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Doors Open

3.41 of 5 stars 3.41 · rating details · 1,563 ratings · 224 reviews

Three friends descend upon an art auction. Mike Mackenzie -- retired software mogul, bachelor and fine art enthusiast -- wants something that money can't buy. Fellow art-lover Allan Cruickshank is bored by his banking career and burdened by a painful divorce. And art professor Robert Gissing is frustrated that so many paintings are hidden in private collections. After the

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Hardcover, 364 pages

Published January 1st 2008 by Orion Books (first published 2007)

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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Best Scottish Fiction

69th out of 151 books — 69 voters

Art Fraud And Theft

20th out of 87 books — 22 voters

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Mar 17, 2013 Jenni Wickham rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a story of a heist and the heroes are the guys who plan the heist. It starts off with medium tension and then Rankin raises the stakes with every chapter with twists and turns that heightens the tension to a superb climax at the end. The characters are deeply cast and engagingly developed such that you end up liking a couple of them and rooting for them. The tension of the situations are heightened with exquisite details of the characters' actions and expression, even at a micro level. T...more

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Apr 23, 2010 Julie Davis rated it 3 of 5 stars

#40 - 2010.

Read a review saying that this is not as gritty as Rankin's usual. I've tried Rankin several times and his grittiness overcame me every time. It was not riveting but this crime caper was entertaining enough and had a twist at the end that I didn't expect.

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Dec 23, 2008 Ian Mapp rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime

I think he was always on a hiding to nothing. He hasnt done enough to get away from Rebus and the book seems lazy - references to the jekyll and hyde nature of edinburgh and name dropping locations and pubs - we've seen all this before.

The biggest problem is the plot. Yes its meant to be a caper and light hearted but when would you have a self made millionairre robbing the national gallery with guns..... maybe a gentleman thief scenario is acceptable but taking it up to armed robbery is pushing...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Carmen Amato rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not only do I write a mystery series, I read mysteries, too. I post selected on amazon and Goodreads.

Ian Rankin is one of my favorite mystery writers, with robust, imaginative characters that are true to their environment, beautifully paced plots, and locations that I’ve visited and love despite the flaws he exposes. Up front I’ll admit that I’m prejudiced in favor of his Detective Inspector John Rebus books. My favorites are Resurrection Men, the Falls and Exit Music.

Doors Open is a standalone...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Jenni Wickham rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Oct 12, 2011 Maddi Sojourner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Ian Rankin is a great writer. That said, this isn't as good as his Inspector Rebus series, although still quite good. The story isn't a typical mystery, it's a police procedural but from multiple viewpoints, including some obvious bad guys and less obvious conspirators. There is a betrayal twist to it but it's not as central to the plot as in most mysteries.

The plot: a threesome conspire to rob a National Museum warehouse on "Doors Open" day. The more people they bring into the caper, the more c...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery

Well it's another Rankin book so I knew I'd love it! However, not a Rebus novel so great to read a story involving new characters. Still set in Edinburgh (ah, no place like home) so full of all the familiar sights and sounds but this time we also get to experience the capital's cultural side. It's nice to take a virtual walk through the nicer aspects of Edinburgh, although as the main characters are seriously wealthy perhaps it's an Edinburgh that's not known or available to many. The darker, se...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Amy Saunders rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries-modern, thrillers

Book #3 for the Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge is Ian Rankin's Doors Open. Until now, I only knew the author by name. I'm pushing out of my comfort zone for this challenge and pulling out titles I might pass over normally. Happily, I wasn't disappointed this time around.

Like wtih The Alehouse Murders by Maureen Ash, Doors Open is a little slow at times with a quieter main character. But plenty happens, and almost worse is the anticipation throughout the entire story that bad things are...more Book #3 for the Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge is Ian Rankin's Doors Open. Until now, I only knew the author by name. I'm pushing out of my comfort zone for this challenge and pulling out titles I might pass over normally. Happily, I wasn't disappointed this time around.

Like wtih The Alehouse Murders by Maureen Ash, Doors Open is a little slow at times with a quieter main character. But plenty happens, and almost worse is the anticipation throughout the entire story that bad things are coming. A relatively normal group of guys have tied up their fates with an Edinburgh gangster and you can bet things are going to go very, very wrong.

