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Inspector Rebus #17
Exit Music
It's late in the fall in Edinburgh and late in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he is simply trying to tie up some loose ends before his retirement, a new case lands on his desk: a dissident Russian poet has been murdered in what looks like a mugging gone wrong.
Rebus discovers that an elite delegation of Russian businessmen is in town, looking to expand its interests. And as Rebus's investigation gains ground, someone brutally assaults a local gangster with whom he has a long history.
Has Rebus overstepped his bounds for the last time? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, controversial career, will Rebus even make it that far?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2007
About the author
Ian Rankin
396 books6,662 followersAKA Jack Harvey.
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987; the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianrankin
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987; the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianrankin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 885 reviews
June 15, 2023
Inspector Rebus, mystery No. 17): Probably the last book in the series as Rebus with Rebus turning 60 - this chronicles John Rebus' last ten days as a CID police officer. There's Russians, corrupt politicians, corrupt bankers, drug dealers and two murders… and Rebus and Clarke are hoping to wrap up their current caseload in time for Rebus's retirement. A well paced book, and nowhere near as overly sentimental as it could easily have been, but maintaining the Rebus ethos. 6 out of 12 - Three Stars.
2011 read
2011 read
July 2, 2018
Written as though it was possibly the last in a long and excellent series. Now of course we know it was far from the final book about Rebus, thank goodness!
I love Inspector Rebus. He takes no nonsense from anyone, largely prefers to work on his own, or at least with just DS Clarke, and by the age of sixty is growing increasingly cranky with life and everything. He is also very smart and sees connections between events long before anyone else does.
In Exit Music Rebus is working his final week before retirement and only he could manage to get himself suspended from duty in his last few days. Of course he redeems himself at the last moment. I was delighted with myself when I guessed one of the attackers very early in the piece but it might have been because I did not like the character and wanted it to be him!
I really enjoyed this book. It was long but it powered along with a series of events and lots of police work. There was a lot of humour too in the relationship and dialogue between Rebus and Siobhan.
Moving on now to the next book to see how well Rebus is coping with retirement. I expect the answer to be he is not.
I love Inspector Rebus. He takes no nonsense from anyone, largely prefers to work on his own, or at least with just DS Clarke, and by the age of sixty is growing increasingly cranky with life and everything. He is also very smart and sees connections between events long before anyone else does.
In Exit Music Rebus is working his final week before retirement and only he could manage to get himself suspended from duty in his last few days. Of course he redeems himself at the last moment. I was delighted with myself when I guessed one of the attackers very early in the piece but it might have been because I did not like the character and wanted it to be him!
I really enjoyed this book. It was long but it powered along with a series of events and lots of police work. There was a lot of humour too in the relationship and dialogue between Rebus and Siobhan.
Moving on now to the next book to see how well Rebus is coping with retirement. I expect the answer to be he is not.
July 1, 2011
This is the seventeenth and allegedly last book in Ian Rankin's excellent series featuring Edinburgh Inspector John Rebus. Rebus was already nearly sixty years old before his creator was stunned to discover that sixty was the mandatory retirement age for detectives in Scotland. Accordingly, this book finds Rebus in the autumn of the year and of his career as well.
Rebus has ten days do go when Alexander Todorov, a Russian poet, is brutally murdered after a reading. To all appearances Todorov was the victim of a run-of-the-mill mugging, but Rebus and his long-time understudy, Siobhan Clarke, discover a number of anomalies that make them wonder if the case is really as simple as it appears.
Todorov's murder coincides with the visit of a group of Russian businessmen who are looking to make large investments in Scotland. Naturally, the local politicos, bankers and other bigwigs fear that the killing might unsettle the Russians and discourage their interest, and inevitably the Powers-That-Be want the case buttoned up and swept under the carpet.
Those who have followed this series know full well that John Rebus is not a man who usually follows orders with which he does not agree. And so instead of going quietly into that good night, Rebus presses the investigation full-bore, alienating large numbers of Very Important People in the process, including his own superiors. This too, is hardly unheard of for Rebus, and when a second murder occurs, Rebus is certain that the case is more complicated that it appears on the surface. The case then takes a particularly interesting turn with the appearance of Rebus's long-time nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty.
This is a very good book with a complex and interesting plot, in what has been an outstanding series. And it's more than a little bittersweet, watching Rebus count down the days to his retirement while he wonders if he can possibly close his last case before he is put out to pasture. I saw Ian Rankin at an event a few months ago, and as any of his fans will imagine, there were a lot of people in the audience pleading with him to somehow bring the character back. Rankin seemed as reluctant to let go of Rebus as his fans were, and so I'm hoping that this will not really be the last book in the series. But if it should be, Exit Music is an excellent valediction for one of the truly great characters in detective fiction.
Rebus has ten days do go when Alexander Todorov, a Russian poet, is brutally murdered after a reading. To all appearances Todorov was the victim of a run-of-the-mill mugging, but Rebus and his long-time understudy, Siobhan Clarke, discover a number of anomalies that make them wonder if the case is really as simple as it appears.
Todorov's murder coincides with the visit of a group of Russian businessmen who are looking to make large investments in Scotland. Naturally, the local politicos, bankers and other bigwigs fear that the killing might unsettle the Russians and discourage their interest, and inevitably the Powers-That-Be want the case buttoned up and swept under the carpet.
Those who have followed this series know full well that John Rebus is not a man who usually follows orders with which he does not agree. And so instead of going quietly into that good night, Rebus presses the investigation full-bore, alienating large numbers of Very Important People in the process, including his own superiors. This too, is hardly unheard of for Rebus, and when a second murder occurs, Rebus is certain that the case is more complicated that it appears on the surface. The case then takes a particularly interesting turn with the appearance of Rebus's long-time nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty.
This is a very good book with a complex and interesting plot, in what has been an outstanding series. And it's more than a little bittersweet, watching Rebus count down the days to his retirement while he wonders if he can possibly close his last case before he is put out to pasture. I saw Ian Rankin at an event a few months ago, and as any of his fans will imagine, there were a lot of people in the audience pleading with him to somehow bring the character back. Rankin seemed as reluctant to let go of Rebus as his fans were, and so I'm hoping that this will not really be the last book in the series. But if it should be, Exit Music is an excellent valediction for one of the truly great characters in detective fiction.
September 29, 2008
I had extremely high expectations prior to reading this book. After all, this is the culmination of a long and amazing series. Perhaps, I would say, the best series of crime novels since Chandler. Maybe even better. This was the last one. DI John Rebus's last days before retirement.
It was with a mix of dread and hope, that I picked it up and started reading. I wanted things to end well for Rebus, but I knew it wasn't going to be all rosy and happy either. It just wouldn't be Rebus, if that had been the case. I won't spoil it here, suffice to say that the ending lived up to every bit of expectation and then some. It would have left me screaming for more, had I not been in a public place at the time of finishing the novel. Just one more page? Please?
John Rebus has grown to be a friend of mine. He's not a perfect guy, in fact he's extremely stubborn and sometimes a bit of an ass, but I like him. His sarcasm, his taste in music and his distaste for authority is similar to my own. I was sad to see him retire and would like nothing more than to drop down to the Ox and buy the man a pint and a malt. Alas, he is but a figment of Ian Rankin's imagination, so I'll have to settle for thanking the author instead.
