Rankin and Rebus are their own reading
journey and this book, set in 2001, is stop number twelve.
For the uninitiated John Rebus is the
maverick Detective Inspector with the Lothian and Borders Police.
Unsurprisingly for followers of detective fiction, he has his problems, mainly
with authority, relationships and drinking; tolerated due to his deep rooted
desire to see justice done and his knack of solving those tricky crimes.
Here it is a missing person’s case, or has
the body just not been found yet? What is the significance of the miniature
coffin found close to her home? Was she involved in a dangerous internet-based
game?
As the case develops Rankin packs the pages
with police procedure, office politics and snatches of the personal lives of Rebus
and his colleagues. Rebus is no Sherlock Holmes so don’t expect read the clues
and beat him to the solution; he is more of a Columbo, working on hunches and
poking potential suspects with barbed comments until either they break cover or
he stumbles over the answer. In truth the crime is not as important to the book
as the motivations, behaviour and interaction of all those involved: the
victims, suspects, witnesses, police and press.
It is well written, fiendishly plotted, and
best read quickly to maintain a grip on the multifarious threads of the story.
If you know Edinburgh the references to its topography, history and notoriously
dichotomous nature (displaying elegance & brutality, enlightenment &
depravity, and home to high rollers & low lifers) add a further dimension,
which having lived in the city I find particularly alluring.
So no doubt I will see Rebus through to his retirement
in about five books time; if you want to start from scratch seek out “Knots and
Crosses” from your local charity shop and enjoy the journey.
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