The Black Book / Mortal Causes

Inspector Rebus #5-6

by Ian Rankin

The Black Book When a close colleague is brutally attacked, Inspector John Rebus is drawn into a case involving a hotel fire, an unidentified body, and a long forgotten night of terror and murder. Pursued by dangerous ghosts and tormented by the coded secrets of his colleague's notebook, Rebus must piece together the most complex and confusing of jigsaws. But not everyone wants the puzzle solved - perhaps not even Rebus himself ... Mortal Causes It is August in Edinburgh and the Festival is in full swing... A brutally tortured body is discovered in one of the city's ancient subterranean streets and marks on the corpse cause Rebus to suspect the involvement of sectarian activists. The prospect of a terrorist atrocity in a city heaving with tourists is almost unthinkable. When the victim turns out to be the son of a notorious gangster, Rebus realises he is sitting atop a volcano of mayhem - and it's just about to erupt.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

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

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to like Rebus. I read the first in the series "Knots and Crosses" several years ago when I belonged to a mystery book club and didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, Ian Rankin is a good writer. I see the attraction for other readers. I do like dark, dysfunctional characters, so I had no problem with the whole lone wolf, drinks too much character. It just didn't resonate with me, or something. Some of my reading buddies rave about Rankin and suggested I try him again. I found "Mortal Causes" in my clubhouse library and jumped at the chance to spend time with Rebus. I didn't like it. It was a fast read--once I got into it--and was a good way to pass a rainy Saturday. Normally I'll follow the suggestions of my reading friends--we all kind of know each others' tastes by now--especially when I'm between books and not sure what I want to read next. Oh, well, you can't win them all. There's always 2--or 3--dozen books waiting on my bookshelf so I think it's okay if Rebus and I part ways. I'm sure there's lots of people will disagree and that's okay. There's a new series Rankin is starting that doesn't have Rebus, so maybe I'll give that a try...

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a confirmed Ian Rankin and Inspector Rebus fan, it was fun to stumble upon these two in a used bookstore, and get to go way back in the series.

Fun to see Rebus’s love life at a better place than it reaches later on, and I appreciated having Cafferty a less tedious villain than he later becomes. (Yes, I’m a huge fan, but enough already. I don’t want him gone exactly, he just wears on me, though I give Rankin huge marks for inventing so many ways to keep Big Ger relevant.)

My highest praise is for the conclusion of Mortal Causes. It takes place during the Edinburgh Festival, the same time that I actually have visited Edinburgh, and it’s a rip-snorter. Surprising, action-packed, and completely satisfying. Every thumb up for Rankin at his finest.

[Alun]

A really good Read. For me, escapism. Set in the depths of Edinburgh's underworld a mangled body is found. Rebus again in his unconventinal way solves the crime. He is gritty, hard, semi-manic with his work with a soft underbelly. Being a pastor in a church, I'm intrigued with the mentions in these novels about Calvinism and Protestantism. What was Rebuses spritual background? He seems to be tottering between belief and unbelief.

[Ian Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Rebus book. Loved the ending.

[Billhotto · Rating 3 out of 5]

1994 John Rebus novel. An assault on a colleague leads Rebus to investigate a 5 year old murder and arson case. Before he's done there are a murder, a suicide, an explosion, an assault on his brother and one on himself. There is an attempt to pin the original murder on Rebus which results in his suspension. Of course that only gives Rebus more free time to orchestrate the final showdown.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

im not the biggest fan of crime novels but what with this being set in my home town of edinburgh and my dad talking about rankin constantly I decided to give it a go amd I am so glad I did! ithought the only detective for me would be sherlock but it turns out rebus is just as good! the crime itself is very well figured out with turns in the plot I didnt expect and honestly I didnt know who it was for a while, but the writing and character are so good that even if the plot was crap I would continue reading. we get to see into rebus' personal life rather than just the case and it adds depth to the story in a way you dont always get with crime novels and so with his wit and smarts it really is a great book id reccomend to crime lovers and haters the like!:) hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

[Nancy Rader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished the first book, I found it very enjoyable and am looking forward to the second one. The second one, Mortal Causes, was difficult for me to get through. I found the wrap up at the end to be subtle but thankfully ending.

[Meike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blutschuld: Grundlegendes Wissen über die Gruppierungen in Nordirland sind hilfreich, um nicht durcheinander zu kommen

[Matilda Mueller]

0

[Valerie]

Enjoyed the subplot about the Orangemen, but there are too many low-life characters to keep them all straight, and the ending seems to come out of nowhere. Will read at least one more Rebus, though!