So, thank you mr. Rankin, not just for a fantastic series that got better and better through the years, but also for a fitting and deserving end to a distinguished, albeit fictional, career.
This is a great novel on several levels. The plot, the characters, the descriptions - all of it is as good as the best of the other books in the same series. But with the added touch of being what it is. The exit music.
It was with a mix of dread and hope, that I picked it up and started reading. I wanted things to end well for Rebus, but I knew it wasn't going to be all rosy and happy either. It just wouldn't be Rebus, if that had been the case. I won't spoil it here, suffice to say that the ending lived up to every bit of expectation and then some. It would have left me screaming for more, had I not been in a public place at the time of finishing the novel. Just one more page? Please?
John Rebus has grown to be a friend of mine. He's not a perfect guy, in fact he's extremely stubborn and sometimes a bit of an ass, but I like him. His sarcasm, his taste in music and his distaste for authority is similar to my own. I was sad to see him retire and would like nothing more than to drop down to the Ox and buy the man a pint and a malt. Alas, he is but a figment of Ian Rankin's imagination, so I'll have to settle for thanking the author instead.
So, thank you mr. Rankin, not just for a fantastic series that got better and better through the years, but also for a fitting and deserving end to a distinguished, albeit fictional, career.
This is a great novel on several levels. The plot, the characters, the descriptions - all of it is as good as the best of the other books in the same series. But with the added touch of being what it is. The exit music.
September 13, 2017
What a proper ending to the Rebus saga. Rebus investigates the murder of a dissident Russian poet whose body is found by a car park. There are some Russian businessmen on a business trip in Rebus neck of the wood.
He is almost there... ten days to the end of his watch. Can he solve the murder and leave the force in peace and give Siobhan the promotion she needs.
Rankin gets more political in this novel and showcases the various political parties and ideas in the Scottish parliament.
After a Hiatus, Rankin brought back Rebus and the series didn't stop at this book. For all purposes this is the official last book in the inspector Rebus and not in the cold case Rebus which starts with standing in a dead man's grave
He is almost there... ten days to the end of his watch. Can he solve the murder and leave the force in peace and give Siobhan the promotion she needs.
Rankin gets more political in this novel and showcases the various political parties and ideas in the Scottish parliament.
After a Hiatus, Rankin brought back Rebus and the series didn't stop at this book. For all purposes this is the official last book in the inspector Rebus and not in the cold case Rebus which starts with standing in a dead man's grave
May 16, 2023
Do not worry this is not the last Rebus novel. A great story. Rebus like his name is an enigmatic puzzle. The Russian poet Alexander Todorov is murdered in what looks like a mugging. The investigation links Russian businessmen, Rebus’s nemesis Big Ger Cafferty and Rebus is retiring in a week. Lets just say its a busy week with suspension, suspicion and some interesting music choices.
His partner Siobhan Clarke is taking over from him or hoping too. The investigation links politicians and once again we see Rankin’s low opinion of them. When Rebus is linked with a beating with Cafferty the twists keep coming. Although the Todd Goodyear link and of revenge is no surprise. The surprise is who murdered the poet with the motive bizarre and a bit farfetched. The second murder also seemed odd but more understandable in motivation which was greed.
The parking attendant was logical as a suspect when we knew the location of the murder.
I enjoyed the last days of Rebus as a policeman and the red herrings as well as the glimpse of Edinburgh’s underbelly. Curious to see what is next for Rebus.
His partner Siobhan Clarke is taking over from him or hoping too. The investigation links politicians and once again we see Rankin’s low opinion of them. When Rebus is linked with a beating with Cafferty the twists keep coming. Although the Todd Goodyear link and of revenge is no surprise. The surprise is who murdered the poet with the motive bizarre and a bit farfetched. The second murder also seemed odd but more understandable in motivation which was greed.
The parking attendant was logical as a suspect when we knew the location of the murder.
I enjoyed the last days of Rebus as a policeman and the red herrings as well as the glimpse of Edinburgh’s underbelly. Curious to see what is next for Rebus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2018
Exit Music by Ian Rankin.
I was more than sad to learn that this entry may be Rebus' last. Personally, I don't accept that or believe it for a minute! It seems since I first discovered Rebus I haven't been able to stop reading this series. My latest reviews in my Scottish groups and other mystery groups has me almost feeling a need to apologize for submitting one review after another all Rebus. It's actually not since Morse that I've become so attached to an Inspector and a series. His scotch, the pubs he frequents all too often, his team (Siophan Clarke being #1), his smokes and his relentless effort in finding the truth. Let us not forget Rebus' nemesis Big Ger Cafferty! LOVE IT ALL!!!
In this Rebus's supposedly last book a Russian poet has been murdered. Rebus has it in his noggin that Cafferty may be behind it all. (Gee, ya think?). For myself, the main focal point is between Rebus and Cafferty.
Let us all hope that the next entry will be of Rebus's team contacting him at a local pub with their latest homicide...needing his assistance. That I can live with.
I was more than sad to learn that this entry may be Rebus' last. Personally, I don't accept that or believe it for a minute! It seems since I first discovered Rebus I haven't been able to stop reading this series. My latest reviews in my Scottish groups and other mystery groups has me almost feeling a need to apologize for submitting one review after another all Rebus. It's actually not since Morse that I've become so attached to an Inspector and a series. His scotch, the pubs he frequents all too often, his team (Siophan Clarke being #1), his smokes and his relentless effort in finding the truth. Let us not forget Rebus' nemesis Big Ger Cafferty! LOVE IT ALL!!!
In this Rebus's supposedly last book a Russian poet has been murdered. Rebus has it in his noggin that Cafferty may be behind it all. (Gee, ya think?). For myself, the main focal point is between Rebus and Cafferty.
Let us all hope that the next entry will be of Rebus's team contacting him at a local pub with their latest homicide...needing his assistance. That I can live with.
April 8, 2011
Anyone who follows my book reviews is probably already aware that I am a big fan of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series. Mysteries are my favorite genre and the Rebus series is really one of the best, in my opinion. Rankin can always be counted on to give us believable characters and situations and always there is in the background the wonderfully funky and historic city of Edinburgh, a smallish town in a smallish country where everybody and everything seems intertwined. And always in the middle of it all is Rebus, a cop who hates being hamstrung by rules, but a cop, who at his core is a very moral man. That's what drives him crazy.
What keeps him sane is the music. Rock music. It is the background noise of his life. It tells the story of his alienation, his lost loves, his broken marriage, the daughter who has drifted away, the dead friends, the ghosts of cases without a "result." Those ghosts haunt him at night as he sits in his favorite chair in his living room, a tumbler of malt in his hand, and music from his vast collection of CDs streaming from his audio system.
But now the music that John Rebus is hearing is Exit Music. He is one week away from retirement from his long inglorious career with Borders and Lothian Police. He's trying to interest his partner DS Siobhan Clarke in his collection of "no results" so that she will carry on with them when he is gone. He's also shadowing his great nemesis "Big Ger" Cafferty in hope of finally finding something that will put him away for good. He had been able to send Cafferty to prison a couple of times in his career, but never for long enough. Now he's out and, to all appearances, a legitimate businessman. Rebus doesn't believe it.
