Inspector Rebus - my assessment of the books by Ian Rankin (work in progress)

 

The Inspector Rebus Novels – My Views

An irreverent look at the work of Ian Rankin

WARNING – CONTAINS SPOILERS

A young Rebus in the Oxford Bar
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Novel 11 Set in Darkness

A crime that ultimately doesn’t get solved. Rebus does a lot of his usual mooching around, we are introduced to DI Derek Linford who is supposed to be a bit of a career creep but turns up the only useful clue, although his peeping tom antics with Siobhan Clarke should have been enough to get him kicked out the force later on.

Set against a background of the opening of the Scottish Parliament it does have some interesting insights into Edinburgh at the turn of the Century.

Cafferty gets himself let out of prison, presumably because Rankin was fed up concocting scenarios for Rebus to visit him in jail.

Novel 12 The Falls

I had read this book before but couldn’t remember much about it. It is famous because it does nor feature Cafferty. Rebus develops a new romantic partner in Jean Burchill as old flame Gill Templer takes over from Detective Chief Superintendent ‘Farmer’ Watson who retires at the beginning of the book.

Siobhan Clarke gets herself involved in a puzzle to solve the crime and with her partner Grant Hood who appears to be another with a crush on Siobhan. DS Ellen Wylie had done a decent job in Book 11 Set in Darkness but comes undone after she messes up the media job which ultimately goes to Grant Hood as Siobhan decides she doesn’t want it. Rebus steps in to protect Ellen, presumably unsuccessfully as she isn’t mentioned in Book 13 The Resurrection Men.

Siobhan puts herself in danger to solve the case but has been promoted by Book 13 so apparently no harm done. Grant Hood seems to have taken a step back by Book 13 as he is still a DC. Donald Devlin, formerly Professor of Medical Science turns out to be a serial killer and Rebus’s old confessor Father Conor Leary dies, although Rebus cannot face going to his funeral.

Does Donald Devlin feature in earlier books?

Does journalist Steve Holly appear in later books and how did he have Siobhan’s mobile number?

Novel 13 Resurrection Men

Siobhan is now a DS and is developing a platonic relationship with Brains Bain. Rebus is in the doghouse and having to go through retraining due to contrived mug throwing incident. This is primarily where the “resurrection” comes from in the title, although there is a lot of resurrection going on with ex-cons gaining employment and tarts going on to better things. Cafferty is back as an honest to goodness criminal not to be confused with the bent coppers which are theme of the book (and seemingly beyond resurrection).

There are two murders being investigated in the book, one being a cold case introduced as a syndicate exercise for Rebus’s retraining workshop, and which features a murder which Rebus appears to have more knowledge of than he’s letting on. Siobhan is left to work on the other case with Derek Linford popping up to be a nuisance again.

There’s also a drug heist for good measure to keep Claverhouse and Ormiston busy. One of the most contrived moments of the book has to be Cafferty’s dog Claret and his part in this robbery.

The Weasel has disappeared – will he return?

Did Eric “Rico” Lomax and Richard “Dickie” Diamond feature in an earlier Rebus novel?

And why did Chief Constable Sir David Strathern get Tennant to choose the Rico Lomax case for Rebus’ workshop? Will this come back later on?

ACC Colin Carswell is promoted sidewards and Linford losses his sponsor – how will this play out.

Jean Burchill still providing romantic interest for Rebus.

Novel 14 A Question of Blood

Siobhan seems to have dropped Bains (as he wanted to move their relationship to the next level), is having trouble with a stalker and Rebus is required to give advice on a murder case involving an ex-member of the SAS. Rebus manages to get himself suspended again although this doesn’t seem to affect his ability to investigate the case or make a general nuisance around Edinburgh. He is also distantly related to one of the victims, providing another secret for him to hang onto and another reason why he really shouldn’t have been involved.

Rankin’s joint themes that he hangs the story on are gun crime and the adverse effects of military service on the mind. Of course, the latter is very much the catalyst for Rebus’ whole modus operandi, so it is not clear why he felt the need to revisit it hear. Perhaps he was looking for ways of mixing in the stories of the Dunblane massacre and the infamous Chinook helicopter crash (it was the software wot done it!) on Jura.      

