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The Naming of the Dead (Inspector Rebus #16)
by
Ian Rankin
The leaders of the free world descend on Scotland for an international conference, and every cop in the country is needed for front-line duty...except one. John Rebus's reputation precedes him, and his bosses don't want him anywhere near Presidents Bush and Putin, which explains why he's manning an abandoned police station when a call comes in. During a preconference dinne...more
Hardcover, 420 pages
Published
October 18th 2006
(first published January 1st 2006)
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THE NAMING OF THE DEAD (Pol Proc-Scotland-Cont) – VG
Rankin, Ian- 17th in series
Orion, 2006- UK Hardcover – ISBN: 0752868586
*** The G8 conference is taking place in Edinburgh, and while all other officers have been deployed, DI John Rebus has not. During one conference event, a young politician dies. The police are calling it suicide; Rebus isn’t so certain. That investigation is supplanted by another case. A token is found in “clootie well,” a place where items are placed in remembrance of the d...more
Rankin, Ian- 17th in series
Orion, 2006- UK Hardcover – ISBN: 0752868586
*** The G8 conference is taking place in Edinburgh, and while all other officers have been deployed, DI John Rebus has not. During one conference event, a young politician dies. The police are calling it suicide; Rebus isn’t so certain. That investigation is supplanted by another case. A token is found in “clootie well,” a place where items are placed in remembrance of the d...more
Aug 07, 2007
E.H.
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who are really enamoured of Scotland?
Shelves:
theboxmarkeddone,
mystery
There is a bookstore in the international wing of the Hong Kong airport that sells only mystery novels and biographies of Mao, and since I'm not one for history, I wound up with this when I was passing through on my way from China to HCMC.
That was nearly four months ago. The fact that this book took me that long to read, that I didn't even decide I LIKED it until around page 400, says something about how much trouble this has put me to.
I'll take this quickly on two fronts:
Inspector Rebus: drinks...more
That was nearly four months ago. The fact that this book took me that long to read, that I didn't even decide I LIKED it until around page 400, says something about how much trouble this has put me to.
I'll take this quickly on two fronts:
Inspector Rebus: drinks...more
i always enjoy the rebus books when i finally get down to reading them. they're usually hard to start though because rankin makes scotland seem such a dismal place and rebus and the central character, such a dour and generally unhappy man. in the end though, rankin always delivers with a good, complicated and satisfying story, as well as characters that seem real.
this book was a pleasant surprise because, though scotland was still a dismal place, rebus actually seemed a happier man with a joke o...more
this book was a pleasant surprise because, though scotland was still a dismal place, rebus actually seemed a happier man with a joke o...more
1 like · like · see review
The Child Is Grown, The Dream is Gone.,Comfortably Numb, 27 May 2007
'Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.' Pink Floyd
My favorite nonconformist Detective Inspector Rebus infuriates everyone including his bosses. He is based in Edinburgh, and this is 2005 the week of the G8 summit
Ian Rankin was in Edinburg during the G8 and he conveys the atmosphere to perfection, f...more
Kept my interest with no boring plot.
Mmy neighbor gave this book to read. Unfortunately, he forgot to tell me that this book was part of a series and that it was best that I read the earlier novels by Ian Rankin. Still, I struggled through "The Naming of the Dead" and finished it six days later. If you are a fan of this author and have read the series you probably are thrilled with the character Detective Inspector John Rebus, but coming in cold with this character I found myself trying to compr...more
Mmy neighbor gave this book to read. Unfortunately, he forgot to tell me that this book was part of a series and that it was best that I read the earlier novels by Ian Rankin. Still, I struggled through "The Naming of the Dead" and finished it six days later. If you are a fan of this author and have read the series you probably are thrilled with the character Detective Inspector John Rebus, but coming in cold with this character I found myself trying to compr...more
This was my third Rankin/Rebus novel, and I'm afraid it's going to be my last as well. I'll share the blame with the author: Perhaps the problem is just that I don't get it -- I don't get his use of language; I don't get the device of burying the main plot elements under hundreds of pages in which nothing much actually happens; I don't get (to put it bluntly) the main character, rich in shtick and yet, in the end, absolutely two-dimensional and dull. As there are many readers who are crazy for t...more
"The Naming of the Dead" is a John Rebus detective novel set against the backdrop of Live 8 and the G8 conference that took place in Edinburgh in 2005 (the one with a greater emphasis on African poverty issues pushed by Bono).