Then, right in the middle of his last week and his wrapping up of loose ends, a dissident Russian poet who is in Edinburgh gets himself murdered. At first it seems like a simple mugging, but as Rebus and Clarke dig deeper, things get more complicated. Things get even more complicated with a second murder of a man who had been recording the poet's appearances at book stores and other venues. Are the two murders related?
Finally, just after he has had a late night meeting with John Rebus, "Big Ger" Cafferty is brutally attacked and left for dead. Initial evidence points to Rebus as the attacker. Will he be able to finish out his last week with CID without being arrested for assault with grievous bodily harm, or even murder?
Rebus is now nearing 60, but is just as irascible as ever. He can't even get through his last week on the job without being suspended. Of course, when did a minor impediment like a suspension ever stop John Rebus? He goes on with his investigation as if nothing had happened.
This is the 17th and final entry in the Rebus series. I guess we knew it had to end sometime, and it's probably best that Rankin puts his detective out to pasture before he begins to repeat himself. He's probably heartily fed up with the old boy after all these years and ready to move on to other things.
Still, I will miss him and I shouldn't be surprised to find myself wondering how Rebus is coping with retirement. Somehow I suspect it would not be a pretty thing to watch.
What keeps him sane is the music. Rock music. It is the background noise of his life. It tells the story of his alienation, his lost loves, his broken marriage, the daughter who has drifted away, the dead friends, the ghosts of cases without a "result." Those ghosts haunt him at night as he sits in his favorite chair in his living room, a tumbler of malt in his hand, and music from his vast collection of CDs streaming from his audio system.
But now the music that John Rebus is hearing is Exit Music. He is one week away from retirement from his long inglorious career with Borders and Lothian Police. He's trying to interest his partner DS Siobhan Clarke in his collection of "no results" so that she will carry on with them when he is gone. He's also shadowing his great nemesis "Big Ger" Cafferty in hope of finally finding something that will put him away for good. He had been able to send Cafferty to prison a couple of times in his career, but never for long enough. Now he's out and, to all appearances, a legitimate businessman. Rebus doesn't believe it.
Then, right in the middle of his last week and his wrapping up of loose ends, a dissident Russian poet who is in Edinburgh gets himself murdered. At first it seems like a simple mugging, but as Rebus and Clarke dig deeper, things get more complicated. Things get even more complicated with a second murder of a man who had been recording the poet's appearances at book stores and other venues. Are the two murders related?
Finally, just after he has had a late night meeting with John Rebus, "Big Ger" Cafferty is brutally attacked and left for dead. Initial evidence points to Rebus as the attacker. Will he be able to finish out his last week with CID without being arrested for assault with grievous bodily harm, or even murder?
Rebus is now nearing 60, but is just as irascible as ever. He can't even get through his last week on the job without being suspended. Of course, when did a minor impediment like a suspension ever stop John Rebus? He goes on with his investigation as if nothing had happened.
This is the 17th and final entry in the Rebus series. I guess we knew it had to end sometime, and it's probably best that Rankin puts his detective out to pasture before he begins to repeat himself. He's probably heartily fed up with the old boy after all these years and ready to move on to other things.
Still, I will miss him and I shouldn't be surprised to find myself wondering how Rebus is coping with retirement. Somehow I suspect it would not be a pretty thing to watch.
January 3, 2009
As We Say Goodbye, Let Me Wish You Grace and Danger, November 18, 2007
"I never knew the road that carried me along
Crazy sidewalk, concealed by pretty song
You want my life from me
I'll give you two
You'll be no strife for me
As we say goodbye
Let me wish you as you fly.
Grace and danger
Sweet grace
No danger
Sweet grace
No danger
Grace and danger."
John Martyn
John Rebus hooked me into his life with his love of music and his style, and that is how he ends his career, style with 'Exit Music'-how apropos.Rebus mentions how much John Martyn, The Stones and 'The Cure' have meant to his life, and the songs that he can identify with. Rebus and I and my best friend and it seems Ian Rankin are The Stones, Cure and Martyn fans. Ian Rankin has Rebus at the age of 60, and in Scotland he must retire. It seems I hardly got to know ya, Rebus. We have seen Rebus through much of his detective's life, and as he grew and aged so did we. But, me, I am no way intending to retire. And, what will Rebus do? He can't sit and listen to his music and drink, Can he?
Rebus has eight days to go to his retirement. His genial sidekick who may just may take over his job, DC Siobhan Clark, is crafting her trade. She has learned a great deal from this man she loves and respects. Love is not mentioned by either, but we know it is there. Siohban is explaining to him what his retirement party will look like. Rebus does not want any big fuss with his superiors in the audience. It will be quiet with just his kind. And, what is that kind you may ask. If you have to ask....
They are called to the scene of a murder. A body, that of a Russian poet, found in a parking garage. And into the foray they march. Siobhan and Rebus find that a group of Russians have come to Scotland to buy whatever they can. A bank in Scotland has become good neighbors and, of course, who is in the middle of the action? Cafferty, the long time nemesis of Rebus. They have meetings and Rebus follows Cafferty's every move. The murder investigation turns nasty when Rebus is brought up to his superiors for his actions with a murder witness who happens to be the daughter of the bank president. Rebus is suspended. Just as good, now he can go on to solve this murder, and maybe more without being impeded by his bosses. Siobhan takes on the investigation full time and she has learned well from this man, Rebus. She will miss him but she can go it alone.
This is more than a book about a bank and the Russian involvement. We are saying goood-bye to Rebus. The retirement party of Rebus and his thoughts as he leaves the job he loves. This is a story of John ,and the end of his career. We are led step by step as he wraps up the murder with the skill he has always shown. There is a twist and we are left to wonder "Is That All There Is?
Detective John Rebus, I will miss you. I have hopes you will be around in some capacity. I will miss your music choices and how your moods match your choice in the music of the days of yore. Good on Yer, Rebus.
Highly, Highly Recommended. prisrob 10-25-07
March 27, 2020
A four-star final quarter brought this book to three stars for me.
This is my second read in the series but the 17th published. I happened to start at 13 and hopscotch up to here. Rankin doesn’t write to bring new readers on board informationally or emotionally, so it’s apparently a series to be read in order.
He starts his books at a trot and keeps them rolling, but without feeling I know these people or the background for their choices or situations, I feel like I’m slogging through a busy crowd I just need to get to the end of.
The final part of the book brought the sizzle and a focus that made me feel like it mattered.
Review consensus suggests that if I started back from the top I would enjoy the series. I wouldn’t rule it out but I don’t plan to try.
This is my second read in the series but the 17th published. I happened to start at 13 and hopscotch up to here. Rankin doesn’t write to bring new readers on board informationally or emotionally, so it’s apparently a series to be read in order.
He starts his books at a trot and keeps them rolling, but without feeling I know these people or the background for their choices or situations, I feel like I’m slogging through a busy crowd I just need to get to the end of.
The final part of the book brought the sizzle and a focus that made me feel like it mattered.
Review consensus suggests that if I started back from the top I would enjoy the series. I wouldn’t rule it out but I don’t plan to try.
