highly recommended.
"The Heights" opens in present day London. DS Gillian Gish has been called to an incident off Park Lane. A body has been discovered in an upmarket high-rise building, and it's clear the death was no accident.
Immediately, Gish is embroiled in a mess of potential suspects - many of them well-known faces, all of them famous or infamous, in their own way. It's a large cast, plus the members of Gish's team, all of which means the reader has to pay close attention to who is who, and where they are. As the story progresses, there are plenty of red herrings, and mis-directs, unlike the Rebus books which move forward in a linear fashion. But the clues are there to be found if the reader pays close attention - Rankin is nothing if not a chess master, positioning pieces on the board.
This book certainly proves one thing - Ian Rankin is a master storyteller, and is not defined by the Rebus books. "The Heights" does not read like a Rebus book. Gish is not Rebus. There's little name-dropping of famous streets and locations, as found in the Rebus books. And the book is the better for all that - clearly the author has taken care to make a clean break from his large body of work, and do something new and fresh. And he's succeeded. This is a first-class piece of detective fiction and deserves to be a winner. I'm sure we'll see more of DS Gish.
Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Heights by Ian Rankin ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
As a collector of the Rebus novels, I went into The Heights expecting something written in a similar style. To my pleasure, this was something quite different, a great little read that bowls along at a cracking pace.
The Heights itself is a luxury apartment block, seemingly offering everything the average person might aspire to. But behind the glossy façade lies a world of corruption and greed, feeding egos and connecting with the criminal underworld. Many of the residents live on the edges of society, making money through content creation, music, illicit drugs or other less-than-legitimate services.
When someone is murdered in the building, the consequences reach far beyond its walls. What follows is a tangled web of connections that really does demonstrate the idea of six degrees of separation, while also exploring just how blurred the lines between corruption and virtue can become within the police and security services.
Each character plays their own part, with some leading you away from the main plot and down various dead ends before bringing you back again. I certainly didn't figure out who was responsible until the answer was almost spelled out for me which, for me, made the twists all the more enjoyable.
A clever, fast-paced and satisfyingly twisty read. Well done, Mr Rankin, this was one very enjoyable rabbit hole to disappear into!
As a collector of the Rebus novels, I went into The Heights expecting something written in a similar style. To my pleasure, this was something quite different, a great little read that bowls along at a cracking pace.
The Heights itself is a luxury apartment block, seemingly offering everything the average person might aspire to. But behind the glossy façade lies a world of corruption and greed, feeding egos and connecting with the criminal underworld. Many of the residents live on the edges of society, making money through content creation, music, illicit drugs or other less-than-legitimate services.
When someone is murdered in the building, the consequences reach far beyond its walls. What follows is a tangled web of connections that really does demonstrate the idea of six degrees of separation, while also exploring just how blurred the lines between corruption and virtue can become within the police and security services.
Each character plays their own part, with some leading you away from the main plot and down various dead ends before bringing you back again. I certainly didn't figure out who was responsible until the answer was almost spelled out for me which, for me, made the twists all the more enjoyable.
A clever, fast-paced and satisfyingly twisty read. Well done, Mr Rankin, this was one very enjoyable rabbit hole to disappear into!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Many readers will know Ian Rankin for his long‑running and much‑loved Inspector Rebus series, now twenty‑five books deep and adapted into several TV versions. The Heights marks a rare departure: Rankin steps away from Edinburgh and Rebus to deliver a standalone London‑set thriller.
The story centres on the murder of Dwayne Hogarth, concierge of an exclusive luxury apartment block populated by celebrities, billionaires, the occasional gangster, and a collection of eccentric residents — all of them harbouring secrets. DS Gillian Gish is called in to investigate, and the novel explores themes of privilege, power, competition, and the contrast between public glamour and the darker realities behind closed doors.
It’s important to approach this book as something entirely separate from Rebus. The tone, pacing, and structure are very different. The narrative moves more slowly, and the cast is considerably larger — at times, too large for my poor brain to keep track of. It leans heavily into police procedural territory and examines social norms and assumptions rather than the gritty character‑driven style Rankin fans may expect.
