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This is the 24th Rebus novel by Ian Rankin and, like previous books in the series, it is well-written, well-plotted and smart with plenty of twists and turns. In fact he was arguing for my next book to be a retrospective back to Rebus as a younger cop, just to delay the inevitable. That notion of these big empty glass high rises patrolled by security guards 24/7 but almost nobody living there, I thought was such an interesting location for a murder mystery. We don’t yet know what he’s been charged with but it’s clear that something shady in his past has finally caught up with him.
The world has just reopened after the Covid pandemic, and Rebus is avoiding going to the doctor about his deteriorating health, prefering to pretend it’s just heartburn. Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke faces Edinburgh's most explosive case in years, as a corrupt cop goes missing after claiming to harbour secrets that could sink the city's police force. He has won the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year and the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. As the plot unfolds there are several strands going on but as usual Ian Rankin handles this with aplomb.
Story arcs: Like many crime series, the books have overarching story arcs that span multiple novels. I also moved into a new (larger) office which still doesn’t look big enough for all my records and books. In Europe, he has won Denmark's Palle Rosenkrantz Prize, the French Grand Prix du Roman Noir and the German Deutscher Krimipreis. Although I don’t read an awful lot of crime, I do enjoy the Rebus novels (and Rankin’s other work too) in no small part because of the Edinburgh setting. All of his novels have been nominated for major awards and his work is translated in over 30 languages.
The deceased is the twenty-two-year-old concierge at The Rise, a twelve-story luxury apartment building in London. After the previous TV show ended, Ian Rankin took back the rights to his books because he was not happy about the inspector being only one hour on the screen. He’s comfortable with curiosity, inviting me to have a nosey around while the photographer takes pictures of him in the lounge as he apologises about the flat and wonders if he should have had his biannual haircut.Rankin has used a common literary device where he starts the story near what is probably the end of the story. Some people love this and can’t wait to see their favourite stories and characters brought to life on screen. In fact I went along one day to get a walk on cameo but I think I got forgotten about in the general scrum. Two years later, in 2007, he appeared in a few additional shows under his name, including Ian Rankin Investigates Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Ian Rankin’s Hidden Edinburgh. The long-running Rebus detective series books may be somewhat sporadic in recent years, yet this latest release is most welcomed nonetheless.
Then she hands it over, I go away, read over her notes, then we sit and talk over what I need to do and why I need to do it.An unsparing yet sympathetic depiction of Edinburgh’s ignored underclass, with terrific characterisation. The book in question, A Heart Full of Headstones, took shape in my head in January and I started writing it in February. There was a bit about a girl shinnin’ up a drainpipe and boys looking at her knickers and my aunty went ‘on no’. Detective Sergeant Gillian Gish investigates the murder of a concierge which takes place in a lavish 12-story apartment complex, the titular "Rise". He also worked for a hifi magazine and instinctively spells out names and homophones - ‘that’s rein, r-e-i-n.
Obstructed continually by locked doors, governments both foreign and domestic, and an apparent absence of motive, can DS Gish solve this impenetrable mystery and apprehend the murderer—before they slip away forever? Ian Rankin (also writing as Jack Harvey) is a Scottish mystery author best known for his Inspector Rebus series which currently includes 24 novels and several short stories. There’s a solid plot, enough character development, and the perfect ending, so much more than I expect from short stories. But it all comes together brilliantly, as only Rankin can do with his ability to incorporate current events into his books, and with his trademark dark humour. There is also additional news about a new TV crew who is interested in putting Inspector Rebus in front of the screen as well.
Through the floor to ceiling wall of windows of the open plan lounge/kitchen we survey the city below, where daytime dog walkers, runners and cyclists move along the paths criss-crossing The Meadows, one of Edinburgh’s parks. As well, there are some not unexpected developments in Karen’s personal life, which regular readers will find interesting.
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