April 21, 2008
Okay, I've read all of the Rebus series. I suspect this is the final book, given the title. I don't often read the genre, but I've grown to love the warty, very human Rebus. He fights the world, and himself. I suppose I started reading these books because Rebus is set in Edinburgh, where I live. It adds a wonderful dimension when the story takes place in streets and pubs that you know (and I've just learned about a bodysnatching lookout tower from the book). So, you'll enjoy this book if you've read the others, and it has a fitting end. It's perhaps not as dark as some of the others - you get the feeling Rankin was in a good mood :-)
December 8, 2018
Ίσως η λύση στις 2 δολοφονίες να μην ήταν απόλυτα ικανοποιητική-ειδικά στην 2η-όμως αν υπολογίσουμε και μια επιπλέον απόπειρα ανθρωποκτονίας, ο Ιαν Ράνκιν έπαιξε μάλλον σωστά τα χαρτιά του : σκόρπισε παντού red herrings, και στο φινάλε έβγαλε τον λαγό από το καπέλο, αλλά ειδικά στον πρώτο φόνο, σε έπειθε ότι κυνηγάς λιοντάρια για να καταλήξεις στον λαγό.
Δεν μπορώ όμως παρά να βάλω 5αρι στην υπόκλιση του Ρέμπους στην καριέρα του (αν και σε αυτό κλέβει ο Ράνκιν : δεν ήταν η τελευταία του υπόθεση, τον επαναφέρει από την συνταξιοδότηση στα επόμενα βιβλία, ξερωγώ θα έχουν μνημόνια και στην Σκωτία και αύξησαν τα όρια συνταξιοδότησης). Μια έντονη αίσθηση ματαιότητας απέναντι στο σύστημα και στους μηχανισμούς του, που μπορεί να την αποκτήσεις και πολύ πριν την συνταξιοδότηση *γκουχ* *γκουχ*
Και τι συγκλονιστικό φινάλε με τον Ρέμπους και την αιώνια νέμεση του, τον μεγαλομαφιόζο Κάφερτι σε ένα δωμάτιο εντατικής...
Δεν μπορώ όμως παρά να βάλω 5αρι στην υπόκλιση του Ρέμπους στην καριέρα του (αν και σε αυτό κλέβει ο Ράνκιν : δεν ήταν η τελευταία του υπόθεση, τον επαναφέρει από την συνταξιοδότηση στα επόμενα βιβλία, ξερωγώ θα έχουν μνημόνια και στην Σκωτία και αύξησαν τα όρια συνταξιοδότησης). Μια έντονη αίσθηση ματαιότητας απέναντι στο σύστημα και στους μηχανισμούς του, που μπορεί να την αποκτήσεις και πολύ πριν την συνταξιοδότηση *γκουχ* *γκουχ*
Και τι συγκλονιστικό φινάλε με τον Ρέμπους και την αιώνια νέμεση του, τον μεγαλομαφιόζο Κάφερτι σε ένα δωμάτιο εντατικής...
January 17, 2026
DI John Rebus #!7. The last book in the series before Rebus retires and it’s a whopper of a story. Once again, a couple of murders, their trials and consequences go all over the place. A hard book to say too much about. For myself at least I was unable to figure out who the antagonists who caused the deaths were.
I thought that the multiple wrap ups for everything that needed to be concluded were excellent. Two very surprising results, and one that entailed some good hints about where it was going. It’s very hard to say a lot without giving away too much to ruin the book for someone else. I also thought that the way John’s retirement was handled and his last day was presented was a great way to end the book.
I thought that the multiple wrap ups for everything that needed to be concluded were excellent. Two very surprising results, and one that entailed some good hints about where it was going. It’s very hard to say a lot without giving away too much to ruin the book for someone else. I also thought that the way John’s retirement was handled and his last day was presented was a great way to end the book.
November 19, 2019
This audio CD version of Exit Music is superbly narrated by James Macpherson who brings the characters to life.
The story itself is also absolutely brilliant. The streets of Edinburgh have never seemed so alive as they do from the pen of Ian Rankin. The characters are well thought out and interact well with each other throughout the story. The reader becomes totally immersed in the action from the outset.
I heartily recommend this book and audio cd to everyone who enjoys a good crime story
The story itself is also absolutely brilliant. The streets of Edinburgh have never seemed so alive as they do from the pen of Ian Rankin. The characters are well thought out and interact well with each other throughout the story. The reader becomes totally immersed in the action from the outset.
I heartily recommend this book and audio cd to everyone who enjoys a good crime story
May 10, 2019
Δεν γνωρίζω εάν έχει μεταφραστεί στη γλώσσα μας αλλά συνιστώ ανεπιφύλακτα το πρωτότυπο. Η πρόζα του Ian Rankin είναι κοφτή, λιτή και γεμάτη λεπτές ειρωνείες που είναι εύκολο να διαβαστούν αλλά δύσκολο να μεταφραστούν.
Μια από τις πιο απολαυστικές περσόνες της αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας, ο ξεροκέφαλος, είρων και μονήρης ντετέκτιβ Rebus ετοιμάζεται για συνταξιοδότηση. Το πρόβλημά είναι πως δεν ξέρει τι να κάνει με τον εαυτό του εκτός υπηρεσίας, ειδικά όταν πολλοί από τους λογαριασμούς του παρελθόντος παραμένουν ανοιχτοί.
Ο Rankin έχει σίγουρα γράψει πιο ενδιαφέρουσες πλοκές σε προηγούμενες περιπέτειες του Rebus, αλλά η σκιαγράφηση του εσωτερικού κόσμου του ντετέκτιβ είναι τόσο μεστή και γλαφυρή εδώ που δύσκολα θα εγκαταλείψετε την προσπάθεια. Όπως και στις περιπτώσεις μεγάλων ηθοποιών, ο Rebus "το παίρνει πάνω του" και σώζει το βιβλίο!
Παρεμπιπτόντως, δεν έμελλε να είναι η τελευταία του περιπέτεια...
Μια από τις πιο απολαυστικές περσόνες της αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας, ο ξεροκέφαλος, είρων και μονήρης ντετέκτιβ Rebus ετοιμάζεται για συνταξιοδότηση. Το πρόβλημά είναι πως δεν ξέρει τι να κάνει με τον εαυτό του εκτός υπηρεσίας, ειδικά όταν πολλοί από τους λογαριασμούς του παρελθόντος παραμένουν ανοιχτοί.
Ο Rankin έχει σίγουρα γράψει πιο ενδιαφέρουσες πλοκές σε προηγούμενες περιπέτειες του Rebus, αλλά η σκιαγράφηση του εσωτερικού κόσμου του ντετέκτιβ είναι τόσο μεστή και γλαφυρή εδώ που δύσκολα θα εγκαταλείψετε την προσπάθεια. Όπως και στις περιπτώσεις μεγάλων ηθοποιών, ο Rebus "το παίρνει πάνω του" και σώζει το βιβλίο!
Παρεμπιπτόντως, δεν έμελλε να είναι η τελευταία του περιπέτεια...