Personally, I struggled with the story. I found it a little bland in places and had to take it in smaller bites. For now, I’ll wait to see whether a second book emerges before deciding if this new direction is one I want to follow.
The story centres on the murder of Dwayne Hogarth, concierge of an exclusive luxury apartment block populated by celebrities, billionaires, the occasional gangster, and a collection of eccentric residents — all of them harbouring secrets. DS Gillian Gish is called in to investigate, and the novel explores themes of privilege, power, competition, and the contrast between public glamour and the darker realities behind closed doors.
It’s important to approach this book as something entirely separate from Rebus. The tone, pacing, and structure are very different. The narrative moves more slowly, and the cast is considerably larger — at times, too large for my poor brain to keep track of. It leans heavily into police procedural territory and examines social norms and assumptions rather than the gritty character‑driven style Rankin fans may expect.
Personally, I struggled with the story. I found it a little bland in places and had to take it in smaller bites. For now, I’ll wait to see whether a second book emerges before deciding if this new direction is one I want to follow.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I met Sir Ian Rankin at last years Sydney Writers Festival and it was such a pleasure to listen to him talk about all things Rebus and beyond. It is important to note, this is not a Rebus book. It is a stand alone police procedural, with some characters that I hope to see again one day.
Welcome to The Heights, a multi storey complex of suites (do not all them flats!!) that overlook Hyde Park in London. This exclusive and high security building is home to the rich and famous with money to burn. Detective Sergeant Gillian Gish and her partner Detective Inspector Jack Milton are called to the wealthy address to find that the building concierge is dead and the cameras have been switched off.
This is a solid crime novel, with plenty of likely suspects, all of whom have a reason to want this man dead. The investigation is full of red herrings and obstructions but these coppers can see through the subterfuge. As it progresses they find that that have more than a murder to solve.
I really enjoyed this team of Gish and Milton, who don’t always see eye to eye, and are dealing with outside pressures in their personal lives.
If you love a good murder mystery where the players are a little bit dodgy that you will enjoy this.
Thanks so much to Grand Central Publishing for my early copy on NetGalley to read. Out on November 3rd.
Welcome to The Heights, a multi storey complex of suites (do not all them flats!!) that overlook Hyde Park in London. This exclusive and high security building is home to the rich and famous with money to burn. Detective Sergeant Gillian Gish and her partner Detective Inspector Jack Milton are called to the wealthy address to find that the building concierge is dead and the cameras have been switched off.
This is a solid crime novel, with plenty of likely suspects, all of whom have a reason to want this man dead. The investigation is full of red herrings and obstructions but these coppers can see through the subterfuge. As it progresses they find that that have more than a murder to solve.
I really enjoyed this team of Gish and Milton, who don’t always see eye to eye, and are dealing with outside pressures in their personal lives.
If you love a good murder mystery where the players are a little bit dodgy that you will enjoy this.
Thanks so much to Grand Central Publishing for my early copy on NetGalley to read. Out on November 3rd.
October 16, 2026
As a Rankin fan, I have to say I was disappointed by this one.
The standout was Detective Gillian Gish. She's a well-developed, engaging protagonist, and I particularly liked the details of her relationship with her ailing mother and her attachment to Tottenham. She's sharp, not easily fooled and willing to take risks to uncover the truth. I really enjoyed following the investigation through her eyes.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book felt lacklustre and, dare I say, rather derivative. The supporting cast was a collection of tired stereotypes: the shallow, Instagram-obsessed reality TV starlet whose storyline revolves around the men in her life; the middle-aged gangster's wife whose jealous of the young starlet; the pompous art dealer; and a parade of largely interchangeable male suspects. Even the Irish names given to the gangster and his wife felt like another cliché. None of these characters felt particularly fresh or convincing.
The audiobook narration was ok, but the male voices weren't distinctive enough for me, making it even harder to tell the male suspects apart.