Gill Templar is put under pressure by Carswell to suspend Rebus although we were told Carswell was being moved aside in Book 13. And Ellen Wylie is back although she didn’t appear in 13, as is Steve Holly.

It’s as if 13 and 14 are in the wrong order except Jean Burchill and Rebus appear to be cooling off even more in 14 than they were in 13.

We have our first introduction to Mullen from the Professional Standards Unit (the Complaints) and the sub villains of the piece are Rab Fisher, a street gang leader, Peacock Johnson who is trading arms and his side kick Rob who Rebus decides a save with a copy of Toad Hall! You couldn’t make this stuff up – oh hang on, Rankin manages to.

Everybody seems able to connect their laptops to the internet either via landline or mobile phone with consummate ease and effectiveness – this isn’t my recollection of 2003 😊

But the most important lesson in the book is don’t get pished and fall asleep on the lavatory when you’ve filled the bath up with scalding water……………………………..   

The story grinds on to its inevitable implausible conclusion, although for once thankfully we do have a conclusion of sorts. Or do we? Does Rankin leave us with enough in the epilogue to suggest that the double jeopardy provided by Rebus’ involvement has scuppered the case?

Novel 15 Fleshmarket Close

Oh, a story about illegal immigrants in Scotland. I really dislike it when an author uses one of his books to showcase his prejudice which is what Rankin does here. The dialogue is often used for needless details about the plight of illegals in this country, detracting from the plot and wasting valuable reading time.

Shioban is once again working separately from Rebus although their cases do tend to cross from time to time. The Rebus “partner” interest is provided by artist and human rights campaigner Caroline Quinn who has a falling out with Shioban halfway through and somehow Caroline plays no further part. Siobhan is partnered up with Les Young who is a DI at a neighbouring station on one of the murder cases. Rebus and Siobhan are basically homeless as their old station, St Leonard’s, no longer has a CID section so they are sent to Gayfield Square where they meet back up with Phyllida Hawes. Ellen Wylie is back on the case at another station (Torpichen Place) and works with Rebus.

Another theme of the book is very much about how it’s time for Rebus to retire but his problem is he loves the job too much. All the puzzles in the book are sewn up towards the end with Rebus relying on his intuition once again, pulling a few rabbits out of the hat and somehow pinning it all on Cafferty (again)! As usual there is no proof so Cafferty goes free (although he does seem to spend all his time in the hot tub in his back garden – he must be well boiled.) 😉

Rebus and Siobhan manage to stay friends and are drinking together at the end of the book.

 Novel 16 The Naming of the Dead

This actually became quite a good read. The title comes from the practice of reading out a list of victims at memorial services.

The book is constructed around events in Edinburgh during the week of the G8 summit in 2005 and visits some popular Rebus themes - Cafferty, inner city deprivation, getting old, Siobhan’s development and family. The theme of what is really good and bad is visited again and I got the impression Cafferty quoted a line from Rebus in the previous book.

“they (the police) spend most of their time chasing the underworld, but really it’s the overworld that an eye should be kept on” Fleshmarket Close

As well as Rebus all the police characters appear to be struggling between right and wrong whether it be Ellen Whylie (whose sister Denise ends up being responsible for one crime of passion), Eric Bains who is duped into being Cafferty’s mole, Siobhan, who falls under Cafferty’s spell, or Corbyn the Chief Constable who is hob knobbing with the great and the good some of whom have blood on their hands?

The newspaper reporter Marie Henderson is back involved and she provides Rebus with useful information to progress the case.

Gets boring describing the action from the summit and the counter protest. Perhaps Rankin just wanted to prove he was there. And, after describing Siobhan’s difficult journey to Gleneagles, Rebus just magically “turns up” to rescue her (and cause George Bush to fall off his mountain bike) 😉.)

Another Rebus case that gets solved in his mind but not in practice. Another Rebus case where he gets suspended and yet is still able to operate with impunity. And another Rebus case where Cafferty appears as the honest crook and the device of both Rebus and Cafferty turning up unannounced on the other’s doorstep is deployed exhaustively.