May 29, 2010
PROTAGONIST: DI John Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke
SETTING: Edinburgh, Scotland
SERIES: #17 of 17
RATING: 3.75
The time that fans of Detective Inspector John Rebus have long dreaded has arrived—in only ten days, Rebus is set to retire. Anyone who knows him does not expect him to go gently into that good night. Even though his career clock is ticking, he’s completely engaged in the newest case to come in to the department. Acclaimed Russian poet Alexander Todorov has been beaten to death. What at first appears to be a mugging turns into something a lot bigger, involving Scottish politicians and Russian businessmen. The case is oddly headed by Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke, with the result that Rebus is reporting to her. She has also brought a young copper on board named Todd Goodyear, who is the grandson of someone that Rebus investigated years earlier. It’s interesting to see how Clarke works with Goodyear. In many ways, their relationship mirrors that of Rebus and Clarke, with her serving as Goodyear’s mentor and advisor.
As the investigation continues, Rebus also sees connections to a local gangster named Big Ger Cafferty. Cafferty has been Rebus’s arch nemesis for more than three decades. Despite all his efforts, Rebus has never been able to pin anything on the mobster. He’s become almost obsessed with bringing him to justice, to the point where he is surveilling Cafferty on his own time. Unfortunately, this results in Rebus’s suspension for the last few days on the job. The Cafferty plot line was my favorite part of the book. It played out in a way much different than expected, satisfying and confounding all at once.
On the down side, I found the pace of the book to be slow. Many aspects of the investigations seemed redundant and slowed down the overall narrative. As always, the book’s strengths are the characterization of the inimitable Rebus and the depiction of the strong partnership relationship between him and Clarke and a good mystery, to boot.
What will become of John Rebus, a man whose job has been the core of his life for so long, a man with no hobbies or outside interests to speak of? It’s impossible to imagine him pottering around in the garden or working on a stamp collection. What’s even more interesting is to guess what Rankin may have in mind for the series. Is it really over now that the protagonist of 17 books is retiring? Or will he continue with a series centered on his replacement, DS Siobhan Clarke, who we’ve come to know and respect throughout the books?
SETTING: Edinburgh, Scotland
SERIES: #17 of 17
RATING: 3.75
The time that fans of Detective Inspector John Rebus have long dreaded has arrived—in only ten days, Rebus is set to retire. Anyone who knows him does not expect him to go gently into that good night. Even though his career clock is ticking, he’s completely engaged in the newest case to come in to the department. Acclaimed Russian poet Alexander Todorov has been beaten to death. What at first appears to be a mugging turns into something a lot bigger, involving Scottish politicians and Russian businessmen. The case is oddly headed by Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke, with the result that Rebus is reporting to her. She has also brought a young copper on board named Todd Goodyear, who is the grandson of someone that Rebus investigated years earlier. It’s interesting to see how Clarke works with Goodyear. In many ways, their relationship mirrors that of Rebus and Clarke, with her serving as Goodyear’s mentor and advisor.
As the investigation continues, Rebus also sees connections to a local gangster named Big Ger Cafferty. Cafferty has been Rebus’s arch nemesis for more than three decades. Despite all his efforts, Rebus has never been able to pin anything on the mobster. He’s become almost obsessed with bringing him to justice, to the point where he is surveilling Cafferty on his own time. Unfortunately, this results in Rebus’s suspension for the last few days on the job. The Cafferty plot line was my favorite part of the book. It played out in a way much different than expected, satisfying and confounding all at once.
On the down side, I found the pace of the book to be slow. Many aspects of the investigations seemed redundant and slowed down the overall narrative. As always, the book’s strengths are the characterization of the inimitable Rebus and the depiction of the strong partnership relationship between him and Clarke and a good mystery, to boot.
What will become of John Rebus, a man whose job has been the core of his life for so long, a man with no hobbies or outside interests to speak of? It’s impossible to imagine him pottering around in the garden or working on a stamp collection. What’s even more interesting is to guess what Rankin may have in mind for the series. Is it really over now that the protagonist of 17 books is retiring? Or will he continue with a series centered on his replacement, DS Siobhan Clarke, who we’ve come to know and respect throughout the books?
December 10, 2015
Rebus has personality and onus. He just holds it. And this book occurs just prior to his scheduled retirement. It had a good plot and interesting balance to the Russian poet's murder. I've only read a few of these. It is the Scottish location police department hierarchy and peer pub snark factor that nearly always puts me off with these Rebus books, coupled with a bit of overload word verbosity. It did this time too, which knocks off an entire star.
I bet he comes back as an unauthorized consultant or some other form of being a sneaky observer in the know.
I bet he comes back as an unauthorized consultant or some other form of being a sneaky observer in the know.
June 16, 2025
The grim and brooding Rebus is back in this installment with another chilling crime to solve. This time Rankin has put Rebus in the midst of two murders and the connections just do not seem obvious.The final 60-70 pages is where everything falls into place and the end is bittersweet.
In this particular book, the characterisation of Rebus and his years in the army and then the police force are at the fore, driving everything forward. Thoroughly enjoyed the read. If you are a Rebus fan you will love this book. Go pick it up!
In this particular book, the characterisation of Rebus and his years in the army and then the police force are at the fore, driving everything forward. Thoroughly enjoyed the read. If you are a Rebus fan you will love this book. Go pick it up!
February 5, 2013
Unfortunately, this story lacked interest over a pace too slow for my liking. I could not finish this novel because I kept falling asleep.
November 12, 2025
Back in 2008ish, when I was stationed in Victoria, BC, my wife got me one of my best Xmas presents. Down on Fort Street was one of my favorite book stores, The Chronicles of Crime (no, she didn't buy me the book store.... not that I wouldn't have loved that). We were still living up island and on our way out of Victoria back to our home, she had me stop at the Chronicles to pick up something. Well, on Xmas Day, I discovered the almost complete collection of Ian Rankin's Rebus books. There were a couple missing but I purchased them in Comox, the following weeks. Thus began a love affair with the Rebus mystery series, which also extended to both TV series based on the books; one starring John Hannah and the other starring Ken Stott, who remains my favorite Rebus.
So to get to the point, we now come to my review of Book #17, Exit Music by Ian Rankin. At the time, I began the series, this was the last book and the title refers to Rebus's retirement from the Edinburgh Criminal Investigation Division. Since that time, Mr. Rankin has resurrected Rebus, starting five year after this book... Do I dare continue?
So... as Rebus heads to retirement, with his faithful DS Siobhan Clarke about to take over (maybe) as the DI, a Russian poet is murdered in Edinburgh. His last acts involvement the investigation of this murder, plus a follow-on murder of a Scottish producer, who seems to have a relationship with the Russian. the investigation will bring in suspects far and wide, Russian oligarchs investing in Scotland, Scottish bankers & politicians and Big Ger Cafferty, Rebus's nemesis since Day 1, the Scottish mobster, with his ties into everything.
I think it would be pointless to try and get into too much of the plot. Like all of the Rebus books, the case has twists and turns, the investigation will follow many tangents. Rebus will be suspended from the investigation for irritating one too many high profile suspects. Siobhan will continue to feed Rebus with information while he continues to investigate in the background. A replacement DI will take over and test everyone's loyalty. And the ultimate resolution to the murder(s) will be surprising and ultimately satisfying..