What I didn't bet on was liking the characters, especially the the main character, Mike Mackenzie. I don't know why but I went into this novel with the notion that I would hate the characters. I have no explanation for that but there we are. Thankfully, I was wrong. Mike is not what you'd expect for a rich bachelor in this type of novel. He's introverted, intelligent, and bored. I love the fact that boredom with a dose of off-beat sentiment drives him to participate - and ultimately take the lead - in a major art theft.

The whole concept of Doors Open is comfortable but tinkered with. Aspects of the story are a little cheesy and predictable but I really didn't mind. I stayed up late every night to read, and all I could think about the next day was getting back to reading. I finally finished it in the AM hours and just had to sit there for a while to digest. While I always need time between novels, I enjoyed just sitting back and thinking over this one. Part of it is the writer analyzing, and part of it is the reader absorbing.

Did I mention that the story is set in Edinburgh? I've never been to Edinburgh but I want to go now. Rankin makes you feel at home there even if you're all the way on the other side of the Atlantic. That's one thing I love about reading: discovering new places and cultures. This is a good example of a writer using a place he knows (and very, very well) and introducing it to a reader like me. (I'm now more interested in anything set in Scotland.) It's writing like this that has inspired me to make better use of my home state of Massachusetts and other areas I know well.

All in all, Doors Open is an entertaining book and I will definitely be reading more of Ian Rankin's works in the future.
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Jan 24, 2010 Tony rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-crime-detection

Rankin, Ian. DOORS OPEN. (2010). ***. This in not an Inspector Rebus novel, but features instead Inspector Ransome. The plot involves the theft of art work from a storage facility by a group of mis-matched individuals who want to do so for a variety of reasons. A perfect plan is devised. Once a year, Edinborough has “Open Door Day,” in which the doors of offices and facilities not normally open to the public are open for the one day and tours are allowed, facilitated by the various staffs. The c...more Rankin, Ian. DOORS OPEN. (2010). ***. This in not an Inspector Rebus novel, but features instead Inspector Ransome. The plot involves the theft of art work from a storage facility by a group of mis-matched individuals who want to do so for a variety of reasons. A perfect plan is devised. Once a year, Edinborough has “Open Door Day,” in which the doors of offices and facilities not normally open to the public are open for the one day and tours are allowed, facilitated by the various staffs. The crew plans to take the limited tour of the arts storage facility and, in the process, steal a selected number of paintings and replace them with high-quality fakes. Then, one of the thieves would later attest to the authenticity of the replacement paintings and be trusted since he was a professor of art at the local university. Obviously, if nothing was found to be missing, there would be no theft to be reported. Each of the “gang” was motivated by a different reason. Mike, the money man of the group, and a retired computer business millionaire, was simply bored, and felt that this was a good way for him to obtain some paintings that were never likely to come up for sale. Allen, an employee of a large bank, saw it as a way to obtain art that his corporate employer could never have hanging on its walls. It would put him one up on his employer and add greatly to his self-esteem. The pit in the pudding, however, was the addition of an underworld character who would supply the additional hands needed for the job and the weapons needed to instill fear in the guards and staff of the museum storage facility. The theft goes off like a charm. Soon however, the various agendas of the various members take over and the gang members begin to turn on each other. Especially violent is the heavy in the group, who needs the proceeds of the heist to pay off a debt he owes to a drug cartel in Denmark, who has sent over a collector, a crazed Hell’s Angel named Hate, to help collect the money. When it come right down to it, the various gang members realize that they have all been tricked by the originator of the plan, and end up with nothing. This is a good thriller by a highly regarded writer, but is not up to his usual standards. The many twists and turns of the plot require a serious suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader, and even tax those disbeliefs of serious Rankin fans.(less)

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Mar 09, 2013 Ape rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, scotland

