Product Description

A man dead for twenty years is found behind a wall in the renovated Parliament Building of newly independent Scotland. A tramp jumps off of a bridge and leaves behind 400,000. And Roddy Grieve, a political candidate and the favorite son of a famous family, is killed...Two of Detective Inspector John Rebus's team are assigned to the old case. His protg Siobhan Clarke takes on the homeless man puzzle. Roddy's high profile murder should be his. But higher-ups hand it to a young bootlicker, creating a bitter Rebus, a loose cannon, and a cop mad enough to go one step too far...From an illicit affair with a suspect to a battle with the bottle, Rebus is soon wrestling with his dark side. But when he links Roddy's murder with a killer he knows all too well, he has to face his own demons-if it's not too late. For when passion, power, and money are at stake, even the best policeman can die...AUTHORBIO: IAN RANKIN won England's prestigious Gold Dagger Award for Black and Blue, which was also an Edgar Award nominee. His latest Rebus novel, Dead Souls, was nominated for another Gold Dagger prize. Rankin lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife and two sons.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80194 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 448 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780312977894
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Edinburgh police inspector John Rebus's obsession--rock & roll--seems odd for a man whose dark, depressed side is so central to his character, but Ian Rankin always manages to work it gracefully into his noirish novels featuring Rebus. In Set in Darkness, Rebus has a fling with Lorna Grieve, a faded rock muse who's the sister of Roddy Grieve, an up-and-coming politico who turns up dead on the grounds of the boarded-up hospital that's being torn down to make way for the new Scottish Parliament. Grieve's body is the second in the space of days found at Queensberry House; the first was a skeleton bricked up in the fireplace. That decades-old murder seems to be tied to the suicide of a mysterious homeless man whose hefty bank balance is revealed well before his true identity.

'So what's the story with Mr Supertramp anyway?'

'He had all this money he either couldn't spend or didn't want to. He took on a new identity. My theory is that he was hiding.'

'Maybe.' He was rifling through the scraps on the desk. She folded her arms, gave him a hard look which he failed to notice. He opened the bread bag and shook out the contents: disposable razor, a sliver of soap, toothbrush. 'An organized mind,' he said. 'Makes himself a wash bag. Doesn't like being dirty.'

'It's like he was acting the part,' she said.

There are always plenty of subplots in a Rankin mystery. This time he adds a stalker who happens to be one of Rebus's colleagues, a couple of toughs who hang out in singles clubs and finish their evenings with a rape or two, and the ongoing story of Rebus's tortured past--a bitter divorce, a daughter still recovering from a terrible accident, and a drinking problem. Set in Darkness hit the bestseller list in Great Britain and should enjoy the same success in its U.S. edition. Rankin's ability to keep finding new dimensions in Rebus, handle intricate plot details brilliantly, and evoke the gloom and darkness of his setting keep winning him new admirers, with just cause. --Jane Adams

From Publishers Weekly
In the 12th novel in the increasingly engaging Inspector Rebus series (Knots and Crosses; Dead Souls; etc.), Gold Dagger award-winner Rankin has woven a plot grittier and tighter than ever. When a body, long dead, is found on the site of the new Scottish Parliament and is soon followed by another, fresher kill, this time that of a leading candidate for the new governing body, Rebus is convinced of a connection between the two. Det. Siobhan Clarke witnesses a third death, the suicide of a surprisingly wealthy homeless man; the question of where his wealth came from seems related to the other deaths. Clarke, a determined young woman trying to make her way in the male world of police work, is a refreshing, complex addition to this series. Meanwhile, Big Ger Cafferty, arch foe of our hero, has been released from jail; he's terminally ill (or is he?) and apparently wants some quality time with Rebus in his final hours. By incorporating other strong characters, Rankin has saved the series from burrowing too far into the maudlin introspection associated with Rebus's drinking problem. Topical Scottish nationalism and the new Parliament, along with Rankin's consistently fascinating view of Edinburgh's seedy side, give the novel interest beyond its plot. And the plot is worthy of the series: raging and racing and teetering on the edge of falling apart, before Rankin slams the reader with a final masterful twist. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
For those planning a trip to Edinburgh anytime soon, Rankin's (Dead Souls) novel can serve as a guideDto places to avoid. D.I. John Rebus, of the drinking problem and the surly attitude, is back in a bigger and darker tale that indicts most of Scottish life from its new politics to its old-boy network. Rebus is assigned to a committee that will oversee the refurbishment of Queensberry House, the site of the new Scottish Parliament. From the start, he locks horns with Derek Linford, the inexperienced D.I., who is also the current darling of the higher-ups. From beneath the rubble on which Edinburgh rests, the skeletons start emerging. One desiccated body is found walled up in the site, the remains of violence that occurred 30 years ago. Then the corpse of a prospective member of the new Parliament turns up on the grounds. When a "tramp" who throws himself on the tracks at Waverly Station turns out to have a bank account of 400,000, Rebus wonders if all three deaths are somehow connected. Amid a very large cast, it's difficult sometimes to tell who's who and what's what or to tell the police from their adversaries without a guide. And that's the sobering point of this latest outing from one of the very best practitioners of police procedurals around today. Recommended for all public libraries.
-DBob Lunn, Kansas City P.L. MO
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

