police procedurals

Inspector Rebus, the hero of this long running series, has been sent to a "police college" for rehab after an incident of insubordination. With four other detectives, he's assigned to work an old unsolved murder - ostensibly to relearn the value of teammwork. Meanwhile back in Edinburgh, Rebus' partner and friend Sibohan is working on a high profile investigation of her own. Of course, all is not as it seems...
John Rebus is a brooding, driven cop who relieves stress by listening to rock n roll and of course drinking. I think he's a close spiritual Scottish cousin to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, and I recommend Rankin to all Connelly fans. Rebus family life, his ability to trust, and his personal relationships are all affected by his job , yet he does it anyway. He's one of those fictional homicide cops who "speak for the dead", like Bosch or Frank Pembleton. All fans of police novels with atmosphere should like this series. An interesting subplot involves Sibohan, who worries she may be headed down the same road as Rebus. I highly recommend RESURRECTION MEN and this series.

Detective Inspector Rebus has crossed the line. Never one for authority, this time he has gone too far. During a dispute over how to handle the investigation into the death of Edinburgh art dealer Edward Marber, Rebus throws a mug of coffee over the Chief Super, and is immediately suspended. He then faces his Last Chance Saloon, as he is sent back to Police College for punishment, to learn the foreign (to Rebus, at least) arts of discipline and respect for authority. He is placed with four other of the force's more unorthodox members, and as a training exercise they are given an unsolved case - the murder of Edinburgh low-life Rico Lomax - to have a deeper look at. However, it soon becomes apparent to Rebus that something incredibly fishy is going on, something that has to do with the real reason their superiors have asked them to investigate this case...

Meanwhile, back in Edinburgh, Rebus' protégé DS Siobhan Clark is left to deal with the killing of the art dealer, and feels herself being thrown into uncertainty when the name of notorious gangster - and Rebus's nemesis - Morris Gerald Cafferty, recently released from prison, turns up. Is she ready to follow in Rebus's footsteps, and is she capable of contending with the possible new complexities of an already puzzling case?

This, Rankin's 13th Rebus novel, is one of his very best. It boasts a brilliantly thick plot, true to previous form, more great characters, a tense yet blunt writing style, and of course Edinburgh, which continues to breath and pulse like a menacing giant. John Rebus is on absolutely wonderful form yet again in a complex, engrossing, and incredibly strong book, and DS Clarke is marvellous, becoming more and more like her boss every day. It is clear that Rankin is priming her to step into Rebus' shoes upon his retirement, which is surely not far away. And when Rankin does retire him to a more background role, reader's need not worry, as Clarke is an ideal replacement.

I would recommend this book, indeed to entire series, the best currently being produced in Britain, to anyone who is a fan of brilliant crime novels. In the UK Rankin is a writing phenomena, sales of his books alone account for approximately 10% of the ENTIRE British crime market. And quite deservedly so. He's a brilliant crime writer whose talents eclipse those of even such greats as Michael Connelly (in my opinion), and Resurrection Men can only further cement his growing readership in the US. If there's any justice, Resurrection Men, this 13th in the rebus series, will be a best-seller all over America.

The idea of a world-weary police detective who's willing to bend a few rules is one of the most used (and overused) formulae in the world of mystery novels. In Ian Rankin's hands, however, this well trodden path becomes something marvelous. I've been a fan of the Rebus novels for years. Rankin shows us an Edinburgh that's dark and exotic, while simultaneously being "small town"-ish and provincial. A Rebus novel will leave you feeling that you've experienced a bit of the city (and region) that will never appear in a tourist guide.

In this installment of the Rebus series, John's gotten himself in more than a bit of trouble. He's been sent off for a last ditch chance to rescue the remains of his career. Could our man sit in a classroom and behave himself? Could things be as straight forward as they appear? Of course not! Rankin weaves rich and varied plot lines that involve most of your favorite characters from the previous novels, splashing raw and genuine feeling emotion across the pages as abundantly as blood and gore flow at a Rebus crime scene. This isn't a "cozy".

Resurrection Men is a great addition to the Rebus series. I highly recommend it. Rankin fans will not be disappointed. If you are looking at this as your first entry into the series, please consider reading the books in chronological order. Aspects of the plot lines do carry along from book to book.