Is this lazy writing from Rankin, pumping out a winning formula around the theme of the year, or creatively giving his audience what they want?

Novel 17 Exit Music (November 2006)

The final Rebus novel where he is still a CID officer, based in the ten days prior to his retirement at age 60. Rankin went on to author novels around Malcolm Fox for five years until returning to Rebus in a cold case capacity.

What to say about this lack lustre novel. A Russian poet is apparently mugged and murdered in Edinburgh and Siobhan and Rebus set about resolving the case before Rebus retires. Of course, Rebus gets suspended and has to work behind the scenes to solve the case and of course Cafferty is involved. Once again Rankin demonstrates his ignorance of technology and manages to bring in a SNP angle. Couldn’t finish soon enough for me.

In the end, and on the final day of his time as a serving police officer, Rebus stops messing about and solves the two murders with minutes to spare before leaving drinks in the Oxford Bar. We have two new characters, DC Phyllida Hawes and DC Colin Tibbet as supporting cast, and the heading for a fall ambitious PC Todd Goodyear who might just have a score to settle with Rebus before the DI retires.

Cafferty is once again quite literally the fall guy, and the book closes with Rebus astride Cafferty's hospital bed performing CPR as Siobhan gives the arch villain the kiss of life............................. Is he going to be alright?

Novel 17A The Complaints (February 2009)

As Rebus is enjoying retirement, we meet up with Malcolm Fox in his role as an officer in the Complaints and Conduct Department, Known colloquially as "The Dark Side". I didn’t know what I expected from DI Malcolm Fox, but I did expect him to be one for correct procedure, very much the antithesis of DI John Rebus. How wrong I was. 137 pages in and he’s suspended. At least he had to hand his warrant card in!

So once again we have our hero working outside the system and yet operating seemingly unhindered despite having his wings clipped. Where he differs from Rebus is that he’s very much a gum and Iron Bru kind of guy, as alcohol had proved his undoing in the past.

Was the book believable – not in the slightest; but it did move forward at a reasonable pace and brought all the loose ends to a satisfactory conclusion in the end. Of course, I wanted some obscure link to Rebus but it just wasn’t there (well apart from Edinburgh). This was possibly deliberate on Rankin’s part and thankfully we were spared Cafferty as the arch villain of the piece.

Novel 17B The Impossible Dead (timing not specified)

Malcolm Fox again. Can a book be both gripping and yet implausible; The Impossible Dead proves that it can.

A novel based on a stupidly impossible plot twist. I’m not sure how Rankin expects us to find it plausible. And once again Fox doesn’t appear to have a real job but instead can spend his time investigating a case from 1985 and allow Rankin to express Scottish separatist rhetoric across every other page.

No wonder Rankin gave up with Fox after two novels and engineered a way for Rebus to return.

Novel 18 Standing in Another Man’s Grave

Reading my last comment I realise I’ve done Rankin an injustice. The reason why we got introduced to Malcolm Fox in the previous two books was so that we could bring Rebus under the “Complaints” spotlight in “Standing in another man’s grave”. 

How do we do that if Rebus has retired? Well we have him working for a cold case unit (New Tricks without the theme tune) and also applying to rejoin CID now that the age restriction has been lifted.

I found this to be a novel about the changing of the guard. Cafferty appears, very much alive and thankful to Rebus for saving his life, but there are new younger forces at work in the world of crime for both Cafferty and Rebus to be wary of.

Novel 19 Saints of the Shadow Bible

Rebus is back in CID and working for Siobhan, until Fox decides he can assist him in investigating a cold case Fox is working on. This are strong links to the ultimately unsuccessful (depending how you look at it) independence campaign in Scotland and lots of references to the traffic disruption caused by the installation of a tram network in Edinburgh.

But things are never as they straightforward as they seem with Rebus and pretty soon Fox is assisting Siobhan and working his way back into CID leaving Rebus to do his own thing, pull all the threads together and upset DCI Jimmy Page by passing all the useful information to another station and thereby being kicked out by Page.

