Best Crime & Mystery Books
464 books |
252 voters
book data
352 ratings, 3.97 average rating, 29 reviews
(more data...)
edit
published
January 1st 2004
by Little, Brown and Company
binding
Paperback, 528 pages
characters
literary awards
Edgar Award for Best Novel (2004)
isbn
0316608491
(isbn13: 9780316608497)
description
Rebus is off the case literally. A few days into a murder inquiry following the brutal death of an Edinburgh art dealer, Rebus blows up at DCS Gill T...more
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
friend reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 451)
Good Scottish mystery, makees you really want to go to the pub
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
crime and mystery fans.
Awesome book! The only reason, I don't give 5/5 is because the plot is so complicated, that it's hard keeping track of everyone involved. There is a who's who at the beginning of the book, but I refuse to use those things — I believe that if a book needs an index of characters, it's probably too complex. In this case it wasn't so bad, and I was never tempted to look anyone up. And it certainly didn't affect the positives.
DI John Rebus has to be one of the baddest bad-asses in contemporary ...more
DI John Rebus has to be one of the baddest bad-asses in contemporary ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
bookshelves:
mystery-thriller
As a murder inquiry begins into the death of an Edinburgh art dealer, Rebus is taken off the case and ordered to undergo retraining. It looks like the last chance saloon for Rebus, but it's a cover to allow him to investigate detectives who may have stolen £3 million from a drug dealer.
Rebus is teamed with the suspect officers to work on the killing of a small-time gangster, but he wonders who is actually under investigation when this old murder case turns out to be one he'd prefer to leave ...more
Rebus is teamed with the suspect officers to work on the killing of a small-time gangster, but he wonders who is actually under investigation when this old murder case turns out to be one he'd prefer to leave ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2007
Enjoyable crime yarn. Part of long running 'Rebus' series.
Rebus is sent to Talliallan training academy for retraining due to an errant projectile cup of tea thrown at his female boss, Gill Templer, and for a long line of misdemeanours in his past, leading to his reputation of being a 'difficult' police officer.
At Talliallan, he meets other officers, who are similiarly in need of 'ressurection', and they set about bringing back to life not only their careers, but an old unsolved case co...more
Rebus is sent to Talliallan training academy for retraining due to an errant projectile cup of tea thrown at his female boss, Gill Templer, and for a long line of misdemeanours in his past, leading to his reputation of being a 'difficult' police officer.
At Talliallan, he meets other officers, who are similiarly in need of 'ressurection', and they set about bringing back to life not only their careers, but an old unsolved case co...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
bookshelves:
contemporary_post_1945,
mystery,
police_procedural,
scotland
Read in June, 2003
RESURRECTION MEN – VG
Ian Rankin – 15th in series
Rebus, and a group of other officers who are considered malcontents, have been asked to re-investigate an unsolved case. As happens, Rebus knew the victim. In the meantime, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke investigates the murder of an art dealer and believes it’s tied to Rebus’s nemesis, Morris Gerald Cafferty.
Although I am a fan of Rankin’s, I did like this better than some. Rebus seemed somewhat less dark and I enjoyed Si...more
Ian Rankin – 15th in series
Rebus, and a group of other officers who are considered malcontents, have been asked to re-investigate an unsolved case. As happens, Rebus knew the victim. In the meantime, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke investigates the murder of an art dealer and believes it’s tied to Rebus’s nemesis, Morris Gerald Cafferty.
Although I am a fan of Rankin’s, I did like this better than some. Rebus seemed somewhat less dark and I enjoyed Si...more
Like this review?
yes
5 comments
Read in May, 2007
recommends it for:
fans of noir
Rebus is back, back in trouble. He is sequestered with a team of other 'difficult' policemen for training (and re-alignment), at a Police College. As the team works through an old case, which they are told is the standard exercist to re-learn team skills, the story slowly unfolds, revealing that little was left to chance when the team of misfits was assembled.