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I quite enjoyed this one. It's only the second Rankin book I've come to; and not part of an ongoing detective series, this is a one off crime thrillery type book. Set in Edinburgh, which makes it the more fun for me as I used to live there, so I can imagine this action taking place in familiar streets and buildings. It's about an art heist that technically goes very well at first, but ultimately how crime and greed doesn't pay. It makes you wonder about the nature of art today as well - crazy in...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Böðvar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Its Doors Open Day once a year in the National Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland. Mike Mackenzie and his friend have sold their multi-million dollar software business, his friend enjoying new life in Australia, but Mike becomes bored in Edinburgh. His friend in the 'First Caly' bank, who had introduced him to art (and the monetary worth of it), also introduces him to Robert Gissing, an art professor about to retire. Gissing soon introduces them to some hypothetical ideas about using the opportunity O...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Willie Sutton , when asked 'why he robs banks?'... answered 'because that's where the money is '. Our national museums can't exhibit all the art they possess, so often some great art is stored in warehouses. Maybe it would be interesting if some of that art was stolen,especially if it is not to be shown or appreciated! Three friends decide to pull off a dangerous caper.Mike Mackenzie, software titan, Allan Cruickshank,banker and Robert Gissing , an art professor come up with a bold plan... unde...more

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Aug 29, 2009 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book is about a fairly elaborate art heist, and I thought that the way it played out was well crafted. I was still surprised how the ending played out (typical for me and other Rankin books).

I was not particularly surprised that the first post-Rebus novel from Ian Rankin was another crime caper. I was surprised that it was predominantly from the perspective of the crime-doers instead of the crime-fighters. (Though there was some of that, too.) The changing point of view didn't really work fo...more

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Feb 28, 2010 Cheryl "Mash" added it

Didn't finish
Synopsis: (From the book's jacket) Three friends descend upon an art auction. Software mogul Mike Mackenzie wants something money can't buy. Banker Allan Cruickshank is burdened by a painful divorce. And Robert Gissing, an art professor, is frustrated by paintings hidden away in private hands. In a conversation over drinks, the three seize on an impossible, unthinkable, suddenly inevitable idea: steal the art. There has to be a way.
My opinion and rating: This is my opinion and my...more

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Dec 11, 2010 Morticia Adams rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't like heist films, not even when they are starring George Clooney, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, I find them quite unsatisfying, so perhaps I should have foreseen that I wouldnt enjoy this book, which is precisely the story of a heist. I'm sure fans of the genre will have enjoyed it, but for me it was lacking in insight or imagination. I found the characters to be superficial, or stereotypical (eg the art student who smokes a lot of spliffs, the detective whose wife didn't understand his work...more

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May 24, 2012 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: uk, scotland, read-in-english, novels, crime, read-in-2012

Ian Rankin, cinquantenne, ha iniziato a scrivere quando era all'università.
Scrive un libro all'anno: verso la fine dell'autunno lo inizia, a maggio lo consegna, ci lavora un po' con l'editor, e intorno novembre lo pubblica. Poi ricomincia. Non ha mai scritto un brutto libro (oddio ne ho letti solo venti su circa ventisette, ma insomma); non solo: col tempo è migliorato e, leggendo la serie di Rebus senza seguire l'ordine cronologico, la cosa salta agli occhi.
Rankin scrive di Edimburgo tanto qua...more Ian Rankin, cinquantenne, ha iniziato a scrivere quando era all'università.
Scrive un libro all'anno: verso la fine dell'autunno lo inizia, a maggio lo consegna, ci lavora un po' con l'editor, e intorno novembre lo pubblica. Poi ricomincia. Non ha mai scritto un brutto libro (oddio ne ho letti solo venti su circa ventisette, ma insomma); non solo: col tempo è migliorato e, leggendo la serie di Rebus senza seguire l'ordine cronologico, la cosa salta agli occhi.
Rankin scrive di Edimburgo tanto quanto scrive di personaggi, le rare trasferte non sono state male, ma la sua mancanza si fa sempre sentire tantissimo - l'amore che ha verso la sua città (e la sua Scozia in generale) è uno degli aspetti che me l'hanno fatto amare di più: ero tornata da una tre giorni a Edimburgo, dove ero stata per un concerto ("andiamo lì che il biglietto costa meno che per Dublino"), e avevo deciso di comprare un suo libro perché ricordavo che Resurrection men era ambientato lì e non mi era dispiaciuto. Ho preso Black & blue (mi rifiuto categoricamente di citare i nomi in italiano) e verso metà, mentre Rebus guidava diretto ad Aberdeen, mi sono fermata nella lettura e ho pensato che mi ero appena innamorata di lui. E di Edimburgo, che mi era piaciuta moltissimo quando l'avevo visitata, ma che da quando ho letto Rankin ho adorato.