Number 20 Even Dogs in the Wild

We are expected to believe Page lets Rebus back in as an adviser on a case Siobhan has been working on. This is because it involves Cafferty, this time as a victim, and it is thought the best man to interface with Cafferty is the once again retired Rebus but as a civilian. We never hear he is given a pass but he wanders in and out of the police stations without problem - why do these little details worry me so much 🤔.

Malcolm cuts a pretty sad figure in Even Dogs in the Night. Seemingly between posts, unwanted and unloved he appears to get roped in with some pretty dodgy characters but demonstrates his ability to solve crime and yet expose himself to unnecessary risk; a knee in the balls by a fellow female officer seemingly the least of his worries by the end. Sadly his father dies but perhaps Rankin realised he’d exhausted that storyline.

As well as Cafferty featuring again new Super villain Daryl Christie grows stronger and is surely riding for a fall 😉.

Two things grate; one is Siobhan’s romantic relationship with Fox and the other is Christie’s choice of Range Rover. There are no details of Siobhan and Malcolm’s relationship but it sounds like it’s “colleagues with benefits”. But would Christie really drive an Evoque? You’re not going to pack much muscle in that model which I class in the “hairdresser’s car” category rather than as a serious 4x4. Perhaps Rankin thought it would be too evocative of Eastenders’ Phil Mitchell to put Christie in a blacked out, bullet proof Range Rover Sport.

Ultimately Even Dogs in the Night is another unbelievable and nevertheless reasonably gripping story which Rankin brings to an efficient end once he reaches the number of words specified in his contract. Cafferty features again as new Super villain Daryl Christie grows stronger.

But best of all we get introduced to Brillo, Rebus’s dog; but did Rebus adopt Brillo, or did Brillo adopt Rebus? 🐶 

Book 21 Rather be the Devil

"A cold case can still kill"

Well what do you know; just 10 pages in and we learn Rebus is ill, is quitting beer and fags and dating the pathologist woman, Christie has been beaten up and left for dead, Fox has been promoted to Headquarters and Siobhan is working as hard as ever.

Read on McDuff! 😃

This wasn’t a bad book. Again you get the idea that Rankin’s plan is to lay a trail of confusion for seven eighths of the book for Rebus to unravel in the last few pages in time for dinner at the Ritz. Perhaps the title should be “Better the Devil” as by the end Daryl Christie is on his way to prison and Cafferty is taking over his empire.

Fox, Siobhan and Rebus are portrayed very much as a team of Mavericks who never ever do any real work, are unsupportive to the teams they are supposed to be working for and would be a disaster in any real organisation. They do stupid stuff like logging on to other people’s computers, taking files home and impersonating police officers that just couldn’t be tolerated. I know these are all plot devices to keep the story moving but to me they just appear silly mistakes.

I found the whole sequence around Fox being blackmailed over his sister’s gambling debts to be equally implausible. Fox would never have tried to gain access to unauthorised information and then, having been caught in the act, have been able to blag his way out of the situation.

I suppose we have to mention Cafferty turning up at the boxing gym with his hammer and nails to torture a name out of the proprietor. Can you buy half a dozen loose nails? Possibly not although I did like it when he later admits to Rebus that he purchased two hammers as they were on a special offer.

By the end we understand that Rebus has seemingly avoided his health scare, Fox and Siobhan have settled their differences and Cafferty is reestablishing himself as crime overlord of Edinburgh.

Book 22 In a House of Lies

Rebus, coming to terms with COPD, inhaler in one hand and Brillo’s lead in the other, plods his way steadily through another contrived tale of wrong doing in the Scottish capital. Again, and I guess this format is required so Rebus and Cafferty can be drawn in, the plot revolves around a murder that went unsolved during the time Rebus was on the force.

Of course once you set aside the implausible parts it isn’t a bad yarn. Implausible again that Fox never seems particularly busy, Siobhan’s reputation for being a good cop is never really demonstrated and of course only Rebus can create the break to solve the crime. 

