Tag: Ian Rankin

In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin: The Past and Present Collide for Rebus, Clarke, and Fox

In a House of LiesIn a House of Lies

by Ian Rankin

DETAILS:
Series: John Rebus, #22
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: December 31, 2018
Format: Hardcover
Length: 372 pg.
Read Date: May 24-27, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s In a House of Lies About?

A decade and change ago, a private investigator went missing. John Rebus was part of the team that spent weeks looking for him—interviewing his client, his family, his boyfriend, the target of his current investigation, and everyone else they could think of. At least that’s what the paperwork said. There’s some question about that—and the family of Stuart Bloom has forced more than one investigation into the original search.

Now his body is discovered—in an area that had been well-searched originally. There’s reason to believe that the body had been somewhere else for years. Now the police—a team featuring DI Siobhan Clarke—have to decide where it was as well as who killed him. This involves taking a fresh look at the old case as well as a new investigation. The original detectives (those who are still alive, that is) and some of the uniformed officers are brought in for questioning—which means that Rebus is under the microscope once again. This suits him fine—it’s a chance for him to have a part in closing the case once and for all (at least in his mind)

Meanwhile, Malcolm Fox’s boss assigns him to take one final look at the original investigation—given the new discovery, can they find police misconduct at the root?

Also, Clarke’s being harassed by someone—only crank calls and vandalism, so far. She doesn’t want to do anything official about it, so she asks Rebus to look into things—if nothing else, it might keep him out of her hair while she looks for Bloom’s killer. Might.

There’s a lot to untangle in these pages, thankfully, Rankin’s three detectives are on the cases.

What did I think about In a House of Lies?

This post feels entirely too short. I’m struggling here. What do I say about Rankin or Rebus (or Clarke or Fox) that I haven’t already said? I’m willing to believe that I’ve asked this question when discussing at least 3 previous books. I’m sorely tempted to just post something like: “Ian Rankin wrote a book about John Rebus. You know what to do.”

I was particularly impressed at the way Rankin got the band (on both sides of the law) back together here—for the reader, it’s expected—probably even inevitable. But it comes across as organic and unforced. Between Rebus’ retirement, and the divergent paths that the others’ careers have taken, that’s no mean feat. Unlike, say, Renée Ballard, Siobhan Clarke isn’t soldiering on with those she can’t trust. Ballard has to get Bosch involved, Clarke chooses to ask for his help and/or lets him push his way in.

Solid mysteries, expertly plotted and executed, full of characters (new and old) that you believe and get invested in. In a House of Lies feels as fresh and as compelling as Knots and Crosses.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions expressed are my own.

Rather Be the Devil by Ian Rankin: He’s Hardly the Retiring Type

Rather Be the Devil

Rather Be the Devil

Ian Rankin
Series: John Rebus, #21

Hardcover, 310 pg.
Little, Brown and Company, 2017

Read: August 28-29, 2020

Clarke nodded towards the figure striding across the foyer. She waved, and Rebus noticed her. He offered a curt nod and signaled with his hand that there’d be a phone call later. Then he was out of the automatic doors and gone.

‘What was all that about’ Fox asked.

‘I think it means trouble for someone,’ Clarke answered. ‘Been a while since I saw him with that look in his eyes…’

What’s Rather Be the Devil About?

Darryl Christie is savagely beaten in front of his own house and Clarke jumps onto the case. He didn’t see his attacker/attackers, and there were no witnesses. Cafferty’s name has to be on the suspect list, and as luck would have it—John Rebus calls at that moment for a small favor. As much as Clarke would love to go up against Cafferty, everyone knows that Rebus would get better results. So she trades favors with him.

Malcolm Fox is soon assigned to the Christie case, too—and then something else happens that requires their attention. Clarke, Fox, and Rebus find themselves in the middle of a messy tangle of crimes that are decades old, in progress, brutal and old school, or high-tech and almost hard to fully grasp.