The partnership between Rebus and Siobhan is one of the best written in detective fiction, I believe. Their patter, their humor with each other, Siobhan's frustration at times with working with such an irascible boss, but ultimately her friendship and love for Rebus (and his for her) makes them such a great team. And the two DC's Phyllida and Colm add a nice touch when they get involved as well. Rebus has grown so much throughout this excellent series, that yes, I will probably continue to explore his life in the next books. It's a series you should really check out. (4.0 stars)
So to get to the point, we now come to my review of Book #17, Exit Music by Ian Rankin. At the time, I began the series, this was the last book and the title refers to Rebus's retirement from the Edinburgh Criminal Investigation Division. Since that time, Mr. Rankin has resurrected Rebus, starting five year after this book... Do I dare continue?
So... as Rebus heads to retirement, with his faithful DS Siobhan Clarke about to take over (maybe) as the DI, a Russian poet is murdered in Edinburgh. His last acts involvement the investigation of this murder, plus a follow-on murder of a Scottish producer, who seems to have a relationship with the Russian. the investigation will bring in suspects far and wide, Russian oligarchs investing in Scotland, Scottish bankers & politicians and Big Ger Cafferty, Rebus's nemesis since Day 1, the Scottish mobster, with his ties into everything.
I think it would be pointless to try and get into too much of the plot. Like all of the Rebus books, the case has twists and turns, the investigation will follow many tangents. Rebus will be suspended from the investigation for irritating one too many high profile suspects. Siobhan will continue to feed Rebus with information while he continues to investigate in the background. A replacement DI will take over and test everyone's loyalty. And the ultimate resolution to the murder(s) will be surprising and ultimately satisfying..
The partnership between Rebus and Siobhan is one of the best written in detective fiction, I believe. Their patter, their humor with each other, Siobhan's frustration at times with working with such an irascible boss, but ultimately her friendship and love for Rebus (and his for her) makes them such a great team. And the two DC's Phyllida and Colm add a nice touch when they get involved as well. Rebus has grown so much throughout this excellent series, that yes, I will probably continue to explore his life in the next books. It's a series you should really check out. (4.0 stars)
March 20, 2025
ವರ್ಷದ ಬಳಿಕ ಓದಿದ ರಿಬಸ್ ಪುಸ್ತಕ. ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ರಿಬಸ್ ನಿವೃತ್ತನಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಇದಾದ ಬಳಿಕವೂ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು ಬಂದವು.
ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ರಸ್ತೆ ಬದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊಲೆಗೀಡಾದ ಒಬ್ಬ ರಷಿಯನ್ ಕವಿಯ ಸಾವಿನ ರಹಸ್ಯ ಬೇಧಿಸುವ ರಿಬಸ್, ಅವನ ನಿವೃತ್ತಿ ಆಗಲು ವಾರ ಮಾತ್ರ ಇದೆ.
ಮೆಲಾಂಕಲಿ ಭಾವನೆಗಳು.
ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿತ್ತು.
ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ರಸ್ತೆ ಬದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊಲೆಗೀಡಾದ ಒಬ್ಬ ರಷಿಯನ್ ಕವಿಯ ಸಾವಿನ ರಹಸ್ಯ ಬೇಧಿಸುವ ರಿಬಸ್, ಅವನ ನಿವೃತ್ತಿ ಆಗಲು ವಾರ ಮಾತ್ರ ಇದೆ.
ಮೆಲಾಂಕಲಿ ಭಾವನೆಗಳು.
ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿತ್ತು.
May 7, 2024
A solid crime thriller, but nothing special in my opinion.
March 27, 2017
I have not read the Rebus series in order so I suspect that people who have would like this one even more than I did. An excellent police procedural (though with not a lot of procedure as Rebus isn't a rule-following kind of guy!) and I love the way Rebus (& Rankin) describes Edinburgh.
October 23, 2018
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Before I get into this, last week my son was playing some EASports game -- FIFA something, I think. Anyway, I notice that he's playing Hiberian, and my first thought is, "Hey, that's Siobhan's team." That's a sign that I'm probably reading too many Rebus novels, right? Anyway, on with this post...
I think many readers, like DS Clarke, have wondered just what Rebus will do after retirement -- which is looming as this book begins. Actually, it's more than looming -- it's 10 days away. Ten days of Rebus trying to squeeze in any last-second mentoring he can, ten days of him trying to get Clarke invested in cold cases he can't let go of, ten days of Rebus trying to stay relevant, active . . . ten days of John Rebus trying to remain John Rebus.
John Rebus has no family left, few friends, only a handful of colleagues that trust him, no plans for retirement at all. He's going to have to come up with something, he knows, but he can't really contemplate that reality, much less plan for it.
But first, there's a murder -- a man without any identification on him has been found by a few pedestrians out for a late-night walk, apparently beaten to death. A literately-inclined morgue worker recognized him as a Russian exile and poet of note. Plunging Rebus and Clarke (named to lead the investigation, only because of Rebus' impending retirement *wink*) into an investigation with international implications.
Funnily enough, a contingent of Russian businessmen is in Edinburgh looking for investment opportunities, all of which are welcomed and encouraged by members of Scottish Parliament -- especially by those MSPs seeking independence. None of the MSPs have any interest in their Russian friends being hassled by detectives over a pesky little thing by murder. Even if the victim was drinking in the hotel they were staying at shortly before the murder.
But once Di Rebus finds not only a link between the victim and their hotel bar, but a link between the poet and Gerald Cafferty, and links between Cafferty and the Russian delegation? All bets are off. The clock is ticking on his career -- and the ticking is getting really loud -- but here's Cafferty with some sort of connection to a murder victim? There's no way that John Rebus can let this go (not that Siobhan Clarke is that interested in letting this opportunity pass by, either).
The investigation isn't making too much progress, but maybe is getting far enough, when someone else connected to the case is killed. And the investigation looks like it's dealing with a web of drugs, prostitution, blackmail, international interests, politics, a large national bank a poet, and Cafferty. Which would be a lot to deal with even without Rebus' deadline.
While preparing for Rebus' departure, Clarke takes a uniformed PC under her wing -- he has talent and ambition -- he was one of the two initial officers at the site of the original murder and wants to be a detective soon. Clarke brings him along with her to many interviews and visits to various places in the investigation, as him run errands and even do some of the grunt work (scouring through hours of audio recordings that may or may not hold relevant information). He's an interesting character -- he adds some emotional weight to some scenes, and comic relief in others.
It's possible that Rebus is at his most introspective in these pages -- he knows his career is finished and that in no time at all he'll be forgotten by just about everyone. What's been the point of it all?
Still, he perseveres, he gets into hot water with his superiors, with Clarke, with government officials, and -- of course -- Cafferty. In the end, despite the large number of detectives eventually working on the murders, Rebus is the only one to focus on the important facts (it helps that he's not worried about what happens after the arrest, like everyone else is) and makes the important conclusions so that the cases can be closed in time for him to leave the force. It's really a nice bit of storytelling by Rankin here, and I'd be very happy reading it even without all the hubbub around Rebus' retirement. And then Rankin ends it with a jaw-dropping final chapter and a last line that just about floored me.