Another enjoyable Rebus story, with the usual high standard of location definition, tight dialogue and deft plotting.
Another enjoyable Rebus story, with the usual high standard of location definition, tight dialogue and deft plotting.
Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
Scott Bakula
My first introduction to John Rebus, and it's a decent, but not jaw dropping, first impression. Chief complaint: Rankin seems to go out of his way to paint the "this is a hardened detective ... but he can name drop a Who b-side!" angle. Worth a beach read, though. Beach read. Jesus. I should stop.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
bookshelves:
abandoned
Read in September, 2008
Loved Bleeding Hearts and a friend recommended this one, so here I am starting the famous Rebus series with ressurection men, the author has rescued this book twice by keeping me interested when I was about to abandon it, we'll see if I make it all the way through....so far page 124...
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Rankin and Rebus have got more complex (and better) as they have aged. This one is my favourite. It highlights Rebus's central dilemma of how to balance crossing the line (when you know it's the right thing to do) and not crossing the line (when doing so would be fundamentally wrong).
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
bookshelves:
steve-s-shelf-
Read in May, 2008
Always thought life too short to be reading 'crime' books, but mum has got me hooked on Inspector Rebus!
This is the best of the three i've read so far. Almost too much going on in the 500 odd pages, the list of characters at the front is actually needed.
This is the best of the three i've read so far. Almost too much going on in the 500 odd pages, the list of characters at the front is actually needed.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
bookshelves:
audio-books,
mystery
Read in May, 2008
This one was difficult to follow since I haven't read the thirteen previous books in the series. However, it was well written for a mystery series novel and it was a decent challenge to put together the pieces of the mystery.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in September, 2008
Another great Rebus story. The characters are getting older, wiser (?) and more complex as the years go by. Not as bloody and dark as some of the other Rebus novels I've read, but this one has more shades of grey...
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in August, 2007
A brilliant Rebus novel. i laughed from the start at his wise-cracks. Excellent story of political decisions of bosses and the people below them playing out set roles.
I really enjoyed it. Once again a well crafted book
I really enjoyed it. Once again a well crafted book
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in November, 2008
watched the detective series Rebus from Netflix the other day (great) and found Ian Rankin is quite the famous Scottish mystery writer. So three of Rankin's 'Rebus' mystery novels for Beth's final trimester
Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
fans of Michael Connelly
I love Rankin... the guy is a plotting genius. I was never a big fan of the police procedural but Rankin's protagonist has just the right amount of 'insufferable prick' about him that I feel right at home!
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
Entertaining read. I thought the titles would through me off but just ignored them and the story read fine. I not sure that I made all the leaps and assumptions to lead to the conclusion but still was fun read.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
I love Ian Rankin's Rebus books. I just finished what seems to be the last in the series. B/c Rebus reached the age of 60, and apparently in Scotland that's the mandatory retirement age for police.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
bookshelves:
crime-fiction
Read in August, 2008
My first Ian Rankin book. Heard about the author on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations show. Took a bit to get familiar with all the characters, but once it got going, kept me interested. Wraps up well.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
to-read
(on 47 people's shelves)
mystery (on 16 people's shelves)
currently-reading (on 14 people's shelves)
mysteries (on 6 people's shelves)
fiction (on 6 people's shelves)
scotland (on 3 people's shelves)
crime (on 3 people's shelves)
2008 (on 3 people's shelves)
ian-rankin (on 2 people's shelves)
edgar (on 2 people's shelves)
More shelves...
mystery (on 16 people's shelves)
currently-reading (on 14 people's shelves)
mysteries (on 6 people's shelves)
fiction (on 6 people's shelves)
scotland (on 3 people's shelves)
crime (on 3 people's shelves)
2008 (on 3 people's shelves)
ian-rankin (on 2 people's shelves)
edgar (on 2 people's shelves)
More shelves...


























