
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When Inspector John Rebus gets involved in an old case, against the advice of his superiors, we know we’re in for another intriguing and complicated read. There is a charred body amongst the ashes of a burned hotel in Edinburgh, as well as an attack on his close colleague, Brian Holmes, who has a black notebook with important hidden clues for Rebus to follow. The reappearance of Big Ger, an old adversary of Rebus, is bound to make the case more complex and it meant I could settle to yet another satisfying crime thriller from this superb author. We have an extra surprise this time with Rebus’s brother trying to hold down his drug habit, and needing somewhere to stay!
The elements for a satisfying read can always be found in one of Rankin’s Rebus books: a fascinating central character, with a list of interesting individuals accompanying him; realistic and often amusing dialogue; great Scottish settings; and twists and turns in the tale to make one keep turning the pages. Having read about six of the books in the Rebus series, in no particular order, I still look forward to finding another one, with high expectations of an entertaining read.
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