Rebus

Ian Rankin, "The Hanging Garden"

2011-01-01 00:22; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 50 words

This is a threads-coming-together book — nothing new in Rebus's world as such, but a competent job and an interesting read.

The scene with Rebus and the Weasel at the end must have been written with a TV adaptation in mind...

ISBN 0752817116. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.

Ian Rankin, "Mortal Causes"

2010-08-29 20:58; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 28 words

Mid-series Rebus, with a bigger-than-usual dollop of social commentary. Fairly unremarkable, although Rebus gets a few Superman moments.

ISBN 1857978633. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.

Ian Rankin, "Knots and Crosses"

2010-08-25 20:56; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 125 words

The first Rebus book. (I'm continuing my programme of reading these in completely the wrong order by /not/ saving this one for last.)

Competently written, if very short. Stylish, in a slightly ostentatious way that the later books aren't. Interesting to meet the characters for the first time knowing all there is to know about them already.

Major quibble: this breaks the normal mystery-story convention by making it completely impossible to figure out who the murderer is before Rebus does. (There's one clue that you could figure out, but I didn't, and it wasn't actually enlightening in the greater scheme of things anyway.)

Worth reading, anyway, and the series does only get better after this.

ISBN 0752809423. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.

Ian Rankin, "Beggars Banquet"

2009-08-04 08:23; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 42 words

A collection of short stories; some Rebus, others in a similar vein. There are a few good ones here ("A Deep Hole", "The Hanged Man"), but I generally prefer his long-form work...

ISBN 0752848739. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.

Ian Rankin, "Strip Jack"

2009-08-01 14:41; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 22 words

Perhaps the most Morse-ish of the Rebus books I've read so far.

ISBN 0752883569. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.

Ian Rankin, "The Naming of the Dead"

2009-02-22 09:59; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 42 words

Set around the G8 summit in 2005.

Definitely one of the best ones. Feels a bit unfocussed at the beginning, but comes together (very) nicely at the end. (A Rankin-Gibson crossover, anyone?)

ISBN 0752881639. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.

Ian Rankin, "Tooth and Nail"

2009-02-17 09:06; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 49 words

Rebus in London! (If he's really that hard for a Southerner to understand, then the radio and TV casting is severely in error. But presumably he's meant to sound much like Ian Rankin himself does...)

Some nice misdirection here.

ISBN 0752809407. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.

Ian Rankin, "Fleshmarket Close"

2009-01-30 23:39; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 26 words

... and that exhausts the pile of Rebus books. The issue in this one is immigration policy.

ISBN 0752851128. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.

Ian Rankin, "Set in Darkness"

2009-01-28 22:22; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 87 words

"My box file goes back to '75," Siobhan Clarke complained.

"Wish You Were Here," Rebus said. "Pink Floyd. September, I think it was. Much underrated."

My favourite album, too.

I'm nearly at the bottom of my pile of Rebus books now, and starting to wish I'd not read a couple of the later books first. They're all good. With this one, I'm not sure the singles-club storyline was really necessary, but the main plot is appropriately clever.

ISBN 0752837087. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.

Ian Rankin, "Black & Blue"

2009-01-18 19:35; in Adam's Books, Rebus; 34 words

The most complex of the Rebus books I've read so far. Took a while to get into it, but it does get very good.

ISBN 0752809482. Search for this book on Wikipedia or isbn.nu.