È stato uno dei primi autori che ho letto in inglese, e mi piace dire che lui, E.R., Jane Austen e la BBC mi hanno insegnato la lingua, che non avevo studiato a scuola.

Tutta questa manfrina, che poco ha a che fare con Doors open in sé, per dire che è un autore che amo da morire, al quale torno spessissimo.
Questo suo romanzo è il primo scritto dopo diciassette gloriosi capitoli della serie di Rebus, e qui e là avevo letto opinioni che mi avevano dato l'impressione che fosse un po' un passo falso, il romanzo di transizione tra una serie e un'altra, quello scritto un po' così, per cazzeggio, tanto è uno stand-alone e chi se ne frega.
Sicuramente mi ero fatta un'impressione sbagliata. in Doors open manca la cupezza che caratterizza i romanzi di Rankin, la trama è più leggera (tre appassionati d'arte organizzano un furto di quadri nella giornata in cui musei e monumenti solitamente chiusi vengono aperti al pubblico), ma è comunque solidissimo, divertente come sempre.
Praticamente si legge da solo come tutti i suoi libri, e anche se non posso dire che sia allo stesso livello dei migliori (Set in darkness, The hanging garden, etc.), sono soddisfattissima.

[Comunque quando inizierà a scrivere di Siobhan sarà sempre troppo tardi.](less)

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Apr 06, 2010 Bookmarks Magazine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: may-jun-2010

Exit Music (**** Nov/Dec 2008) was reputedly Rankin's last novel to feature Detective Inspector John Rebus, and it appears that may be the case. Yet, while many authors--and readers--have difficulty adjusting after a highly successful series, Rankin does not. With style and verve, he plunges pen first into a winning tale about the perils of too much free time. Critics found the Scottish art world a unique setting and enjoyed the book's biting humor and roller-coaster plotting. But be advised: Do...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Eric Wright rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: local-library

It’s September, 1939 during the final flight of the legendary Pan-Am clipper. War is breaking out in Europe. Although a little slow to get into the book, I was captivated by Follett’s description of the characters taking this final flight from England to America and by the intertwined their stories. From the very beginning their stories hint at intrigue, violence, and danger. We have a spoiled debutante longing for freedom from her Nazi-loving and domineering father; a thief with an eye for jewe...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Coffeecurls rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’m a big fan of Ian Rankin and was intrigued to read a book that doesn’t feature his established characters.

In the story, Mike Mackenzie is a very wealthy and very bored self-made millionaire who is looking for something to excite his life and give him the buzz he used to get from business deals. He also has a love of art and he thinks that he has stumbled across the ‘perfect crime’ with two of his good friends when they devise a, seemingly effortless, way to steal from the National Gallery of...more

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Dec 03, 2010 TheSecretWriter rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, mystery

Ian Rankin's books appear to be popular reads. I had never read any of his books before so thinking I was missing something I chose to read his new book 'Doors Open'.This is a tale about Mike Makenzie who with two friends from the art world plan to steal some valuable paintings from the National Gallery in Edinburgh in a way that nobody would realise that a crime had ever been committed. Once the plan to steal the paintings had been put into operation Mackenzie soon finds that he has travelled w...more

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May 30, 2009 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: british, fiction

Often when an author does a "one off" away from a detective series, I don't care for the result, but Rankin is an exception.

Rankin writes about an interesting set of characters who come together to steal their favourite pictures from the National Gallery of Scotland, because the pictures are rarely put on display but remain hidden in the storage vaults. Rankin's skill lies in the fact that he makes you care about the characters, even though on the face of it, they are a bunch of selfish, pampere...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Sundarraj Kaushik rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ian Rankin does not disappoint one in this book although it does not involve Rebus or murderers. The book is about a millionaire, a investment banker, and a college art professor who are art lovers, pulling of an art heist.