The central mystery also lacked a tight, compelling plot. New characters and plot threads continued appearing in the final chapters, leaving the story feeling increasingly drawn-out rather than intriguing.
By the end, I'm sorry to say, I simply didn't care who the murderer was.
The standout was Detective Gillian Gish. She's a well-developed, engaging protagonist, and I particularly liked the details of her relationship with her ailing mother and her attachment to Tottenham. She's sharp, not easily fooled and willing to take risks to uncover the truth. I really enjoyed following the investigation through her eyes.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book felt lacklustre and, dare I say, rather derivative. The supporting cast was a collection of tired stereotypes: the shallow, Instagram-obsessed reality TV starlet whose storyline revolves around the men in her life; the middle-aged gangster's wife whose jealous of the young starlet; the pompous art dealer; and a parade of largely interchangeable male suspects. Even the Irish names given to the gangster and his wife felt like another cliché. None of these characters felt particularly fresh or convincing.
The audiobook narration was ok, but the male voices weren't distinctive enough for me, making it even harder to tell the male suspects apart.
The central mystery also lacked a tight, compelling plot. New characters and plot threads continued appearing in the final chapters, leaving the story feeling increasingly drawn-out rather than intriguing.
By the end, I'm sorry to say, I simply didn't care who the murderer was.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ian Rankin ditches Edinburgh and Rebus to play with the London elite in a glass tower. The Heights promises a closed-room mystery behind layers of wealth, but it feels more like a standard police procedural wearing an expensive suit. Detective Gillian Gish attempts to navigate the power dynamics of the super-rich, yet the building itself remains a sterile prop rather than a character.
The narrative structure follows the familiar procedural rhythm. Gish is a competent lead, though she lacks the lived-in weariness that makes Rankin’s classic work resonate. The pacing is efficient enough to keep pages turning, but the high-rise setting feels underutilized. It never quite captures the suffocating tension necessary for a story about trapped residents.
Rankin chooses to write through a third-person lens that maintains distance from the suspects. This works to emphasize the cold, guarded nature of the billionaires, yet it leaves the reader feeling like an observer behind bulletproof glass. The plot arrives at a clean resolution, though the journey lacks the sharp, biting social commentary one expects from this author.
For those who want a procedural that stays safely within the lines; avoid if you expect the raw, gritty atmosphere of classic Rankin.
The narrative structure follows the familiar procedural rhythm. Gish is a competent lead, though she lacks the lived-in weariness that makes Rankin’s classic work resonate. The pacing is efficient enough to keep pages turning, but the high-rise setting feels underutilized. It never quite captures the suffocating tension necessary for a story about trapped residents.
Rankin chooses to write through a third-person lens that maintains distance from the suspects. This works to emphasize the cold, guarded nature of the billionaires, yet it leaves the reader feeling like an observer behind bulletproof glass. The plot arrives at a clean resolution, though the journey lacks the sharp, biting social commentary one expects from this author.
For those who want a procedural that stays safely within the lines; avoid if you expect the raw, gritty atmosphere of classic Rankin.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Solid but didn't quite grab me
Having never read any of Ian Rankin's work before, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when picking up The Heights, but given how hugely popular he is in the crime world, I was definitely curious. Unfortunately, while I can see why so many people rate him, this particular book just didn't grab me.
The plot itself is clever but there were too many characters and I found the story a bit of a slog to get through in parts. The pacing felt quite slow to build up and I struggled to get properly invested in the characters or what was happening. I kept waiting for that spark to kick things into high gear for me, but it stayed at a fairly steady, slow burn all the way through.
That being said, the writing is solid and he creates a really believable atmosphere with a strong sense of place. It certainly wasn't a terrible read by any means, but it just lacked the grip and excitement that I usually look for in a thriller.
Overall, while it didn't quite hit the mark for me, fans of slower crime stories might enjoy it a lot more than I did.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read an advanced copy and share my honest thoughts.