For those that don't know Rankin's main character, Rebus is an alcoholic Scotish detective with an attitude problem and an instinctive need to cross the lines in the sand that his superiors place before him (which makes him sound a lot like other modern detective thriller c...more
For those that don't know Rankin's main character, Rebus is an alcoholic Scotish detective with an attitude problem and an instinctive need to cross the lines in the sand that his superiors place before him (which makes him sound a lot like other modern detective thriller c...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jul 28, 2009
Charles
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of hard-boiled Britsh mysteries.
Shelves:
mystery
This British mystery follows inspector Rebus and a colleague as they track patches of fabric discovered at a minor tourist attraction back to the killer who cut them from victim's clothing. In the same region, a prominent politician has fallen to his death at a G8 summit; needless to say, Rebus suspects foul play.
The back drop to this detailed and cleverly-plotted story is a series of massive public demonstrations against G8 policy. Rankin places sympathetic characters on both sides of the poli...more
The back drop to this detailed and cleverly-plotted story is a series of massive public demonstrations against G8 policy. Rankin places sympathetic characters on both sides of the poli...more
Another book picked up from the vaca condo. I was not familiar with Ian Rankin but noticed a number of books already written with the detective, Inspector Rebus. The book was well written. It took a bit to get used to the scottish slang used throughout. I thought it was clever that the book took place over the week of the first G8 summit in Scotland and involved the multi-day concert to draw attention to world hunger, the London bus and train bombings and England's bid for the 2012 olympics. Pre...more
Reviewed in February 1, 2007 Library Journal. Slightly modified review:
In this fifteenth novel in the popular Inspector Rebus series, multiple award winner Rankin unfolds a solidly suspenseful mystery tale against the backdrop of the G8 Summit held in Scotland in summer 2005. The G8 gives Rankin reason to inject some wry political commentary into the mix, and it's not at all surprising that Rebus is cynical about politicians and celebrity do-gooders alike. Not only do we get to see several famil...more
In this fifteenth novel in the popular Inspector Rebus series, multiple award winner Rankin unfolds a solidly suspenseful mystery tale against the backdrop of the G8 Summit held in Scotland in summer 2005. The G8 gives Rankin reason to inject some wry political commentary into the mix, and it's not at all surprising that Rebus is cynical about politicians and celebrity do-gooders alike. Not only do we get to see several famil...more
Critics fear that The Naming of the Dead, Ian Rankin's 16th Inspector Rebus novel, may be the last we see of Rebus. After all, he's aged in real time and, now 60, probably deserves to retire. Set against the violent but fascinating G8 summit meeting in Edinburgh, the police procedural continues to unearth Rebus's psyche while exploring political themes and issues of power and personal responsibility. Because of its crossover appeal, compelling subplots, and moral complexity, many reviewers cite
...more
Mystery as political/social commentary? One of Rankin’s earlier mysteries piqued my interest in immigration detention centers. This one, written in 2006, covers the G-8 conference in Scotland while advancing by inches the central relationships. There’s talk of the cash just floating out there in Iraq for “reconstruction” and much of it disappearing. Come to think of it – wasn’t that actually a news story in 2008? I only wish our hero wasn’t an alcoholic. The pints and neat whiskeys make me thirs...more
When the leaders of the free world descend on Scotland for an international conference, all hell breaks loose as protesters of every ilk also descend with a vengeance. DI Rebus, however, is in trouble with his superiors and must insinuate himself into the situation when in the midst of the furor, an MP plunges to his death......did he commit suicide, was it an accident, or was he pushed? As is usual in the Rebus series, there are multiple murders which appear unconnected but may be related to th...more
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1800662...