The idea germinates in the brain of the professor. He tempts the millionaire and the investment banker into this scheme which has been brewing in his mind for quite some time. During the course of the discussion on how to pull off the heist, the millionaire meets one of his sc...more

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Mar 10, 2010 Alison rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It had me...and then it lost me.

Mike Mackensie, Allan Cruikshank, and Robert Gissing are three friends who share a love of art. Over a few pints they hatch a plan to steal some of their favorite works of art, not from a gallery or museum wall, but instead from a warehouse, where the works of art go unloved, unappreciated, and unseen. The plan involves a crook that Mike knew in elementary school, named Chib Calloway, who is, unbeknownst to him, being followed by the dubious Inspector Remus. An ar...more It had me...and then it lost me.

Mike Mackensie, Allan Cruikshank, and Robert Gissing are three friends who share a love of art. Over a few pints they hatch a plan to steal some of their favorite works of art, not from a gallery or museum wall, but instead from a warehouse, where the works of art go unloved, unappreciated, and unseen. The plan involves a crook that Mike knew in elementary school, named Chib Calloway, who is, unbeknownst to him, being followed by the dubious Inspector Remus. An art student, who goes by the name Westie, is commissioned to paint forgeries, so the stolen pieces will not be missed during inventory. The group comes together to pull off a fairly simple heist. It's what happens after the caper that gets complicated and messy.

I enjoyed the premise behind the heist - the idea to "liberate" pieces of art, so it can be seen and enjoyed, rather than sit in a dusty old warehouse until their lot comes up. I also enjoyed the banter among the members of the crew.

There were a ton of pop culture references, from Oceans Eleven to The Godfather and even some Reservoir Dogs thrown in for humor. As a huge fan of those three movies, I got caught up in the planning and execution of the heist itself, but was let down by its simplicity. How does Rankin refer to Ocean's Eleven, yet not have some genius plan under his belt? There were times when I felt the author was referring to these crime icons for inspiration, and to bring the reader to a state of entertainment the he himself could not take us.

After the heist was completed and their master plan started to unravel, the plot became predictable, the action slow, and the dialogue forced. It wasn't until the final scene, which we caught a glimpse of during the Prologue, that the reader is treated to a tense and emotional stand-off.

For a crime novel, I had hoped the pages would have turned quicker. It took me much longer to read Doors Open than I had hoped. It was not a book I went to grab at every free moment.

This was the first novel I have read by Ian Rankin, who is well known for his Inspector Rebus series. Even though this isn't one of the series, Rebus is one of the characters throughout the novel. Not surprisingly, Inspector Rebus was my favorite character, of whom I wanted to see more. Lucky for me, there are plenty of books to choose from!

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Dec 19, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm giving this 4 stars because, as always with Ian Rankin, the plotting is superb (no loose ends), the dialogue sharp and utterly credible (not as easy as it sounds to do), and it's a fascinating story centred on Edinburgh's art world. It's an unexpected departure from Rankin's Rebus, and more recently Malcolm Fox novels, in that the police officers here play a much more peripheral role, drifting in and out with a wry, knowing smile and a not-so-subtle dig at a fellow cop's ambitions. The centr...more I'm giving this 4 stars because, as always with Ian Rankin, the plotting is superb (no loose ends), the dialogue sharp and utterly credible (not as easy as it sounds to do), and it's a fascinating story centred on Edinburgh's art world. It's an unexpected departure from Rankin's Rebus, and more recently Malcolm Fox novels, in that the police officers here play a much more peripheral role, drifting in and out with a wry, knowing smile and a not-so-subtle dig at a fellow cop's ambitions. The central characters are an ill-fitting bunch - Mike, a self-made internet millionaire with an art collection who has seemingly run out of things to spend his money on; Westie, an art student with a mischievous talent for copying works of art and a feisty, ambitious girlfriend; Allan, a banking executive dealing with "high end" clients in a bank which appears to keep the country's best art for itself behind closed doors and Robert, a fine arts professor. Driven by an apparent wish to "liberate" works of art hidden from public view they team up with Charlie "Chib" Calloway, an Edinburgh hard man with looming financial troubles of his own but who has muscle and guns for hire, to pull off the perfect "heist" on the city's art collection. They choose "Doors Open" day, when many usually private buildings are open for public entrance. It's a seemingly perfect crime but things, and people, are not what they appeared to be. Will it go to plan, and will they get away with it?

