Rating: 
Summary: Rankin's weakest is still not that bad
Review: I have read all of Ian Rankin's works, mainly because I enjoy his writing style and his descriptions of Edinburgh and environs. This book is not one of his best from plot or suspense angle, however. If you are new to the Inspector Rebus series, I'd start with an earlier one like Knots and Crosses or Black and Blue.
Rating: 
Summary: A complex mystery combined with atmosphere & characters
Review: I love Ian Rankin's Rebus series, even though I am constantly amazed at the extent to which Rebus is able to drink and hold down a job -- I think the Scots are more tolerant of heavy drinkers than American employers would be. That having been said, reading this mystery was like a trip to Edinburgh as someone who lives and works there sees the city -- a city with very deep roots in history, still influenced by events that occurred hundreds of years ago, living under the shadow of a castle and with history in every building. The plot involves the disappearance of a wealthy young college student, who was supposed to be meeting friends for drinks and never shows up. Because of who she is, all the stops are pulled out to find her, and Rebus finds himself one of many working on this case. He believes from the start that she has been killed and he is investigating a homicide. He also thinks there's some connection between her death and some miniature coffins that have been found from time to time, and there's a possibility that her death is connected to a puzzle-solving computer game she's been playing. If you like mysteries that make you think, that really challenge your intelligence and are written with literary skill that will make them timeless classics, Rankin is an author for you. This is my fourth book by him and I'm relishing reading more in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Great Page Turner
Review: I picked up The Falls while on a weekend getaway and do not feel sorry about this. The book starts slowly and at the beginning the story sounds like something I've read in other crime fictions. However, I quickly got more than involved with the details in the story - from finding a reality internet game ring leader to solving the mystery of the wooden coffins. Rebus' character is hard not to like - a detective near retirement who has his own principles and vices and who also listens only to his own instincts. If you have free time or just want to read an entertaining book go for the Falls.
Rating:
Summary: BEST RANKIN YET
Review: I've been a fan of Ian Rankin's Rebus novels for years now. His latest, The Falls, has got to be the best one so far. I will not give anything away, but the storyline is fabulously intricate and the descriptions of Edingburg are perfect. Rebus is as complicated and dark as ever. A very good read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery. A must read for any Rankin fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Great, But Certainly Not Bad at All
Review: Ian Rankin has managed to drag Edinburgh DI John Rebus into the 21st century. In this fine novel Rebus (through Siobhan Clarke) goes out onto the Internet to make contact with a killer. A rather complicated plot that involves the history of Edinburgh and moves a little slowly, but eventually reaches a rather satisfying conclusion.
The Rebus character becomes even more complex as the detective confronts his own mortality (and bad habits), considers selling his flat, gets a new boss, and finds a new lady friend.
Not Rankin's best, but it may be Rankin at his best. I enjoyed the book immensely, and have already ordered the new novel from England.
Rating:
Summary: Not Great, But Certainly Not Bad at All
Review: Ian Rankin has managed to drag Edinburgh DI John Rebus into the 21st century. In this fine novel Rebus (through Siobhan Clarke) goes out onto the Internet to make contact with a killer. A rather complicated plot that involves the history of Edinburgh and moves a little slowly, but eventually reaches a rather satisfying conclusion.
The Rebus character becomes even more complex as the detective confronts his own mortality (and bad habits), considers selling his flat, gets a new boss, and finds a new lady friend.
Not Rankin's best, but it may be Rankin at his best. I enjoyed the book immensely, and have already ordered the new novel from England.
Rating:
Summary: Quite Good
Review: Not really a police procedural as the book is more TV mystery genre than gritty realism. Never the less it is easy to read and entertaining. The plot involves an abduction which might be a murder set against a strange internett game and a coffin with a doll turning up near the crime scene. The author's main character Rebus is a 40+ divorced cop, drifting around the edge of alcoholism. He has a younger female sidekick who looks into the internett side of things. The main characters are drawn a little more lightly than in some detective fiction. You never sense any of the real desperation or feeling of waste as you would normally do with a person of Rebus age and circumstances. Never the less this is basically an entertainment which is well done despite the fact that the ending is a little weak.
Rating:
Summary: disappointing ending
Review: On the plus side, the book was interesting enough that I didn't want to stop in the middle; and when I got to the end I thought back over it (which I don't always do) and realized that the ending was a letdown (that's the minus side). In a really good book, when i reach the end it seems to make good sense. Here, the solution seemed kind of stuck on - - like the author was much more interested in the psychology of the characters than the plot. Maybe it made more sense to other readers, but to me, the end was a big "huh"?
Rating:
Summary: Can't go wrong with Rankin
Review: One of the great things about the Rebus novels is the subdued character conflicts at play underneath the plots and subplots. Not only does one come away from Rankin's work, particularly the later Rebus books, with a wonderful sense of place and atmosphere, but the characterization is so strong that even the second and third level characters are developed enough to stand on their own. The downside of this, which is unavoidable, is that the book tends to grow long in spots. That notwithstanding, the Rebus series is an excellent one. DS Siobhan Clarke has become more prominent in these books as well, and I can't help but wonder if she isn't being lined up for a series of her own.
Rating:
Summary: Can't go wrong with Rankin
Review: One of the great things about the Rebus novels is the subdued character conflicts at play underneath the plots and subplots. Not only does one come away from Rankin's work, particularly the later Rebus books, with a wonderful sense of place and atmosphere, but the characterization is so strong that even the second and third level characters are developed enough to stand on their own. The downside of this, which is unavoidable, is that the book tends to grow long in spots. That notwithstanding, the Rebus series is an excellent one. DS Siobhan Clarke has become more prominent in these books as well, and I can't help but wonder if she isn't being lined up for a series of her own.
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