this is the 255th in my series of forgotten or seldom read books
Let It Bleed by Ian Rankin, St. Martin’s / Minotaur 1998 mass market paperback, mystery novel, Detective Inspector Rebus #7
Perhaps not forgotten, or even seldom read, less than a decade old, but some readers may be unfamiliar with the author or series, so this is for them, the seventh novel in the Detective Inspector Rebus series, set in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In this one, the theme seems to be suicide. The book opens with an exciting car chase which ends with a horrific accident, then, as Rebus watches, a double suicide. Before he can expunge the picture from his mind another suicide occurs, and this is just as meaningless…or is it?
Ex-con “”Wee Shug”” McAnally shotguns himself as local ward councilor Tom Gillespie watches in horror. Rebus believes that McAnally chose his witness carefully, but when political higher-ups pressure Rebus to lay off, he is given an involuntary week off “vacation”.
Rebus lives to work (and, perhaps, drink) so he continues on, following hunches with covert help from two sympathetic colleagues. It appears there are odd goings-on in some new development plans for “”Silicon Glen” (Edinburgh’s computer industry) and the suicides, or at least one of them, may be connected. With pressure from above and big money at stake, Rebus ducks his head and soldiers on.
Before this, I had only read the first book in the series, Knots and Crosses, and that several years ago, so I had to re-aquaint myself with Rebus. Rebus is a hard character to like; he’s smart but not kind, savvy but selfish with his emotions and he usually puts himself first in any business or personal interaction. He often seems blind to the realities of a situation. There were times when I thought Rebus, you idiot! but it didn’t stop me from turning the pages. Only the ending seemed a bit off to me, either not what the character would really have done, or come by a little too easily, but that would be for the reader to decide. Worth reading.
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Thanks for this Richard – been a really long time since I read anything by Rankin actually.
My pleasure.
I have a stack of Ian Rankin books that I’ve accumulated over the years. Your fine review is motivating me to read one Real Soon!
This is after the last one I’ve read (though without my list I can’t be definitive). I know I picked up a bunch of them from BookSwap several years back. Hmm, according to Wikipedia this is actually book 7 in the series. I think I’ve read 5 or 6, plus the collections of short stories. It really is time to read another one.
Apparently I counted wrong when I got the number from the Order of Books website. Sorry. Corrected. Thanks. The Hanging Garden is #9.
I was into Rankin for a while and read about five of them in succession. RESURRECTION MEN was the first Rebus I read, then read THE FALL. I went back to the early ones starting with the first book KNOTS AND CROSSES and read about three more then stopepd. Never made it to this one. I also watched a couple of the TV shows too and enjoyed it. The diehard fans hated the first series because the producers cast John Hannah who is physically and somewhat personality-wise the antithesis of Rebus. I guess they got better when they found a more suitable actor in Ken Stott. Not seen those yet.
Haven’t seen the TV show, nor am I likely to, as I have the mental image set up and don’t want it joggled.
I have read Book #2 recently and Knots and Crosses years ago. I did find Rebus too likable in #2 but I will be continuing onto more of the series and reading at least the first 6 or 7 in order, since I have them all.
Makes perfect sense.
I have read all of Rankin’s Rebus books and enjoy them very much. Right up there with Michael Connelly, Peter Robinson Peter Lovesey, and Philip Kerr.
Top author, but Rebus can be unlikeable and the plots dark, based on a 2 book experience. I have another here yet to read.
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