I'm so glad that I'm discovering these books now -- when I know that there's a future for Rebus (even if I'm not really sure what it is, but there are 5 books to come, at least). It can't have been easy for Rebus fans to close this book not knowing what Rankin was going to do next.
At the same time, this remains a decent entry-book -- like every other book in this series. Sure, you get more of the emotional weight if you've been reading about the DI for several books, but Rankin writes them in a way that the weight can be seen regardless.
I think if this were any other Rebus book, I'd rate it 4 stars for the case work, the internal squabbles with the hierarchy and the politics -- but when you add in Rebus counting down the last ten days of his career, the hope of this case leading him to one more shot at Cafferty, the reflections on what he's done and why he's done it and what it cost . . . essentially, all the intangible things, the parts of a novel that are hard to pin down, much less describe. All that combined with a strong story, some excellent non-Rebus/Clarke/Cafferty character development (not that theirs isn't strong as usual, but this is a new characters) -- and it's easy. Rebus retires with a 5.
---
Before I get into this, last week my son was playing some EASports game -- FIFA something, I think. Anyway, I notice that he's playing Hiberian, and my first thought is, "Hey, that's Siobhan's team." That's a sign that I'm probably reading too many Rebus novels, right? Anyway, on with this post...
“No sign of any abandoned cars in the multistory?”
“Good point, Shiv, I’ll have someone check. Talk to you later.” The phone went dead, and she managed a little smile, hadn’t heard Rebus so fired up in several months. Not for the first time, she wondered what the hell he would do with himself when the work was done.
Answer: bug her, most likely--phone calls daily, wanting to know everything about her caseload.
I think many readers, like DS Clarke, have wondered just what Rebus will do after retirement -- which is looming as this book begins. Actually, it's more than looming -- it's 10 days away. Ten days of Rebus trying to squeeze in any last-second mentoring he can, ten days of him trying to get Clarke invested in cold cases he can't let go of, ten days of Rebus trying to stay relevant, active . . . ten days of John Rebus trying to remain John Rebus.
John Rebus has no family left, few friends, only a handful of colleagues that trust him, no plans for retirement at all. He's going to have to come up with something, he knows, but he can't really contemplate that reality, much less plan for it.
But first, there's a murder -- a man without any identification on him has been found by a few pedestrians out for a late-night walk, apparently beaten to death. A literately-inclined morgue worker recognized him as a Russian exile and poet of note. Plunging Rebus and Clarke (named to lead the investigation, only because of Rebus' impending retirement *wink*) into an investigation with international implications.
Funnily enough, a contingent of Russian businessmen is in Edinburgh looking for investment opportunities, all of which are welcomed and encouraged by members of Scottish Parliament -- especially by those MSPs seeking independence. None of the MSPs have any interest in their Russian friends being hassled by detectives over a pesky little thing by murder. Even if the victim was drinking in the hotel they were staying at shortly before the murder.
But once Di Rebus finds not only a link between the victim and their hotel bar, but a link between the poet and Gerald Cafferty, and links between Cafferty and the Russian delegation? All bets are off. The clock is ticking on his career -- and the ticking is getting really loud -- but here's Cafferty with some sort of connection to a murder victim? There's no way that John Rebus can let this go (not that Siobhan Clarke is that interested in letting this opportunity pass by, either).
The investigation isn't making too much progress, but maybe is getting far enough, when someone else connected to the case is killed. And the investigation looks like it's dealing with a web of drugs, prostitution, blackmail, international interests, politics, a large national bank a poet, and Cafferty. Which would be a lot to deal with even without Rebus' deadline.
While preparing for Rebus' departure, Clarke takes a uniformed PC under her wing -- he has talent and ambition -- he was one of the two initial officers at the site of the original murder and wants to be a detective soon. Clarke brings him along with her to many interviews and visits to various places in the investigation, as him run errands and even do some of the grunt work (scouring through hours of audio recordings that may or may not hold relevant information). He's an interesting character -- he adds some emotional weight to some scenes, and comic relief in others.
It's possible that Rebus is at his most introspective in these pages -- he knows his career is finished and that in no time at all he'll be forgotten by just about everyone. What's been the point of it all?
Outside in the car park he unlocked his Saab, but then stood there, hand on the door handle, staring into space. For a while now, he’d known the truth--that it wasn’t so much the underworld you had to fear as the overworld. Maybe that explained why Cafferty had, to all purposes and appearances, gone legit. A few friends in the right places and deals got done, fates decided. Never in his life had Rebus felt like an insider. From time to time he’d tried--during his years in the army and his first few months as a cop. But the less he felt he belonged, the more he came to mistrust the others around him with their games of golf and their “quiet words,” their stitch-ups and handshakes, palm greasing and scratching of backs.
Still, he perseveres, he gets into hot water with his superiors, with Clarke, with government officials, and -- of course -- Cafferty. In the end, despite the large number of detectives eventually working on the murders, Rebus is the only one to focus on the important facts (it helps that he's not worried about what happens after the arrest, like everyone else is) and makes the important conclusions so that the cases can be closed in time for him to leave the force. It's really a nice bit of storytelling by Rankin here, and I'd be very happy reading it even without all the hubbub around Rebus' retirement. And then Rankin ends it with a jaw-dropping final chapter and a last line that just about floored me.
I'm so glad that I'm discovering these books now -- when I know that there's a future for Rebus (even if I'm not really sure what it is, but there are 5 books to come, at least). It can't have been easy for Rebus fans to close this book not knowing what Rankin was going to do next.
At the same time, this remains a decent entry-book -- like every other book in this series. Sure, you get more of the emotional weight if you've been reading about the DI for several books, but Rankin writes them in a way that the weight can be seen regardless.
I think if this were any other Rebus book, I'd rate it 4 stars for the case work, the internal squabbles with the hierarchy and the politics -- but when you add in Rebus counting down the last ten days of his career, the hope of this case leading him to one more shot at Cafferty, the reflections on what he's done and why he's done it and what it cost . . . essentially, all the intangible things, the parts of a novel that are hard to pin down, much less describe. All that combined with a strong story, some excellent non-Rebus/Clarke/Cafferty character development (not that theirs isn't strong as usual, but this is a new characters) -- and it's easy. Rebus retires with a 5.
November 16, 2010
This is Ian Rankin’s second masterpiece. The first was Black & Blue.
I have grown old with DI Rebus. I define the way I enjoy crime fiction from Ian Rankin’s, and Michael Connelly’s, writing. I read Exit Music as slowly as I could. I don’t want Rebus and his arch-enemy, Big Ger Cafferty, off my reading radar. I was not disappointed. Rankin is a fine storyteller. He and Rebus work through Edinburgh as one in this swan song. Or is it?
The crime Rebus investigates is cleverly concealed and revealed by Rankin. It marks the beginning of an end. It ties up and loosens threads that have run through the entire series of these 18 novels. All the usual suspects, including Siobhan Clarke, are there. Edinburgh plays its part. Rankin laughs at that the walking tours that the legend of John Rebus has birthed. He takes Rebus on this walk as he approaches his final day as a policeman.