This is a particularly good book in the Rebus series. Rebus and Siobhan Clarke find themselves investigating an apparent serial killer and a dead junior government minister in the week of the 2005 G8 summit and the 7/7 bomb attacks in London; very often when mystery writers try to fold real life events into their novels they fail, but this works brilliantly, as Rankin takes us to meet well-meaning protestors, dodgy defence contractors, obstructive special...more
This is a particularly good book in the Rebus series. Rebus and Siobhan Clarke find themselves investigating an apparent serial killer and a dead junior government minister in the week of the 2005 G8 summit and the 7/7 bomb attacks in London; very often when mystery writers try to fold real life events into their novels they fail, but this works brilliantly, as Rankin takes us to meet well-meaning protestors, dodgy defence contractors, obstructive special...more
Only the second Rebus novel that I've read; the first was Knots And Crosses a few months ago which I thought was quite sloppy in places. This is the 16th in the series but having missed out all the intervening ones was no handicap to enjoying the novel, even if some of the back-story was lost on me. The style of writing has improved a great deal though there's still a few bits where the writing is underwhelming.
The contemporary setting with real-world events gives the novel more dramatic edge a...more
The contemporary setting with real-world events gives the novel more dramatic edge a...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Rebus returns to solve a murder tainted with the backdrop of politics in Edinburgh, July 2005. Rebus and Siobhan Clarke fight the men who control the summit, wanting to hush up anything controversial. Add a serial killer to the mix and you have Rankin writing at his best.
Rankin is consistently rated Britain’s No 1 Bestselling Crime Writer. He has won 4 Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Awards and he has even won the American Edgar Award. He has numerous honourary degrees. The Rebus series has be...more
Rankin is consistently rated Britain’s No 1 Bestselling Crime Writer. He has won 4 Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Awards and he has even won the American Edgar Award. He has numerous honourary degrees. The Rebus series has be...more
A murder (actually several) set amidst the demonstrations and riots of the G8 Summit near Edinburgh in 2005. I gather Rankin novels are often dark, or at least portray a dark image of Edinburgh (this was my first Rankin read) but this one struck me as somewhat lighthearted and tongue in cheek, what with cameo appearances by George Bush (dangerous man on a bicycle) and Bob Geldoff. Nevertheless the plot is intricate and the protagonist iconoclastic and curmudgeonly (do all British police detectiv...more
I have read all of the Rebus books in order through Exit Music. The problem with this book is what I can only call the translation of the US edition. For some reason, the US publisher saw fit to remove most of the British words and names for things in this book and replace them with American ones. What with the resources available to readers these days on the internet, only a very lazy American reader could not easily find what what anything unfamiliar means. Fortunately, Exit Music which follow...more
A really excellent Rebus story, definitely one of the best! This has the usual Rebus characters that I've come to know and love, with all their flaws, as I've read through this series but it also has a lot of real events that I remember unfolding which makes it all the more absorbing. Touching on politics but mostly on our inability to really have any influence over them alongside the usual escapades of our loveable anti-hero. Further development of Siobhan's character and little bit more of som...more
An excellent late entry in Rankin's mystery series starring Scottish detective John Rebus. The mysteries (the death of an MP and triple homicide in which all the victims are sex offenders) are set against the background of the 2005 G8 conference in Scotland and the London subway bombings. As the leaders of the free world pose for photos and meet in security-coated luxury Rebus and his partner Det. Clarke struggle on despite opposition from higher-ups. Rebus, divorced and a heavy drinker, is as m...more
My first Rebus read is #16 in the series. Much like Rebus these days, the story started exceptionally slow, so it took a long time to reel me in. But Rankin eventually hooked me. The G8 backdrop added a layer of intrigue and served as a reason for the Chief of Police to attempt to quash a murder investigation. Of course, Rebus would not be denied. I liked that about him.
I also liked the personal foibles and flaws of Rebus and Siobhan; makes me want to go back and read the series in order.
Definit...more
I also liked the personal foibles and flaws of Rebus and Siobhan; makes me want to go back and read the series in order.
Definit...more
Oct 20, 2012
Susan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
diehard John Rebus series fans
The Naming of the Dead is the 18th book of the Detective Inspector John Rebus series by Ian Rankin. The series is set in Edinburgh, Scotland.