a page turner
I've only read a few of Ian Rankin's Rebus mysteries, and this latest installment in the series is the best Inspector Rebus mystery novel that I've read so far. This is a satisying read on so many levels -- the plot is quite convoluted but not in a meandering way so that you loose all interest and start skimming chapters to get to the meaty bits. No, it's complex and intriguing and keeps your attention firmly hooked on what's taking place between the pages. Ian Rankin truly is a gifted story teller, and quite a lyrical writer. I found myself rereading several paragrahs over and over again so as to better apprecaite his prose. And he is truly a master at depicing Scotland in all its grit and glory, past and present, architecturally and politically. I felt as if I was walking the streets of Edinburgh myself, trying to unravel all the strands of this mystery.

DCS Watson, Rebus's boss has sidelined him to the Policing of Parliament Liasion Committee (PPLC) in the vain hope of keeping Rebus out of trouble and out of his (Watson's) hair. However while on a tour of the Queensbury House that is to restored so as to serve as an administrative wing to the new Scottish parliament, the workers unearth the remains of a man in a sealed off fire place. Rebus of course jumps at the chance to do some real police work, even if it means investigating a 20 year old crime and having to put up with and work with DI Linford, the police commissioner's current blue-eyed boy. But even before that investigation can take off another body is found on the Queensbury construction site: that of a prospective MP, Roddy Grieve.

In the meantime DC Siobhan Clarke, is doing some investigating of her own. There have been a series of assaults carried out by two men on women who frequent single's bars. To her frustration and chagrin, Clarke is having very little luck with this investigation. And on her way home one night, she walks onto a suicide scene. As the only senoir detective on that scene, Clarke is given the task of investigationg the suicide of Chris Mackie, a homeless man with apparently four hundred thousand pounds in his bank account. Why would a man with that much money be living on the streets? And why would he commit suicide?

As the various police officers begin to dig into their different mysteries, the reader will of course suspect that all these disparate strands will somehow connect. But what could a 20 year old corpse, an up and coming politician and a rich street person have in common? Half the enjoyment of this novel was trying to figure out the connection -- if there even was one, that is.

This mystery novel will probably make it onto nearly everyone's list of top ten mystery novels of the year. It's beautifully written and has a good attention grabbing plot, and is very atmospheric. A very good read!

One of those books you can't wait to get back to...
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.

Absorbing and complex, but not his best
Ian Rankin has been my favorite author ever since I discovered a remainder copy of "Strip Jack" at a bookstore four years ago; after reading that I found everything I could that he had written, and I have snapped up each new book. I hate to say I am a little disappointed with this one. The intricacies of the plot and spare, terse writing style are equal to Rankin's previous Inspector Rebus books, as are all the characterizations but for one: John Rebus himself. I couldn't help but feel that DI Rebus got relegated to being an almost secondary character alongside the other detectives, suspects, and criminals peopling the book, and worse yet, he didn't put up much of a fight about it. I've read every Rebus book and if there's one thing the guy doesn't do naturally, it's "subdued." His interrogation of a heart-attack victim near the close of "Set in Darkness" was, I felt, the first time I really recognized him in this book. Also good: the thread involving Rebus's dogged pursuit of an underworld boss who's probably the closest thing to a friend Rebus has. But if you haven't read a John Rebus mystery, I would recommend trying "Knots and Crosses" or "Tooth and Nail" first if you want to see Rebus at his flawed, fascinating and incredibly capable best.