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This is the 24th Rebus novel by Ian Rankin and, like previous books in the series, it is well-written, well-plotted and smart with plenty of twists and turns. And, of course, like his previous books, there’s plenty of references to music including the title. The Rebus series has been one of my favourites over the years and A Heart Full of Headstones definitely doesn’t disappoint. It turns out that a favour is asked, and this is the beginning of a complex, yet easy to read story, about how time changes your perspective, friendships are tested, and the underbelly of a city is exposed. Book 24. Will there be a Book 25? I really don’t know. This book didn’t finish at all how I thought it would, even though I did catch my breath - literally - at a particularly pivotal moment (no spoilers!). I thought that was it, but it seems there is still enough bluster and doggedness in John Rebus for the series to continue. I’d like to think so anyway. Fingers crossed. I’ve been anxious when reading the last few books, wondering how they would end, as this series has been such an important part of my reading life. Huge. I even had a friend take a foto of the infamous Oxford Bar when they were in Edinburgh. Wherever Ian Rankin, and John Rebus end up taking me, I’m now ok with that. Cheers to them both. And a scratch and belly rub for Brillo. Rebus shares top billing this time with Siobhan Clarke, the eager Detective Inspector who has been his long time friend. Clarke is investigating the murder of an ex-policeman who had been threatening to blow the gaff on the goings on at the notorious Tynecastle Station. There are plenty of cops who’d rather this didn’t happen, so there are suspects aplenty. Even Rebus himself seems to be somewhat tainted by historic association with the one time leader of the motley station crew. Sums up the pair of us, wouldn’t you say? On the other hand, you probably feel it as much as I do.’
John Rebus, long retired from the force, is enjoying a quiet pint at his local, with faithful dog Brillo asleep at his feet. I love that this is the third book this little buddy has appeared in. The world has just reopened after the Covid pandemic, and Rebus is avoiding going to the doctor about his deteriorating health, prefering to pretend it’s just heartburn. A ping on his mobile is an invitation of sorts, from Big Ger, to drop by his flat after taking Brillo home. Rebus can't refuse even if he wanted to, as the two have been part of each other’s lives for longer than they care to remember. Curiosity has definitely gotten hold of Rebus. William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw books changed the face of crime fiction. When he died in 2015, he left half a handwritten manuscript of Laidlaw’s first case. Ian Rankin has finished what McIlvanney started. Here, in The Dark Remains, these two iconic authors bring to life the criminal world of 1970s Glasgow, and Laidlaw’s relentless quest for truth.Clarke finds herself on an inquiry involving a police officer facing charges of domestic abuse against his wife, the suspended officer, Haggard, is part of the notorious Tynecastle police station with its long history of brutality and corruption. Haggard is willing to do whatever it takes to avoid charges, including hanging out his colleagues to dry, he is willing to air the station's dirty linen, naming names, including a barely concealed allusion to Rebus himself. This alarms the hierarchy at Police Scotland and Haggard's former colleagues who are willing to do whatever it takes to try and protect themselves. As the book progresses, Clarke and Fox find themselves working on a murder investigation that Rebus takes a close interest in. Crime boss Big Ger Cafferty continues to make his presence felt, despite being in a wheelchair after being shot, as he asks Rebus to locate a former employee of his, ostensibly so that he can express his remorse.
By the end, we know what crime Rebus is accused of committing, but we don’t know the outcome of the trial, and there are still some miscreants who have not been charged. So this is part one of a two-part story—a fact that has some readers unhappy. Not me. I can’t wait for the next instalment. Will Rebus escape once again, or will he finally end his career? He is physically unwell—if not jail, is his death in the future? Emad Akhtar, publisher at Orion, told The Scotsman: “A new novel from the iconic Ian Rankin and his much-beloved creation John Rebus is a reading highlight in every book lover’s year. Through the novel, Rankin brings in previously introduced characters and continues to prove he is not afraid to "age" his characters.A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons. Conflicted, driven and an alcoholic … Matt Scudder played by Liam Neeson in A Walk Among the Tombstones. Photograph: Momentum Pictures/Sportsphoto/Allstar Ian Rankin
Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive' Not in the book but words penned by Scottish historian Sir Walter Scott in 1808. It is the mark of a great writer, and another Scot, Ian Rankin, two centuries later, weaving the pandemic into the story and its characters.
A HEART FULL OF HEADSTONES
Recent novels in the series have seen Rebus increasingly struggle as he battled the impacts of an incurable lung disease.
Since finishing the last Rebus book, Rankin has worked on The Dark Remains, an unfinished story by the late William McIlvanney, which was published in the autumn, as well as taking part in a murder mystery TV series for Channel 4. Big Ger Cafferty (Rebus’ longtime nemesis) surveys the vista of Edinburgh through a telescope from the prized position of his penthouse unit. Keeping his eyes firmly peeled on the City he once ruled with drugs and fists. It is a complex character filled story; however, the reader can follow the participants and their roles the story never gets too complicated. However, great news for Rankin fans as the 61-year-old has emerged from retirement to work on a series of subsequent bases, with the most recent story taking him to the north of mainland Scotland, where his daughter Samantha has been living.There is subtly in the title and in some scenes where Rebus is listening to music. The reader might find it interesting to research the singer Jamie Leven the Scottish singer and his relationship with Rankin and Rankin’s use of Leven’s lyrics. Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh. Rebus, now retired, has been summoned by crime lord Big Ger Cafferty in his request to find a man long disappeared and one many thought killed by Cafferty. Cafferty explains to Rebus he would like to make amends with the missing man and while Rebus agrees to do so, he is greatly suspicious of Cafferty's stated purpose.
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