The voices, and rhythms, of Rebus’s life are so well defined and so well paced in this novel, that I fell in love with this character, and his creator, all over again. The relationship between detective and criminal is shown. Obsession is fear, hatred is love, and terror is fascination. It takes an exceptional writer to show this.
I was apprehensive about committing to this book. If it is Rebus’s final appearance, I wanted it to be brilliant. I wasn’t disappointed. Here’s to you, Mr Rankin. As I’ve said before; if you weren’t writing crime fiction you would win a literary prize.
I have grown old with DI Rebus. I define the way I enjoy crime fiction from Ian Rankin’s, and Michael Connelly’s, writing. I read Exit Music as slowly as I could. I don’t want Rebus and his arch-enemy, Big Ger Cafferty, off my reading radar. I was not disappointed. Rankin is a fine storyteller. He and Rebus work through Edinburgh as one in this swan song. Or is it?
The crime Rebus investigates is cleverly concealed and revealed by Rankin. It marks the beginning of an end. It ties up and loosens threads that have run through the entire series of these 18 novels. All the usual suspects, including Siobhan Clarke, are there. Edinburgh plays its part. Rankin laughs at that the walking tours that the legend of John Rebus has birthed. He takes Rebus on this walk as he approaches his final day as a policeman.
The voices, and rhythms, of Rebus’s life are so well defined and so well paced in this novel, that I fell in love with this character, and his creator, all over again. The relationship between detective and criminal is shown. Obsession is fear, hatred is love, and terror is fascination. It takes an exceptional writer to show this.
I was apprehensive about committing to this book. If it is Rebus’s final appearance, I wanted it to be brilliant. I wasn’t disappointed. Here’s to you, Mr Rankin. As I’ve said before; if you weren’t writing crime fiction you would win a literary prize.
March 20, 2016
Seventeenth in the Inspector Rebus detective mystery series set in Edinburgh, Scotland.
My Take
Please. Please, don't let Rebus retire…I want to read more about him! He's too interesting a character to sit back in an armchair with his music and Scotch.
Rebus reminds me of Inspector Morse in that he's a bit cantankerous, "knows-all" (usually true!), and he has an eye for the ladies — besides the drink and the music! As for other characters, there's really only Siobhan Clarke who has been stuck with Rebus for most of the series as his not-quite-equal partner. We know so little about her that I don't see her taking over the series. Other minor characters appear in the background to give it some consistency — it's primarily Rebus with Shiv and his maneuvering to get his way in his (well, mostly his) investigations.
A fascinating look at crime in Edinburgh and an incredible tour of the city and Scottish culture and politics. If this truly is the end of Rebus…I'll miss it.
I do have my suspicions that Rebus may be joining another squad though…
The Story
Always a pain in management's back side (one of Rebus' three delights in life, besides the scotch and music), this is Rebus' last chance to clear up old cases, and especially, clear up Ger Cafferty. So when a Russian dissident poet is murdered and a possible connection to Big Ger rises, Rebus insists that there is more to the murder.
My Take
Please. Please, don't let Rebus retire…I want to read more about him! He's too interesting a character to sit back in an armchair with his music and Scotch.
Rebus reminds me of Inspector Morse in that he's a bit cantankerous, "knows-all" (usually true!), and he has an eye for the ladies — besides the drink and the music! As for other characters, there's really only Siobhan Clarke who has been stuck with Rebus for most of the series as his not-quite-equal partner. We know so little about her that I don't see her taking over the series. Other minor characters appear in the background to give it some consistency — it's primarily Rebus with Shiv and his maneuvering to get his way in his (well, mostly his) investigations.
A fascinating look at crime in Edinburgh and an incredible tour of the city and Scottish culture and politics. If this truly is the end of Rebus…I'll miss it.
I do have my suspicions that Rebus may be joining another squad though…
The Story
Always a pain in management's back side (one of Rebus' three delights in life, besides the scotch and music), this is Rebus' last chance to clear up old cases, and especially, clear up Ger Cafferty. So when a Russian dissident poet is murdered and a possible connection to Big Ger rises, Rebus insists that there is more to the murder.
December 24, 2016
I fell into a touch of luck with the selection of this book to read having just read A Gentleman in Moscow. I like it when I can follow a theme. The 17th Rebus book kicks off with notice that it will soon be Christmas (another apropos theme considering the date) and Rebus will soon be retiring after decades of police work. The focus of his final week of work is the investigation of a brutal murder of a Russian poet. The book can be enjoyed as stand alone. The working relationship between Rebus and his Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke is a good one. The "crime lord" Cafferty seems to be working with a group of Russians along with a group of bankers and another related death plays a part in the investigation. Of course Rebus manages to rattle one of the bankers and is suspended for his last few days of work (officially) though he stays on task surreptitiously.
A whole lot of musical references throughout the book culminate in a retirement gift from Clarke of i-pod loaded with what Rebus calls his "Exit Music."
I was not aware that a series was produced based on this series, and it almost makes me want to subscribe to Acorn TV. I will see if I can scare up some free you tube video of it first.
A whole lot of musical references throughout the book culminate in a retirement gift from Clarke of i-pod loaded with what Rebus calls his "Exit Music."
I was not aware that a series was produced based on this series, and it almost makes me want to subscribe to Acorn TV. I will see if I can scare up some free you tube video of it first.
September 24, 2017
This is it. Rebus is over. For the first time, anyway. Rankin famously was not a fan of the TV versions of his work, and retired Rebus until the option expired. That's how we ended up with two standalone Malcolm Fox novels before Rebus shows back up to cause a ruckus.
So now you have to read Exit Music in the knowledge that it's not the end, but was intended as a possible end. It works pretty well on that front, although it would have left a lot of people dangling over the precipice as Rankin left one tantalising thread unresolved. In a dazzling change for his form, instead of disparate plot points coming together, some of them actually separate from each other. It's an impressive shift from someone who has clearly known what he was doing with the character for 17 books.
Ten years ago, we thought that there would be no more Rebus, and while we would have been okay with that, this is a character who begs not to be put to bed for good. Even if his future capacity is slightly different - time waits for most literary detectives, but not this one - Rebus has never worn out his welcome.
So now you have to read Exit Music in the knowledge that it's not the end, but was intended as a possible end. It works pretty well on that front, although it would have left a lot of people dangling over the precipice as Rankin left one tantalising thread unresolved. In a dazzling change for his form, instead of disparate plot points coming together, some of them actually separate from each other. It's an impressive shift from someone who has clearly known what he was doing with the character for 17 books.
Ten years ago, we thought that there would be no more Rebus, and while we would have been okay with that, this is a character who begs not to be put to bed for good. Even if his future capacity is slightly different - time waits for most literary detectives, but not this one - Rebus has never worn out his welcome.
December 31, 2014
It is with sorrow that I read another in this great series as with each passing book I get closer to the end. To say this series has been a joy is an understatement. Rankin, through his wonderful character, Rebus, has introduced me to Edinburgh. So much so that my family and I, my wife is a huge fan of the series as well, travelled to Edinburgh for holidays. Seeing Waverley Station, Princes Street, the Oxford Bar, and all of Rebus' haunts was a lot of fun. Reading this book was too. A great read. Plot twists but consistency in living with Rebus on his final days before retirement from the force. Wonderful!
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