There is one passage toward the end where Sutherland says “I sort of wish you were still on the force” to which Rebus replies “Aye, me too” which just felt wrong to me. This comes after Rebus has used “the old ways” to get a conviction for Sutherland to solve the case, basically confess or we’ll let Cafferty know where you are, so perhaps it was acceptance from Sutherland that sometimes the old ways were best.

It wasn’t clear to me how Clarke had managed to get to the farm where the car had been hidden so quickly but I think it was a tip-off from Rebus who had stumbled across the farmer who had admitted knowing some of the key players.

And yet again, here is Cafferty, somehow involved and you know probably not in a good way, seemingly knowing more than anyone else and yet being able to keep his head above water.

In the meantime Daryl Christie festers in prison, waiting…………….

Book 23 A Song for the Dark Times

The start is very clever as we read about Siobhan, standing alone having packed up Rebus’s belongings in his old flat, meaning for a page the reader is uncertain if he is still with us. All becomes clear when he appears on page 2, as curmudgeonly as ever, supervising his move to the smaller garden flat in the tenement.

At least Brillo gets a garden. We are told the move is necessary as Rebus’s COPD is making the stairs difficult.

Siobhan, now in a serious relationship with Sutherland, is a good friend to Rebus as we find out she has not only taken a week off to help him move but she also agrees to look after Brillo as Rebus heads off to the far north of Scotland to help his daughter Sammi who is in a domestic crisis.

My vision of Brillo
©Harveywetdog

The plot is expertly woven together, with Fox and Clarke solving one murder in Edinburgh while Rebus is involved around the periphery of a murder investigation in the far North of Scotland. The only problem is that it his daughter's partner that has been murdered and of course she is chief suspect.

Brillo is left in the care of Siobhan who finds time to walk him while working her way through the clues left all around the city. Fox is involved in a bit of skulduggery on behalf of his boss and crosses swords with our old friend Cafferty. The final scene sees Fox mistakingly letting Cafferty's would be assassin into his apartment block, with murder on his mind......

Book 24 A Heart full of Headstones

Oh no - Rebus is in the dock - what has he done now? Who is going to look after Brillo? 

It was reading this book in late 2024 that made me work my way back from book 11 to see how Rebus had got himself in this pickle. Am I any the wiser - probably not. I had hoped to find evidence of Rankin having had some master plan linking the stories together but I came to the conclusion that he quite literally made it up as he went along.

This means I’ve read it twice which demonstrated how forgettable it is as I couldn’t remember what was going to happen on the second reading.

"He'd broken laws and skewed evidence and taken bungs, arrested guilty people for crimes they hadn't committed when he couldn't hold them to account for the ones they'd actually carried out"

One slight aside, I’m fascinated by the image on the cover of my version. A solitary male silhouetted against the Edinburgh skyline. The silhouette reminds me of a Johnny Cash American Recordings cover.

Malcolm Fox returns, although the relationship between the characters feels different in this novel, as Fox appears more distant from Clarke and Rebus in a Heart Full of Headstones than in earlier novels were they had almost worked as a team. But whatever the relationship, it is Fox who smooths Siobhan's path for her promotion into Complaints, surely signifying her finally breaking free of Rebus and his outmoded methods. 

Book 23 had finished with Fox letting an assassin into Cafferty’s apartment. The assassination attempt has ended with Cafferty in a wheelchair but still pulling the strings from his eyrie overlooking Edinburgh. We are not told what happened to the would be assassin.

Book 24 finishes with Rebus visiting Cafferty in the eyrie with evil intent; although he pulls back from actually committing murder, his actions are sufficient for Cafferty to suffer heart failure and that, I'm afraid, is that.

Cutting back to the courtroom where the story began Rebus reflects on his life's work and all that he's done wrong. He'd broken laws and skewed evidence and taken bungs, arrested guilty people for crimes they hadn't committed when he couldn't hold them to account for the ones they'd actually carried out. Despite all this, and despite having been caught on CCTV attempting to suffocate Cafferty with a cushion, his plea is not guilty. As Rebus explained "I've a life's worth of mitigation". 

And who will look after Brillo? Why Rebus's daughter and granddaughter of course!

Book 25 Midnight and Blue

Rebus in prison