I'm used to much grittier and darker stuff from Ian Rankin - novels populated by tortured souls (and that's only the police officers), novels that make you feel like you've spent a week or two in an Edinburgh back alley with the sewer rats. This is lighter in tone - much more mischievous, although we do still get a sinister glimpse of the seedier side of Edinburgh in an abandoned snooker hall. I'll admit to not knowing what to make of this novel until I was well into it. I discovered during reading it that it has been filmed for television and that Stephen Fry will be playing the Professor. That, I can imagine. I can also imagine Rankin laughing as he wrote it, teasing his readers and having huge fun with the plot.

All of Rankin's novels demonstrate how brilliantly good he is at the craft of writing. He makes it look quite ridiculously easy which, of course, it isn't. Anyone who can make their craft look this effortless has put a considerable amount of effort into it, and it shows.

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Feb 07, 2010 Wyma rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's art theft by three sophisticated, respectable art connoisseurs. Oceans 11 they are not: one has the time of his life, one has a nervous breakdown, and one gets involved with real criminals. It's perfect in detail, light characterizations, plot and surprises. Well done, but not so much fun as Rankin's gritty police procedurals which I know couldn't go on forever. I miss the sour voice of Rebus and the grimness of his Edinburgh. But I'll look for the next Rankin anyway because he's just that...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Candy Wood added it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

If you have been put off Rankin by the darkness of his Inspector Rebus series, don’t let that hinder you from reading Doors Open. It has its violence, but the main interest is in plot and character, with intersecting worlds of software and banking wealth, art students and professors, gangsters and policemen. Besides, the Edinburgh setting is key, from tourist landmarks like the Castle and Arthur’s Seat to trendy wine bars and seedy snooker halls. The readers’ group guide in this edition lists te...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Catherine Woodman added it · review of another edition

I love Ian Rankin, but this is not amongst the best he has to offer, I don't think. First of all everyone is unlikable in this book--which works alot better when it is not a murder mystery--=at some point you have to hope people won't get killed, and that was remarkably difficult here. Not that any one deserved to die, but really, there are alot of bad choices that are made in this one. I am not crazy about the latest inspector either, which doesn't help. Go back to the Rebus books,a nd when you...more

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Aug 08, 2011 David Tendo rated it 4 of 5 stars

A gritty and realistic heist thriller set in the underbelly of the Edinburgh art world. Being from Edinburgh myself makes the whole set-up all the more believable and vivid. However, the plot is one that's been done to death which is my only gripe; every time there's a turning point in the story, I'm hoping that there's going to be something utterly shocking and revelatory, but it doesn't come, it just leaves you deflated. The characters are well-fleshed out though, you find out more about the c...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Bradley rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-bookshelf

Ian Rankin is best known for his Inspector Rebus series that may have ended with his "Exit Music."

Like many of his other works, this stand-alone tale is set in Rankin's Edinburgh, Scotland. It's a heist tale where good people do bad things and sometimes not well.

Not to give anything away, but often amateurs don't make the best crooks. There's a nifty twist near the end, which helped me enjoy the book more. Ranking writes well, but there's something amiss when the author makes smart people do d...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

A wildly silly heist book set in Edinburgh. It's not nearly as good as a Rebus book but it is entertaining enough with an excellent twist at the end. The narrator, James MacPherson, is great. A lovely Scottish brogue and lots of distinctive voices. Gangster, Chib Galloway, isn't a remotely appealing character but MacPherson's voice for him is awesome - scratchy and angry. Most bizarre moment was listening to this on my walkman on a camping trip (when I couldn't sleep in that darn tent), finally...more

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About Ian Rankin

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.

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4617361-doors-open?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328278482l/4617361.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4617361-doors-open?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Doors Open by Ian Rankin[/url]

Doors Open

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