Rating: 
Summary: Solid Police Procedural
Review: This is a well written police procedural/hard boiled detective novel. Part of a popular series set in Edinburgh and featuring the distinctly hard boiled Detective Inspector Rebus. As with many novels in this genre, Rebus is flawed human being redeemed by his obsessive interest in pursuing the truth and establishing justice, features often unappreciated by his superiors. While hardly at the level of Raymond Chandler, these books are solid examples of the genre, written well with good plotting and creditable characters. Good entertainment reading.
Rating: 
Summary: One of those books you can't wait to get back to...
Review: This is my second book by Ian Rankin but it won't be my last. I really loved this mystery -- it was full of atmosphere, characters with depth and vitality, well plotted, and a page turner -- what more can you ask for?The plot involves two murder investigations -- one from the past, based on a 20 year old skeleton of unknown identity found in the course of renovating a very old building to become the new Scottish Parliament; the second involves a politician found murdered nearby in the construction area. Additionally, there is a suicide of a homeless man shortly after the skeleton is discovered. Who is this man, was it suicide, and why? The homeless man turns out to have some very surprising qualities. Inspector Rebus (who is considered the bane of his department) comes to believe that all three deaths are somehow related. The Grieve family (the family of the murdered politician) may be at the center of all three deaths -- or maybe not. Maybe they really ARE unconnected, as the powers that be are assuming. TO make matters more difficult, Rebus is being forced to work with an ambitious young man who is the "fair haired boy" of the powers-that-be, but who doesn't have Rebus's respect -- so he must content with the politics of the situation as well, which is not Rebus's long suit. This series is set in Edinburgh, Scotland, but not in the touristy Edinburgh but in the tough underbelly, where there are pubs that it is wisest not to go into and where there are gangs and thugs. The location is so well described that it is easy to imagine being there. All in all, I have no hesitation in giving this mystery 5 stars. The only question is which Rankin book I read next.
Rating:
Summary: One of those books you can't wait to get back to...
Review: This is my second book by Ian Rankin but it won't be my last. I really loved this mystery -- it was full of atmosphere, characters with depth and vitality, well plotted, and a page turner -- what more can you ask for? The plot involves two murder investigations -- one from the past, based on a 20 year old skeleton of unknown identity found in the course of renovating a very old building to become the new Scottish Parliament; the second involves a politician found murdered nearby in the construction area. Additionally, there is a suicide of a homeless man shortly after the skeleton is discovered. Who is this man, was it suicide, and why? The homeless man turns out to have some very surprising qualities. Inspector Rebus (who is considered the bane of his department) comes to believe that all three deaths are somehow related. The Grieve family (the family of the murdered politician) may be at the center of all three deaths -- or maybe not. Maybe they really ARE unconnected, as the powers that be are assuming. TO make matters more difficult, Rebus is being forced to work with an ambitious young man who is the "fair haired boy" of the powers-that-be, but who doesn't have Rebus's respect -- so he must content with the politics of the situation as well, which is not Rebus's long suit. This series is set in Edinburgh, Scotland, but not in the touristy Edinburgh but in the tough underbelly, where there are pubs that it is wisest not to go into and where there are gangs and thugs. The location is so well described that it is easy to imagine being there. All in all, I have no hesitation in giving this mystery 5 stars. The only question is which Rankin book I read next.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! Another hit!
Review: This is one of the most satisfying series I have ever read and this one is a gem. The story about Scotland regaining its parliament and the history of Edinburgh are a superb backdrop to this dark chapter in the life and times of John Rebus. Rankin has really set up a puzzler this time--three murders (one old, new two) with no apparent ties. But as Rebus begins the hunt, the pieces start coming together into an extremely satisfying and well-constructed conclusion. As always, the supporting characters and subplots are as intricate and vital to the overall story as is Rebus and the initial crime.I finish each book and it takes awhile to come back to the real world. Rebus' ongoing personal and professional problems are beautifully woven into the story. His is so complex a character that I would suggest that, if you are thinking about reading the series, you start at the beginning. READ THESE BOOKS! You will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Well Written, to Little Effect
Review: This is the first of Rankin's Rebus Edinburgh police procedurals I've read, so perhaps I'm simply lacking in backstory, but though this neophyte found Rankin's sharp, astringent dialogue and thoughtfully textured scenes impressive, they eventually add up to not much at all. Spinning far too many characters to keep straight into multiple unrelated subplots that eventually collide seemingly only because its a mystery and they have to, Rankin seems to have little sense of how to tell a compelling story. And though his dialogue is first rate, Rebus, Clarke, and the multitudinous supporting cast never really come alive as characters, just lively noir cliches relocated to Edinburgh. Surely there should be some kind of moratorium on series detectives drinking and listening to classic rock, on either side of the Atlantic, at this late date. But perhaps I've merely chanced upon one bad apple in an apparently beloved series. Ranking writes well enough that at some point I'll give Inspector Rebus another try.
Rating: 
Summary: Dreary stuff
Review: What differentiates 'Set in Darkness' from the preceeding novels is the amount of character development Rankin puts into DC Siobhan Clarke this time around. Previously the emphasis had been on Rebus and his 'relations' with drink, family and love (Patience and, to a certain extent, Gill Templar). However, without going into plot, in this book DC Clarke finally gets her due, perhaps foreshadowing the weight of role she will play in subsequent stories. The only negative I have of the Rebus series is that I find it hard to believe that Rebus is so mistrusted and disliked by most of the higher-ups within the L&B gang, regardless of the fact that he generally tends to get the necessary result. Perhaps that's a true representation Scot 'polis' politics. Nonetheless, you won't find a writer more aware and informed of his city and its environs than Rankin - however, its a city (regardless of its magnificent Festival and copious amounts of drinking establishments), I wouldn't want to live in - certainly not with guys like Big Ger running around. Besides, I can watch Hibs on tv.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Detective Series Available Today
Review: What differentiates 'Set in Darkness' from the preceeding novels is the amount of character development Rankin puts into DC Siobhan Clarke this time around. Previously the emphasis had been on Rebus and his 'relations' with drink, family and love (Patience and, to a certain extent, Gill Templar). However, without going into plot, in this book DC Clarke finally gets her due, perhaps foreshadowing the weight of role she will play in subsequent stories. The only negative I have of the Rebus series is that I find it hard to believe that Rebus is so mistrusted and disliked by most of the higher-ups within the L&B gang, regardless of the fact that he generally tends to get the necessary result. Perhaps that's a true representation Scot 'polis' politics. Nonetheless, you won't find a writer more aware and informed of his city and its environs than Rankin - however, its a city (regardless of its magnificent Festival and copious amounts of drinking establishments), I wouldn't want to live in - certainly not with guys like Big Ger running around. Besides, I can watch Hibs on tv.
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