Having never read any of Ian Rankin's work before, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when picking up The Heights, but given how hugely popular he is in the crime world, I was definitely curious. Unfortunately, while I can see why so many people rate him, this particular book just didn't grab me.
The plot itself is clever but there were too many characters and I found the story a bit of a slog to get through in parts. The pacing felt quite slow to build up and I struggled to get properly invested in the characters or what was happening. I kept waiting for that spark to kick things into high gear for me, but it stayed at a fairly steady, slow burn all the way through.
That being said, the writing is solid and he creates a really believable atmosphere with a strong sense of place. It certainly wasn't a terrible read by any means, but it just lacked the grip and excitement that I usually look for in a thriller.
Overall, while it didn't quite hit the mark for me, fans of slower crime stories might enjoy it a lot more than I did.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read an advanced copy and share my honest thoughts.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book has such a good premise, with a potentially interesting mystery. Interesting mainly because there are so many possible suspects to dive through. But, instead, the book seemed to drag quite a bit and really didn’t get very interesting until almost the very end. I didn’t expect this to happen.
The plot itself is rather basic and involves a lot of wealthy people, living in luxury, who are also pretty sleazy, save just a couple. However, there’s quite a bit of police procedural involved, too, which I enjoyed. But, since most of the suspects weren’t very likable, in the end I really wasn’t invested in the outcome.
There were two mysteries that were interwoven but that proved to be more confusing than anything else. There were also a lot of characters that were difficult to separate. This isn’t something I typically have a problem doing. Even in the last few chapters new characters were still being introduced.
I did enjoy the interaction between the two main detectives as well as Gish’s relationship with her mother. That alone seemed to somewhat redeem the story for me. So, in the end, I’ll give this book 2.5 stars and bump it up to 3 stars. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.
The plot itself is rather basic and involves a lot of wealthy people, living in luxury, who are also pretty sleazy, save just a couple. However, there’s quite a bit of police procedural involved, too, which I enjoyed. But, since most of the suspects weren’t very likable, in the end I really wasn’t invested in the outcome.
There were two mysteries that were interwoven but that proved to be more confusing than anything else. There were also a lot of characters that were difficult to separate. This isn’t something I typically have a problem doing. Even in the last few chapters new characters were still being introduced.
I did enjoy the interaction between the two main detectives as well as Gish’s relationship with her mother. That alone seemed to somewhat redeem the story for me. So, in the end, I’ll give this book 2.5 stars and bump it up to 3 stars. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.
Review of advance copy
When the nighttime concierge in The Heights, an ultra- luxury apartment tower overlooking Hyde Park, is murdered, suspicion falls on a variety of wealthy individuals, including an actress, a pop star, a gangster, an art dealer, a mysterious international heiress. Detective Sergeant Gillian Gish and her colleagues are charged with unraveling the hidden secrets of some of London’s elite.
I have read a few of Ian Rankin’s novels before…most notably some from the John Rebus series. I found them to be engaging, fast paced reads. This book, however, was slow paced and rather bland. There are many characters which at times was a bit confusing. I had to really concentrate to keep them straight.
Despite these shortcomings, the book serves as an insightful exploration of what Rankin refers to as “money London” and “UHNW” (ultra-high net worth), shedding light on the differential treatment often received by individuals in this category from officials.
I did enjoy the main character, DS Gish and would be eager to read more stories featuring her.
Thanks to @NetGalley and @GrandCentralPub for the DRC.
I have read a few of Ian Rankin’s novels before…most notably some from the John Rebus series. I found them to be engaging, fast paced reads. This book, however, was slow paced and rather bland. There are many characters which at times was a bit confusing. I had to really concentrate to keep them straight.
Despite these shortcomings, the book serves as an insightful exploration of what Rankin refers to as “money London” and “UHNW” (ultra-high net worth), shedding light on the differential treatment often received by individuals in this category from officials.
I did enjoy the main character, DS Gish and would be eager to read more stories featuring her.
Thanks to @NetGalley and @GrandCentralPub for the DRC.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews