Rebus has retired. Or has he? In RATHER BE THE DEVIL, Ian Rankin has his favorite detective quit smoking and reduce his drinking. This makes for an admirable hero but not a detective we've come to love.

But--there is an unsolved 40-year-old murder that gets his attention.

He may be out of the game, but he's not out of the mystery-solving business.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for the ARC.

Although I haven’t read all of the Ian Rankin books, he is one of those mystery authors that I feel I can count on for a compelling police procedural mystery. I ended up listening to this one. I especially like listening to books when they are set in a different country like this one, in Scotland, so you get a real sense of the place. I typically listen to my audiobooks at 1.5 speed, but because of the heavy accents in this one, I had to listen at normal speed. This mystery had a bit of a complicated plot involving an unsolved murder that crossed into a modern day murder. It was further complicated by the number of characters. I found that a little confusing, and had a little trouble keeping track until I looked at a character list. He does have interesting characters who appear throughout the series and does a nice job with the dialogue. Although the mystery was complicated with the numerous characters and intricate plot, I enjoyed this one.

I have been reading the Rebus books longer than I care to remember so when I saw was available for review through Netgalley I was straight into request. Nothing disappointed and the usual dialogue was in place throughout. Mr Rebus is certainly not mellowing in his retirement. Although I have read the first two Malcolm Fox books this is the first where both Fox and Rebus were central characters. This can be read as a stand alone novel but I think it works best if you have done some background reading on the principal characters including Siobhan and Big Ger.

I love me some crime, I love me some mystery! And when it all happens in Scotland you can be sure I'm right there for it. I haven't read a crime novel in a while, happily escaping to different fantasy worlds, but I felt a need for something more down to earth, more urgent. So when I saw Ian Ranking's Rather Be the Devil and realised I actually hadn't read any Rankin in forever, I knew it was time to dip my toes into his Inspector Rebus series. Thanks to Little, Brown and Company, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is fascinating how crime novels and crime series work. On the one hand they are all separate novels, with different plots, different criminals, and even, occasionally, a different cast of supporting characters. On the other hand, they are all linked, each novel works of the other, picks up minor themes from previous novels or sets up storylines for the next few. This beautiful balance means that, like me in this case, you can pick up the 21st novel in a series and not feel like you're playing catch-up constantly. The characters are introduced in a way that feels like you're not missing any information and yet it also doesn't feel as if readers of the previous books would be bored by the rehashing of characteristics. The true genius, for me, of crime fiction series lies in how the authors are able to tell the reader so much with so few words. You settle into the story and you're there, whether it's the first book in the series or the twentieth. Occasionally the more intricate details of crime novels do go over the readers' heads though, when different departments get involved, when it comes to the intricate details of international money laundering, or when obscure abbreviations get used. But that is part of the pleasure as well, getting to disappear into a different world again.

Rather Be the Devil, and the whole Inspector Rebus series I assume, is set in Edinburgh in Scotland, UK. For me personally this was a major plus because I got to revisit some of the areas I spent time in during my MA. Although this may not be the case for everyone, it does bring me to a larger point for Rather Be the Devil. Unlike some crime or detective novels which try to always top themselves, make everything bigger, the good ones find their places and stick to them. The team around Rebus is noticeably comfortable in their area, it comes as no surprise they know people, know bars, know shortcuts and are suspicious of outsiders. It gives the novel, and hopefully the whole series, a sense of being settled, as well as a sense of realism. The same can be said for the interactions between the cast of characters. Personally I had never read a crime novel in which the main character is actually retired and shouldn't technically be part of the plot at all. Rankin makes this something of an in-joke, very aware Rebus should probably not be investigating anyone, let alone kicking in doors. His unwillingness to truly retire, to face the truths of his age and to let the younger ones take over feels very real. The concern of the other characters for Rebus, combined with their understandable focus on their own lives and careers, gives a sense of familiarity between them which Rankin

Although I haven't read Rankin for a very long time, I fell into the rhythm of his writing very quickly. It is straight to the point, without too many frills. Rankin has an eye for mannerisms, for the ticks people can't quite hide, and for ending a chapter or paragraph on a cliffhanger. There is also humour to be found in the novel, bringing in a few light moments. Although I enjoyed Rankin's writing, it took me almost half the book to truly get into the plot. I was happy with the characters, with the setting, with the writing, and yet the plot took a very long time to truly get underway. Split up into a chapter a day, Rather Be the Devil follows most of the main characters as they journey through Edinburgh either trying to find a criminal or trying not be found. Old cases link up to new ones, old rivalries come to play and new ones begin, and yet it feels a little bit still. However, once the half point is reached, Rather Be the Devil definitely picks up and becomes very exciting.

I enjoyed reading Rather Be the Devil, especially once Rankin gets into the groove of his own plot. The characters are interesting and the crime relatively gripping. When you're a dedicated reader of the Inspector Rebus series then Rather Be the Devil will be right up your alley, but for seasoned crime readers it will also be a fun read.

I didn't realize how much I missed police procedurals until I started listening to this one. This is set in Edinburgh so it's a little different than my usual reads that typically take place in London but that made it all the more interesting. This is definitely not a cozy. The atmosphere is very heavy and there is some violence though never to the point of it feeling gory. The bad guys are seriously bad and sometimes it's hard to tell who is really a good guy. There are some police politics as well though while they added realism to the mystery they never took over the story.

There's a lot of mystery here. There's a cold case, a recent assault, a missing person or two, and a couple of murders. As well there's several different organized crime factions and it's hard to tell just who really is involved. At first I struggled with keeping track of what was going on but fairly early on I got my footing and was fully pulled into the story.

While the mystery was very good and at times gripping what I enjoyed the most was the characters. There's John Rebus, finally retired and in iffy health, who is trying to figure out just what being retired means to him. As well are Malcom Fox and Siobhan Clark, both Detective Inspectors, whose friendship has been strained by Fox's promotion. I loved watching them deal with their relationships with each other, bicker,and work together.

I'm so glad I finally tried this series! I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, the characters,and the world Rankin creates. I think you could jump into the series here and pretty quickly figure out what is going on though if you're like me you'll be wanting to go back to the beginning of the series as soon as you finish this one!

Iconic Inspector John Rebus has retired, and isn’t happy; he’s had to give up most of his vices (smoking, drinking, etc.), and wants something to do. Although he’s now a private investigator, he finds himself deeply involved in solving a 40 year old cold case in the 21st installment of Ian Rankin’s bestselling Rebus series, Rather be the Devil. Malcolm Fox, who was previously in internal affairs and Siobhan Clarke his former partner and friend, are his inside track to information inside the department. The cold case involves the murder of a wealthy socialite who was found dead in a swank hotel on the same night a rock star and his associates were also staying there. Rebus is working to go back 40 years and interview those who were at the Edinburgh hotel or were associated with the dead woman. As he investigates, Rebus gets involved in some modern crimes that may or may not be related, and puts himself and his associates in danger and at odds with an evil crime boss.

Rebus fans will definitely like the fact that he and Fox are working together, since previously Malcolm was the star of another series. The characters work well together, and it adds to the novel. It goes without saying that Clarke is an asset, and the trio make good, believable sleuths. Rebus is his own man, and while not particularly likeable since he is gruff and set in his ways, gets the job done.

One of the best things about the series and this book is the Scottish setting which takes the novel to a different level. The Scottish backdrop is fascinating, and makes readers want to visit, even though the actual characters are fictional. Rankin has an uncanny ability to keep a story moving and keep readers on the edge, and in Rather be the Devil he outdoes himself.

There is good reason that Rankin is one of the world’s top bestselling authors, and readers of this novel will not be disappointed. It is highly recommended for thriller aficionados, who will want to read all of the books in the series.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Having read most all of the Rebus books and watched most of the shows, I was excited about the newest release. And then I read that there would be no more for a while and Mr. Rankin is taking a break. That’s when I cried, “Nooooo”. But still, I couldn’t wait to dig into this one. In the book, John Rebus, as incapable of settling into his retirement as he is of playing by the rules, investigates a cold case from the 1970s involving a gorgeous and wealthy female socialite who was found dead in a bedroom at one of Edinburgh's most luxurious hotels. No one was ever found guilty, but the scandalous circumstances of the murder have kept the town talking for over forty years.
But this book was so much more. His inquiries reunite him with his old pals-Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox-as they attempt to uncover the financial chicanery behind the savage beating of an upstart gangster, a crime that suggests the notorious old school crime boss Big Ger Cafferty has taken to retirement as poorly as Rebus himself. As the clues unfolded, it started me to guessing as to what would happen and how the story would unfold to the conclusion. And in the end I got it so wrong. That’s what I especially like about Mr. Rankin’s books. He reveals one clue that leads to another and to another as the story unfolds. And oh by the way, he does solve the cold case along the way.
The only disappointment is that we have to wait to know what happens to Fox and his problem. And it sounds as if we may be waiting for a long time. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my very first Rebus book and how odd it should be his first in retirement. I will certainly go back and read others. I always am concerned when I pick up a book in a series that I won't have a clue what is going on, I won't have the insights into the characters but this worked for me. Sure, obviously there was probably a great deal I did not pick up on but it was not enough to ruin the book. John Rebus is retired and awaiting serious news about his health so what better activity than to pick up a cold case file and dive right in. The case he is working on suddenly turns out to be linked to a current case and the past and present connect. Loved the way Edinburgh itsself was a character in the story. Look forward to going backwards and reading more.

Retirement doesn’t sit well with John Rebus. It serves as a reminder of how poorly he’s lived his personal life to support his professional career as a detective in Edinburgh’s police department. But his career is over and he is left to sit in his drab dated apartment with regrets for the family that left him, the alcohol and cigarettes in which he overindulged and the cases he left unsolved. Dr. Deborah Quant, the local forensic pathologist has taken an interest in Rebus and his health, most recently a shadow on his chest x-ray and his uncontrollable cough. It is at dinner with Deborah at the Caledonian Hotel that Rebus remembers an unsolved cold case, the murder of Marie Turquand forty years earlier in this very hotel. Marie was married to a successful local businessman but was a bit of a groupie for a rock and roll band who were staying at the Caledonian. She was found strangled in her bed in the room she had taken for the night.

Rebus asks his former protégé, DI Siobhan Clarke to supply the cold case files and dives right in. He interviews ex-cop Robert Chatham who had originally investigated the Turquand murder years back. Chatham turns up dead the next day. DI Malcolm Fox is assigned to Chatham’s murder investigation. Clarke is busy with her own investigation of the assault of local crime boss, Darryl Christie who had taken over for Big Ger Cafferty, Rebus’ longtime nemesis. Rebus becomes suspicious after the three investigators share information from their current cases. Could they all be connected? With no official standing, Rebus inserts himself into solving the most notorious crimes in Edinburgh.

Rankin can’t let go of his most prevalent protagonist, John Rebus. His fans won’t let him. Rankin remains true to the timeline for mandatory retirement in the UK police force and resurrects Rebus to the job in retirement. With little character development necessary, this being the twenty first John Rebus novel, Rankin delves into a complex plot that leaves us guessing all the while enjoying the tenacity and audacity that is John Rebus. Another good read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

I had read one of Ian Rankin’s books a couple of years ago, but somehow I had overlooked the fact that there were TWENTY of his books featuring John Rebus, a detective in Scotland (Rather Be the Devil is #21). Thanks to Little, Brown and Co. and NetGalley, I had the opportunity to review the latest in this series, and I think I LOVED it.

Without giving too much away, John Rebus is retired as this one opens. He seems sort of settled down, with a dog and a relationship and an attempt to give up smoking. The one thing he can’t seem to give up is his attachment to detective work and he begins looking at a cold case that happens to put him in contact with a couple of recurring characters from the series: Detective Inspectors Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox, who has been assigned to the Scottish Crime Division.

As the story develops, various plotlines revolve around two other characters from the series (Big Ger Cafferty and Daryl Christie) and money laundering/fraud. In some ways, this seems like it might be a retread – which some authors have done enough to drive me crazy, as they drag out the protagonist and tell the same story over and over with minor variations. But there is real character development as Rebus faces his changing status as both a retiree from being a detective and moving toward being a senior citizen.

As the story wraps up, there are a couple of lingering questions, which bodes well for fans hoping for #22 in the series. I plan to find several of the titles in the series and read them, as there is nothing quite as satisfying as discovering an author you like and finding out they have a boatload of titles – like hitting the bibliographic jackpot! Four stars.

I've read Ian Rankin's other books but this is the first one of his other series about Deputy Inspector Rebus. Unfortunately it took me almost half of the book before I could understand the characters and their interrelationships. I know authors try to fill in the blanks for new readers and Rankin did that but it but I really didn't get into the plot of the book until I was three quarters done. Maybe it was the story, maybe just me but the last 50 pages were much better than the first couple hundred.

I will read a couple others in the series and see if I revise my opinion. I would rate it three out of five at this point.

John Rebus is back, getting older and ill with a "suspicious shadow" on his lung but still clever in his somewhat shady way. Retiring from the force has hardly slowed down his investigations, at least as seen in this story. With few scruples, he searches for old murderers as well as new ones. Rather Be the Devil is a first rate mystery that is full of twists and turns and mixes the old murder (of a beautiful, promiscuous woman) with some new ones. All the victims, though, are criminals and no one we're likely to grieve much over. There is an heiress who has been driven insane by life and many money laundering types who all seem out to get each other. Even though I'm not familiar with the series (and I will be soon), I loved the complicated story as well as the characters. We end the dark parts of Edinburgh with Rebus to track down the killers, although there is little satisfaction in justice in the book.

All the characters are terrifically interesting, especially Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox (himself the star of a Rankin series) are well-drawn and interesting. The book completely drew me in. I loved Rebus, beaten a bit by life but not defeated. I hope there is another book to come.

I am grateful to NetGalley, Little, Brown, and Ian Rankin for providing me with a copy of this excellent mystery.

First published in the UK in 2016; published by Little, Brown and Company on January 31, 2017

Having taken an unwanted pension, Rebus is contemplating the unhealthy results of a life spent smoking, drinking beer, and brooding over unsolved crimes. Not one to let a bit of lung cancer get him down, Rebus begins to nose around after learning from Siobhan Clarke that gangster Darryl Christie has been roughed up. A rival gangster is also interested in learning who attacked Christie.

Darryl Christie and Joe Stark are suspected of doing away with a rogue cop who nearly did away with Malcolm Fox when he was still with Professional Standards. Now Fox is a Detective Inspector in Major Crimes whose first assignment is to learn what he can about Christie’s beating without stepping on the toes of DI Clarke, who is heading the investigation in Edinburgh.

All of this leads Rebus to look into a closed case involving the death of Maria Turquand. Bruce Collier, lead singer for a popular band in the 1970s, was among the persons questioned, but one of Maria’s lovers was deemed the most likely suspect (her wealthy banker husband having been ruled out by virtue of an alibi). There are, of course, several other suspects, given the number of people associated with a band and the fact that Maria was killed in the hotel where the band was staying.

The cold case had last been reviewed by DI Robert Chatham. The review was prompted by a writer who specialized in books about unsolved crimes. They both become important characters who contribute to a subplot in addition to the main story.

The story branches off to encompass a Ukranian gangster, an assortment of British gangsters, Fox’s gambling-addicted sister, money laundering, and an assortment of beatings, killings, and snitchings. The plot is complex but not confusing (although it does tax the memory and might require a bit of note-taking to keep track of all the suspects). As a Rankin fan would expect, the plot resolution is clever.

Occasional references to folk and rock musicians from the UK had me drifting to YouTube to get a sense of the music that surrounds the story. Some of it isn’t bad. Rebus particularly likes Rory Gallagher, whose “concept album” Kickback City includes -- surprise, surprise -- a contribution by Ian Rankin. No surprise, then, that Rebus plays Kickback City on his car stereo.

As always, unexpected bits of humor enliven the novel, usually in the form of dialog. Characterization and plotting are always strengths in a Rankin novel. Rather Be the Devil is no exception. It’s a solid entry in a dependable series.

RECOMMENDED

As always it was a pleasure to step into the world of John Rebus: it's like staying in touch with an old friend. That there is another complex puzzle to unravel is a plus of course. Loved it!

Rather Be the Devil, it should be noted, is the twenty-first novel in Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus series - and a whole lot has happened to John Rebus since he was introduced in 1987’s Knots and Crosses. Rebus is no longer the mentally fragile young detective of those early days who struggled with life as much as he did with the Scotland Police crime cases assigned to him. Instead, because of Rankin’s wise decision to allow Rebus to age almost in real time as the novels appear, Rebus is now an ex-cop struggling with the boredom of retirement and suffering the physical ailments of a lifetime of bad habits. The man has COPD and suspects that there could be something even more seriously wrong with his lungs than that.

Rebus cannot picture himself as a pensioner, and fortunately for him, some of his ex-colleagues with the Scotland Police themselves find it impossible to see him that way. This is especially the case with those for whom Rebus was a one-time mentor and for others who remember him as the effective crime-solver he was in his prime. And that explains how Rebus gets his hands on the files of a cold case murder that is destined to remain forever unsolved unless someone like him takes it on. When I say that the heavy drinking, chain-smoking John Rebus has now been limited to half-pints of low-alcohol beer and zero cigarettes, it will be easy for long-term fans of the series to forecast that the angry ex-detective is about to make someone pay for that old murder.

The case involves the 1978 murder of a promiscuous young woman in the hotel room in which she awaited the arrival of her latest lover. Also in the hotel at the time of the murder were seventies rock star Bruce Collier, Collier’s band, and all the hangers-on usually associated with an event like that one. As it turned out, there were so many people with potential access to the death scene and the victim that no one could be charged with the murder. Now, all these years later, the investigation leads Rebus into the world of international finance and banking – and right back to two local mobsters with whom he is well acquainted: his longtime nemesis “Big Ger” Cafferty and the younger thug who is trying to take over Cafferty’s criminal empire.

John Rebus may be more than a bit creaky these days, but he know his turf well and he is willing to bend whatever rule necessary to help him catch a killer, including impersonating a police officer. There are those with the Scotland Police who wish they had seen the last of him on the day he turned in his badge, but even they sometimes grudgingly ask his help. Rebus has contacts, he has snitches, and most importantly, he is just about the only cop that “Big Ger” Cafferty will speak with – both on and off the record.

Although it’s chief character has not physically aged very well, the same cannot be said for the series itself. With good reason, readers are always ready to snatch up the next Inspector Rebus novel, and Rather Be the Devil will leave them anxiously anticipating whatever Rankin has planned next.

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company. Thank you.

I've read several other Inspector John Rebus novels, but just can't seem to get really 'sold' on them. At least never to the point of waiting expectantly for the next book to be published. This one didn't help me put up the 'sold' sign either. The major reason was because in the opening chapter a totally non sequitur statement made by John Rebus while he was out having dinner with Deborah Quant leads absolutely nowhere in that chapter in the book. This caused me to have to go back several times later to read it again to see if I missed any significance which would connect it up with the investigations being carried out by Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke regarding one of the major crime bosses of Edinburgh. It took a long, long time for that out-of-the-blue statement to matter. Next Malcolm Fox is sent back to Edinburgh from his transfer to Gartcosh to do some sniffing around for that police agency. Incidents escalate until Police Scotland swoops in and takes over the entire crime boss case. There is a lot of inter-agency rivalry in this investigation with Rebus (fully retired from the police force but acting as if he's still in charge), Siobhan and Malcolm (resented because of his promotion to Gartcosh) coming back together to work as an uneasy trio trying to work on one case while still pursuing their separate investigations into other matters. Honestly, it got a little confusing at times.

This was an okay read for me, just not great and certainly not excellent. If you are a true fan of this series, though, you will probably enjoy it immensely. There is a lot of information about Rebus and how he is faring with his retirement plus his relationship with Deborah. Readers new to the series would probably enjoy this one more if they read some of the earlier novels first.

The second novel I have read so far this year is one by another Scottish maestro of the Crime novel: Ian Rankin. This time,  I was not disappointed, as the book undoubtedly lived up to my high expectations. In fact, as a long-time fan,   I think this is one of the best novels  produced by the prolific Edinburgh author in recent years. Again, the storyline was expertly structured and totally gripping throughout. The characters, both those “weel kent” folks  from his earlier novels: John Rebus, Siobhan Clarke, Malcolm Fox and the gangland boss, Big Ger Cafferty, as well as the newcomers, were beautifully realised, as was the Edinburgh setting. The dialogue, too, was well written, making it   both authentic and effective.  I particularly liked the way the novel ended (I won’t spoil the surprise!) and am very much looking forward to Rankin’s  (and Rebus’s) next foray into the darker reaches of the Edinburgh underworld scene.

For John Rebus, retirement is only a word, a minor technicality, something to get around. This something he is very good at, using whatever means necessary. Despite his health, which at present is presenting a problem, he never fails to be enticed when a past unsolved case is brought to his attention. When the criminal bosses come out to play in present day, all nets are off. He is on a trail and with the aid of his friends Clarke and Fox, he is determined to pursue and get answers, especially when it is Big Geri involved.

I agave read this series for years, a series that is slow paced, need to settle yourself in, but full of the atmosphere of Edinburgh, criminal underworld and all. Always excerpts of music are scattered throughout as Rebus is a big time music lover. The characters are so well developed and the cases always interesting. This one though had me a little confused at the beginning, really did so many of the characters have to have names starting with C? Sorted itself out the longer I read but for me it was noticeable. I love this series though, so could not rate it any lower. So John, hope to see you soon, hope you feel better and good luck staying off the cigs.

ARC from Netgalley.

I cannot believe that this is my first book that I have read by Ian Rankin. I've met the man. I have several of his books that he's signed. Oh what I have been missing. I love Inspector Rebus and I meet him in volume number 21 of his books. That is just sad.

This was a great read. Rebus has a great sense of humor and now I want to read all his books. I could kick myself for missing all of them.

This book has several stories going on and although I have not read any of the previous ones, I had no trouble following along with this one. It was a great read, one that I could not put down and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Orion Publishing for approving my request and helping me to find another great author and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Another first rate crime novel by Ian Rankin. His novels are consistently excellent, with human stories and just enough drama to keep you going and going and going. Rankin is still capable of surprising me after all this time and so many books. Rebus is such a durable character, and proves that he's still got life in him! Rankin's locations are genuine and his plots believable. I hope Rebus is around for many more novels to come.