DEAD SOULS - Softcover

Rankin, Ian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 075287716X ISBN 13: 9780752877167

Publisher: Orion Books Limited, 2005

Synopsis

Stalking a poisoner at the local zoo, Inspector John Rebus comes across a paedophile taking pictures of children. When the social workers claim he is there for legitimate educational reasons, Rebus is faced with a dilemma - should he be outed to protect local kids or given a chance to start anew? As the locals begin a hate campaign Rebus gets a call from the past: the son of a friend has gone missing and no one else will make time to ask the right questions. And then a fragment of Scotland's criminal history is repatriated at the end of a life sentence for murder. Once more Rebus's cup of trouble runneth over and the ghosts of past misdeeds return to haunt Edinburgh's streets.

About this title

Review

When an author as successful as Rankin has been with his tough and idiomatic Scottish thrillers, a problem sets in after several books: how to keep the formula fresh.

Rankin has delivered a powerful series of books featuring his beleaguered Detective Inspector John Rebus, and while never less than gripping, a certain tiredness seemed to be setting in. Thankfully, Dead Souls is a resounding return to form, with a plot as enjoyably labyrinthine as any Rankin enthusiast could wish for, and pithy dialogue that fairly leaps off the page. Stalking the streets of Edinburgh on the trail of a poisoner, Rebus hits upon a freed pedophile and his subsequent outing of the man leaves him with very mixed feelings. But another problem develops for Rebus: a convicted murderer has him in his sights for some lethal games. And the tabloid press lionizing of Rebus won't help him in this situation.

As always, Rankin is perfectly ready to tackle contentious issues--precisely the thing that gives his books their powerful sense of veracity. And Rebus, no longer in danger of having a soap opera-like accumulation of personal problems, seems as fresh and well-observed a character as in those first exhilarating books. Rankin has caught his form again, with even more assurance. --Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk

From the Publisher

Praise for Ian Rankin:

"A brutal but beautifully written series....Rankin pushes the procedural form well past conventional genre limits." --The New York Times Book Review

"A dark and gritty read that never disappoints. Rankin's character development is first-rate and the dialogue rings true. Somehow, Rankin adeptly juggles seemingly disparate plot lines into a realistic tale of war against organized crime." --San Francisco Chronicle/Examiner

"The progenitor--and king--of tartan noir." --James Ellroy

"Ian Rankin's brilliant series featuring John Rebus is the kind of blistering police procedural that gives the genre a good name." --Entertainment Weekly

"Crime fiction at its best." --The Washington Post Book World

"An excellent series....Rankin [has a] strong heart and an unerring ability to succinctly sum up complex emotions....His craft and sullen art keep it all bubbling." -The Chicago Tribune

"Rankin's dexterity in juggling plots and threats and motives lights up the darkness with a poet's grace. Reading him is like watching somebody juggle a dozen bottles of single malt without spilling a drop." --Kirkus Reviews

"A novelist of great scope, depth, and power....Brilliant." --Jonathan Kellerman

About this edition

• Publisher: Orion Books Limited
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 075287716X
• ISBN 13: 9780752877167
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496