This book covered actual July 2005 events in Scotland:
-G8 world leaders summit at Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder
-Live 8 (Live Aid 20th anniversary) benefit concerts for Make Poverty History
-demonstration and protest march in Edinburgh, for Make Poverty History
-bombings in London
as well as the fictional crime cases solved by Rebus and Detective Sergeant...more
This book covered actual July 2005 events in Scotland:
-G8 world leaders summit at Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder
-Live 8 (Live Aid 20th anniversary) benefit concerts for Make Poverty History
-demonstration and protest march in Edinburgh, for Make Poverty History
-bombings in London
as well as the fictional crime cases solved by Rebus and Detective Sergeant...more
As always, Rankin has written a good mystery. There were many strong elements in this novel. I particularly liked that it tied in many historical events of 2005: London's Olympic bid; the G8 meeting in Scotland; and the London bombings that summer. I also enjoyed the further development of Siobhan's character into a mini-Rebus, so much like her mentor that she is destined to fall into the same traps that he does. However, I thought the plotting was a little too reminiscent of other books in the...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
“We’re living in the age of the noose. Fear will be on the rise.”
"Faceless Killers", Henning Mankell
In the last two weeks I’ve read two mystery novels, which isn’t something I do terribly often. I’m not a particular fan of the genre and got into it more as a locational thing – I started reading Ian Rankin novels because of the Edinburgh setting. “The Naming of the Dead” isn’t Rankin at his best (my favs are “The Falls” and “A Question of Blood”) but it is enjoyable. I like the way Rankin uses cu...more
"Faceless Killers", Henning Mankell
In the last two weeks I’ve read two mystery novels, which isn’t something I do terribly often. I’m not a particular fan of the genre and got into it more as a locational thing – I started reading Ian Rankin novels because of the Edinburgh setting. “The Naming of the Dead” isn’t Rankin at his best (my favs are “The Falls” and “A Question of Blood”) but it is enjoyable. I like the way Rankin uses cu...more
In July 2005, Edinburgh was a buzz of activity as it readied itself for the G8 conference to be held there. The most powerful people in the world would be meeting to decide the fate of much of the world for the foreseeable future. Police officers from all over the country had been commandeered to provide security for the event. They came from as far away as London to make sure that nothing went wrong.
It seemed that the only nonessential policeman, the only one whose presence was not required to...more
It seemed that the only nonessential policeman, the only one whose presence was not required to...more
1 like · like · see review
Oct 25, 2008
Sharon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
SIG, noir fans
Shelves:
mysterythriller,
series
One names the dead in memorials to show they are not forgotten, but, as Siobhan Clarke says at the end of this novel, "It's not enough, is it? Just symbolic because there's nothing else you can do." The theme of this penultimate Rebus is the need to remember the dead, particularly the victims that others may wish to forget, even if nothing more can be done for them.
It is July 2005, the G8 is coming to Gleneagles, and seemingly all the protesters in the western world are converging on Scotland. R...more
It is July 2005, the G8 is coming to Gleneagles, and seemingly all the protesters in the western world are converging on Scotland. R...more
Rankin is probably my favorite mystery writer. I've read all of his John Rebus novels and this is number 17 or 18. (Most series bore me before the end.) Rebus is a contemporary hard boiled detective—these days they are police, not PIs but he's suitably anti-establishment none the less. He drinks too much and smokes too much, has alienated his family, has few friends, lives for his job, takes every chance that presents itself and is, as a result, almost always insubordinate. So he doesn't advance...more
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AKA Jack Harvey.
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into twenty-two languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has be...more
More about Ian Rankin...
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into twenty-two languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has be...more
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More quizzes & trivia...
Here are the Rebus books:
Series
Inspector...more
Mar 25, 2013 07:53am
Jack Harvey Novels (writing as Jack Harvey)
1. Witch Hunt (1993)
2. Bleeding Hearts (1994)
3. Blood Hunt (1995)
Malcol...more
Mar 25, 2013 07:55am