Rebus

He’s dealing with COPD, carrying an inhaler, not smoking (and is handling that about as well as you can expect), and not drinking. Well…okay, not drinking that much. He’s trying to be the good retired man that he’s supposed to be. But sometimes walking the dog and trying to be healthy just isn’t enough…so when he starts telling Deborah Quant an interesting story about a murder that happened in the hotel above the restaurant they were dining in*, he can’t keep his curiosity in check and has to see if he can finally close the case. If only for his own amusement.

* because where can they go where he doesn’t know an interesting story about a murder committed on or near the premises? And, who but Quant would listen?

And then once this turns into an opportunity to lock horns with Cafferty again? And maybe help his friends/protégés take Christie down before he can become as strong as Cafferty was? Well, this certainly beats counting flowers on the wall.

I really love the fact that so much of this book depends on Rebus needing something to do to keep his mind occupied. As nice as it would be for him to find peace with his dog and Quant—and maybe enjoying time as a grandfather, that’s just not Rebus. This kind of thing is so much better for him.

Works out well for we readers, too.

Siobhan Clarke

I really think she got the short-end (again). She’s a better police detective than Rebus or Fox, and while it’s believable that the brass will overlook her to give Fox the promotion, it’s regrettable that Rankin does almost the same.

Rebus and Fox get up to all sorts antics, hiding a lot of it from her—at least until they’re done with them—so she won’t stop them. She doesn’t play things wholly by the book, but compared to Rebus (as always) and (increasingly) Fox, she’s a model officer.

Still, when she’s going toe-to-toe with Christie or his family, or his henchmen? She’s fantastic. I just got wish we got more of her. Maybe Rankin figures we know all we need to know about her, and we’re still trying to figure Malcolm out?

Malcolm Fox

After what happened to him in the last book, he’s given a nice promotion to the Major Crimes Division of Police Scotland. A promotion he takes, but knows he doesn’t deserve, while Clarke does. Clarke knows it, too (and is having a hard time not resenting him getting it). His superiors are hoping the situation with Christie will put them in a situation where they can take him down—and more importantly, a couple of his allies with him, so he’s sent back to Edinburgh to be their man on the ground. He does all he can to keep Clarke involved, which helps their relationship a degree.

It turns out that Christie has a tie to Fox’s sister, Jude, and is working that for all it’s worth. Between that and his willingness to involve Rebus far and above what he should be, Fox is coloring outside the lines that used to define him so clearly. Which is good for this case, but is that really going to serve him long-term?

Big Ger

If you can’t keep a good man down, how do you explain Morris Gerald Cafferty?

So, what did I think about Rather Be the Devil?

I loved the way the cold case resolved. I enjoyed just about everything about the Christie beating story (including what Fox was really there to take care of) and how that took care of itself. And generally, I just really liked being in this world again.

At this point, all I have are smallish gripes (as expressed above) and general expressions of satisfaction and enjoyment. I wish I had some deeper thoughts to offer, but I really don’t. I just like these books and am impressed with the ways that Rankin has found to keep Rebus active. Now if he can just keep him alive…


4 Stars

2020 Library Love Challenge20 Books of Summer
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The Friday 56 for 8/28/20

The Friday 56This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
The Friday 56 Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
The Friday 56 Find a snippet, short and sweet.
The Friday 56 Post it

from page 56 of:
Rather Be the Devil

Rather Be the Devil by Ian Rankin

‘So what’s this all about?’ Chatham enquired.

‘It’s just a feeling I got, right back at the start of the original investigation. The feeling we were missing something, not seeing something.’

‘And it’s taken you until now to revisit that?’

‘I’ve been a bit busy. I’m not so busy these days.’

Chatham nodded his understanding. ‘When I retired, it took a while to change gears.’

‘How did you do it?’

‘The love of a good woman. Plus I got the doorman job, and I go to the gym.’ He gestured towards his plate. ‘That’s an occasional treat, and I can work it off this afternoon.’

‘I’ve got a dog I can walk.’ Rebus paused. ‘And a good woman.’

‘Spend more time with both of them then. Learn to let go.’

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén