A Song for the Dark Times—the 23rd book in the John Rebus series—was a satisfying addition. It transports us not only to Edinburgh to solve one crime, but also to the fictional town of Naver in the far north of Scotland to solve another. Two fascinating settings for this American reader.

Rebus is “retired” but still manages to play a pivotal role in solving both crimes. As the novel opens, he has now moved into a ground floor flat because his lung problems preclude his climbing flights of stairs in his former ones. His former coworker, Siobhan Clarke, has actually taken off several days of work to help him downsize and move. (Of course his record collection, a couple of players (one broken that might be fixable and one that works), his old unsolved case files which he hopes to solve in retirement, and his dog, Brillo, go with him.

Even though she is officially not at work, Clarke gets involved in a current high profile investigation going on in Edinburgh. A Saudi student, Salman bin Mahmoud, has been stabbed in a seedy part of Edinburgh. He is a wealthy playboy and obsessed with James Bond and Sean Connery’s 007. Is the case linked to a spate of attacks on foreigners after Brexit? Salman’s friend Gio Morelli, an Italian attending university in Scotland has recently been mugged, as has a Chinese student. There’s also a link to a Scottish friend and another student—Isabella Meiklejohn. All three—although of different nationalities—share the ties of those who travel in the circles of the uberwealthy. Thrown in are an Edinburgh gangster and club owner, and, a disgraced politician who has sent racist tweets and is now a property developer. Clarke goes back on the case as does a detective featured in other novels—Malcolm Fox—who represents a higher body of law enforcement than just Edinburgh.

Enter the second crime in the remote north of Scotland. And this one immediately causes Rebus to interrupt his settling in after his move and travel up. Rebus gets a call from his slightly estranged daughter, Samantha, who is now living in the (fictitious) village of Naver in Sutherland. Her husband, Keith, has been missing for two days. She had just reunited with him after a fight. Over what? She had the poor judgment to have a fling with the Jim-Jones-like head of a local commune. Keith has been obsessed with a local history project involving a Second World War internment camp that he and a local group wish to preserve as a history of that era.

Turns out the commune and internment camp are both on some of the large swathes of land owned in Sutherland by Isabella’s titled father. Rebus wants to clear his daughter’s name, be there for his granddaughter, Carrie, and solve the case.

As he speaks to Clarke who is watching his dog back in Edinburgh, it becomes increasingly clear that the cases might be tied together.

This novel was incredibly well plotted for one so far along in a series of books, and the ending—which was also very well done—leaves me ready to read another book in the series which I hope Rankin is inspired to write. I thank Rankin for all of the books in this series which have allowed this American with Scottish heritage to walk the streets of Edinburgh through the pages of his books.

Thank you to the publisher Little, Brown, and Company for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book and for allowing me to review it. (13 October 2020 publication date)

How did I not know about Ian Rankin and his Inspector Rebus series!? I did something I never do, and I didn't do it on purpose. I started a series not at the beginning. In fact this was at the end. #23!?!? It definitely would have helped to understand a lot more of what had happened in the previous novels, but there was enough there to go off of and I really enjoyed it and will have to go back to the beginning.

Inspector Rebus is a police detective in Scotland. Or at least he was. Apparently he is newly retired and has some health issues. But when his somewhat estranged daughter, Samantha, calls that her husband is missing he rushes to be by her side. He is not the caring and comforting type but he does what he does best: he investigates. Much to the annoyance of the local detective. Meanwhile back home in Edinburgh, Siobhan Clarke (his former partner?) gets stuck with his dog and Malcom Fox (Scottish FBI agent equivalent?) working on a murder case involving a foreign Saudi student. Clarke and Rebus remain in touch and slowly start to realize that there's some overlap in names coming up in each others investigations.

It took a little to get rolling for me but once it did I was very invested to see where it was going. If you're currently a fan of Ian Rankin, then I suspect that you will be very pleased with this latest addition. If, like me, you're new around these parts I think that it's better late than never to the party and suggest we start at the start.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for a free copy of A Song for Dark Times in exchange for my honest review.

As readers of previous Ian Rankin books know, Rebus is now retired primarily due to health problems. However, he ends up working on a case that involves a family member in the far north of Scotland. There are (mostly) delightful people living in the vicinity of the murder including a charming pub owner and a patient local police officer. Said officer can't keep Rebus from sneaking into the case which is no surprise to Rebus fans. There is also another complex murder case back in Edinburgh involving Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox who are recurring characters in the Rebus series.
I enjoyed this book as much as any of the Rebus books. The characters are vivid and interesting, and Ian Rankin is terrific at writing dialogue. The book does have a lot of characters to keep track of and that might not appeal to every reader, but I consider the Rebus series to be reliably wonderful. Definitely five stars from me.

Loved this new entry into the REBUS series, in fact I read it in one night! Rebus ventures far from Edinburgh to the northern area of Scotland, quite a change from the city life, to help his daughter find her missing partner. meanwhile, back int he city Siobhan and Malcom Fox investigate the death of a Saudi. Eventually the investigations twist together and as usually Rankin pulls it off expertly. If you haven't read a Rebus before, it is a good introduction. You will be back to read more.

Oops, I thought I reviewed this a few months ago! I love Ian Rankin's writing, and A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES is one of his best yet. The change of setting for Rebus was fun, but I enjoyed the familiar Edinburgh scenes via Siobhan and Malcolm's investigation, and when it became clear that there was a connection between the two cases, I was fully invested.

I have been a big fan of The Inspector Rebus series. In this book, Rebus's daughter, Samantha, calls her father because her partner, Keith, has been missing for two days. Rebus knows his daughter will be the prime suspect. Will he be able to prove she is innocent? There is also a side story about the murder of a Saudi student which Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox are involved with. The cases do eventually intertwine with Big Ger Cafferty showing up too. I found this book to be cleverly written and I look forward to reading the next installment. Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for a free copy for an honest review. Recommended.

A Song for the Dark Times (Inspector Rebus #23) by Ian Rankin

In the dark times
Will there also be singing?
Yes, there will be singing.
About the dark times.
– Bertolt Brecht, The Svenborg Poems

Detective Inspector John Rebus has aged over the thirty some years since "Knotts and Crosses" was published, the stories mostly set in and around Edinburgh. Now retired and forced to move (downstairs) because of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), he is still as sharp and opinionated as ever.

FIRST LINE: "Siobhan Clarke walked through the emptied flat."

THE STORY: The phone call no parent wants to get comes at 5 a.m. His daughter is worried because her partner has been gone for two days. Then she confesses she has been having an affair. Against better judgement, Rebus leaves Edinburgh and heads North to help. On his long drive to Naver, he listens to a CD Siobhan made him called 'Songs for Dark Times'.

At the same time DI Siobhan Clarke, Rebus's protégée, and DI Malcolm Fox are beginning a new investigation into a murder in Edinburgh.

Unexpectedly there are parallels and connections between the two investigations.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I'm embarrassed to be late to the party having heard of Scottish author Ian Rankin but never having read him (or even watched the series). Now I have a glimpse of what I've missed: literate writing, fully drawn characters, interesting locations, a clever plot, a compelling conflict, and a satisfactory conclusion.

Alternating narratives have often annoyed me, but Rankin is a master. Refocusing is quick and like a duet, both stories have equal importance.. To my mind, there is nothing more fascinating than following along as two intelligent people cleverly solve a puzzle.

A couple of other observations: Rankin provides details which make the world come alive for the readers; I began to notice that the end of Rebus' chapters seems to deserve a drum (ba-dum-bum) beat; and as DI Clark gets close to a solution, I could physically feel an increase in urgency in the writing.

The information on internment camps during World War II, which held both British and then Germans (and others) was interesting since some of the German inmates chose to stay behind after the war.

Besides the historical references, allusions to current happenings makes the book timely. My mantra is I want to read something that surprises me and that allows me to grow in understanding. It's all here.

BOTTOM LINE: In Rankin's deft hand, details are filled in so new readers (like me) are not confused and regular series readers are not bored. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of A Song for the Dark Times was provided to me by Little, Brown and Company /Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 13, 2020)
ISBN-10: 031647925X
ISBN-13: 978-0316479257

THE AUTHOR: Ian Rankin is a #1 international bestselling author. Winner of an Edgar Award and the recipient of a Gold Dagger for fiction and the Chandler-Fulbright Award, he lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife and their two sons.

Much like Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series, Ian Rankin allows John Rebus to age from book to book. Both detectives are retired but they can’t let go of their life’s work and know they still have valuable and unique skills. In “A Song for The Dark Times” Rebus has moved to a ground floor flat because the effects of COPD are making stairs much harder for him. When his daughter calls in a panic because her partner has gone missing Rebus travels to Northern Scotland to help her. He acknowledges that he often let work come before family, but this time he resolves to put his daughter first. Yet he can’t keep his desire to investigate sidelined, even though it alienates his daughter, and is soon looking into what happened. That investigation ultimately ties into a case Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox are pursuing. One of the many things I appreciate about Rankin’s Rebus series is how he manages to throw in what appear to be random digressions which ultimately turn out to be essential to the plot.

There’s also Rankin’s wit as seen in this exchange with a journalist.

‘Pity we don’t have the note itself.’
Rebus lifted a paper napkin. ‘I could re-create it for you.’
‘That might qualify as fake news.’
‘You think your readers would mind?
’‘These days , probably not.’ 

“A Song for The Dark Times” is another winner from Rankin.

My review was posted on Goodreads 10/26/20.

In 2017, I read and reviewed Rather Be The Devil, which was number 21 in the John Rebus series. In that one, Rebus was newly retired, trying to wean himself away from detecting…but of course, stuff happens and he steps in to investigate. In A Song For The Dark Times, #23in the Rebus series, he is still retired, suffering a bit from his COPD, still has the cute dob but still not able to fully retire. This time, it is because his daughter Samantha calls him in the dead of night, obviously not with good news. She says her husband (? partner? I was never clear on that?) Keith has been missing for two days.

Rebus knows Samantha will be the prime suspect, especially once the police learn about her infidelity and the fighting that had been going on…/small town, seems EVERYONE knows. It’s clear to both John and Sam that he wasn’t a great father, always putting the job ahead of his family, but now that Samantha has reached out to him, he rushes to her — as a father or a detective?

Lots of secrets and interesting characters in a small town, and he investigates his tail off, totally hoping it WASN’T his daughter who killed Keith. Atmospheric, twisty, fascinating, well done. Four stars. Thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review. And I REALLY need to read more of Ian Rankin!

When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it’s not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days. Rebus fears the worst – and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime. A thrilling new Rebus novel about crime, punishment, and redemption,

This was a very good addition to the Rebus stories. I did enjoy the fact is they moved him out of Edinburgh into other parts of Scotland and we got a little bit of a picture of places like Inverness. The story also introduced us to some new policemen That I wonder if we are going to see more of an future books. It also gave us a better picture of some of our favorites including Clark and Fox. Ian Rankin has it’s very good style with prose and the revealing of clues little by little to help you draws your conclusions as to who actually committed the murders. In either case. I was not able to figure out who had committed though murderers until they were revealed.

My major complaint about the book was that there were two stories end it bounced back-and-forth between them without really and truly coming together at the end. I fully expected some hell for the two stories to tie together but they never did. And having the two stories confused me a bit in my reading. I had to re-read some parts just to keep things straight. And I’m not sure I ever got the one with the daughter completely straight. I think I’m going to have to find something that tells me more about the camp so I can understand it or maybe I’ll even go back and re-read that part of this book.

I would like do you think the author and the publisher for the copy of this book that I received. The comments included here in our biome.

' Ian Rankin gives us a new John Rebus thriller A Song for the Dark Times. Rebus is retired and has moved into a ground floor apartment due to his COPD. Then the estranged husband of his daughter Samantha is found dead. Meanwhile a Saudi rich man is murdered and Rebus' former colleagues are seeking the killer. Rebus gets into the chase to find the dead husband's killer. Action and dirty politics; can Rebus pull the murderer out of the hat?

Published by Little, Brown and Company on October 13, 2020

The venerable John Rebus has a pulmonary disease that impairs his ability to climb stairs, but he isn’t letting retirement or disability stop him from solving crimes. In A Song for the Dark Times, his daughter Samantha is under suspicion for murdering her ex-lover. Some of the drama comes from Samantha’s fear that Rebus, who was never the best of fathers, suspects she’s guilty but is trying to protect her anyway. That fear might be legitimate, but regardless of his motivation, Rebus encourages the police to keep an open mind rather than pinning the murder on the most obvious suspect.

The murder victim is Keith Grant. He is the father of Samantha’s child and was her partner before she began a fling with Jess Hawkins, who is associated with a group that some describe as a New Age cult. Grant had been investigating the history of Camp 1033, one of several internment camps in Scotland that were used during World War II to house and abuse people born outside of the UK. Since Grant’s laptop was stolen (but not his wallet), Rebus wonders if the questions Grant asked about a long-ago death at the camp might be connected to his murder. Alternatively, he wonders if it might be connected to the cult or to the land that the cult and nearby camp occupy.

Meanwhile, Siobhan Clarke is trying to solve the murder of Salman bin Mahmoud. whose father “is worth squillions but thought to be under house arrest somewhere in Saudi Arabia.” Salman has been splashing his money around and emulating his hero, James Bond, in an effort to attract women. Salman’s involvement in a shady investment scheme might have something to do with his demise. The two murder investigations, as is usually true in thrillers with multiple killings, might be linked, but whether and how that could be true is for the reader to ponder.

A subplot involves ACC Jennifer Lyons, whose career with Police Scotland might be jeopardized by photographic evidence that her husband is cheating on her. The criminal who has those photos, Morris “Big Ger” Cafferty, contacts Malcolm Fox to act as an intermediary with Lyons regarding a proposition that might be regarded as blackmail.

Ian Rankin keeps the various plots in motion with his usual flair. He brings a number of supporting characters to the table, ranging from families of Germans who were held captive in Camp 1033 to a bar owner and locals who reside near the camp, from aristocrats doing business with Salman to police officers who butt heads with Rebus as he intrudes on their investigation. Rankin gives each character a unique and believable personality.

Rebus has always been portrayed as a character with a strong sense of justice — as he defines it — and an inability to play by the rules if the rules get in his way. The risk that Rebus will frame an innocent person to save his daughter lurks in the novel’s background, adding another spot of darkness to his blemished character.

The overlapping plots are complex but Rankin’s internal summaries keep the details fresh in the reader’s mind. While the solutions to the two murders are less than obvious, Rankin doesn’t strain credibility to produce surprising resolutions. Each plot thread is convincing, while the story as a whole is reasonably suspenseful. In short, A Song for the Dark Times delivers exactly the kind of murder mystery and strong characterizations that fans of Rankin’s twenty-something Rebus novels have come to expect.

RECOMMENDED

I can’t believe this is the first book I have read by prolific writer, Ian Rankin. It won’t be the last!
The twenty third novel featuring now retired Edinburgh police Inspector John Rebus finds him trying to help out his somewhat estranged daughter, Samantha, when her partner disappears. Meanwhile, former colleague DI Siobhan Clarke is caught up in the investigation of the murder of a wealthy Saudi student. At some point, some of the people in both cases intersect…could the cases be related? Or not?

In two complex plots, with quite a few red herrings, Rankin moves easily between the storylines. It is an engaging, fast read.

Rankin does such a good job in his character development that I did not have any difficulty reading this as a standalone novel, not having read the prior twenty two in the series! Of late, it seems I have read quite a few police procedurals set in Scotland and do enjoy them. I certainly will be adding Rankin to my list of goto authors.

Rebus is retired (sorta) and, thanks to a diagnosis of COPD, he is moving to a ground floor apartment. Siobhan Clarke is helping him move when she receives a call to investigate the murder of a Saudi student. Then Rebus receives a call from his daughter, Samantha telling him her partner, Keith, has gone missing. Despite their rather strained relationship, Rebus rushes to be with her. His reception by her is less than happy and soon, she makes it clear his presence is not needed. Still, he is concerned about her and decides to stay and investigate on his own since he knows that, should the disappearance turn out to be something worse, Samantha will be the prime, perhaps the only, suspect. And the more he looks into it, the more likely it becomes that Keith's disappearance and the murder of the Saudi are connected.

Ian Rankin is one of my favourite writers and A Song for the Dark Times is a good example why. It is the twenty-third novel in his Inspector Rebus series and it is still one of the best police procedural series out there. It is, as always, well-written, well-plotted, intelligent, and compelling and it kept me guessing right up to the end. The characters are three-dimensional and I like that they age as the series continues. Overall, a satisfying addition to the series and I recommend it highly.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown, & Company for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Another 5 Star read from Ian Rankin. I'm grateful to Little, Brown and NetGalley for access to an advance copy to read before the book is in the stores on Tuesday, 13 October 2020! I do love Inspector Rebus. He is joined in this outing by everyone who matters, including daughter Samantha, Siobhan Clarke, Malcolm Fox, Big Ger Rafferty, and not to forget Brillo! Rebus is retired, but that doesn't seem to interfere with his ability to get into the middle of a case, or several. This story begins with Rebus's daughter calling to say her partner, Keith, is missing. Rebus heads north and finds that Samantha is suspect number 1 with the local police. Keith was intensely interested in the history of Camp 1033 and was researching its use for internment and prisoners of war during WWII. Keith also interviewed people who had lived in the area during the war and not everyone was supportive of bringing up the past. Back in Edinburgh several crimes and conflicting real estate consortium interests keep the police busy, and some of this touches on Ger Cafferty's interests. As the story unfolds, there is a convergence of the cases and circumstances, the threads woven together, more often with the assistance of Rebus, and at the end topped off with an elegant, even delicious, twist. What more could one want? Rankin once again struck all the right notes of character, plot, and place that I've always enjoyed in his writing.

If you have not read a John Rebus mystery, you need to add it to your TBR list. The cantankerous Edinburgh police inspector retired way back in 2007, but this independent detective is back in his sixth book since retirement. And finally, because of COPD, he’s been forced to give up smoking! He’s always regretted his family taking a back seat to his work, but now his daughter needs his help. Her partner has disappeared. As usual, Rankin has a well-plotted book with interesting and well-developed characters. For me one of the most interesting aspects was the part that WWII POW camps in Scotland played in solving this mystery.

While I have not read all of the Rebus novels I've read enough to know that this stands more to the top than the bottom of them. Although it can be read as a stand-alone, readers who are familiar with the main characters will appreciate especially the dialog, the asides, and the complexity of the investigations. There are two crimes being investigated, physically distanced, and we watch them being solved in a parallel fashion. One of the investigations is wrapped up in an almost too cookie-cutter made-for-tv fashion while the other takes place off-screen, so to speak, and is much more the satisfying one. While some of the personal interactions are shorthanded, those between Rebus and his daughter Samanatha/Sammy/Sam seem very realistic. Rankin captures the stilted and halting nature of their relationship and he gets special kudos for not closing the chasm between them in one leap but rather by taking a tentative small step.

Absolutely wonderful and clever as always. I was so pleased to catch up with Rebus. The clever plot and characters are always top-notch and I’m anxious for the next one!

Rebus may be aging...but this series remains as fresh and fierce and rewarding as ever! Threading together two compulsive storylines together, Ian Rankin delivers one of his finest reads yet.

It’s a shock to me to realize that I’ve been reading Ian Rankin’s books for over 30 years now. With writers like P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, and Reginald Hill gone, Ian Rankin is one of the few remaining of my favorite traditional British police procedural writers.

Rankin has allowed John Rebus to age, and he’s done it in a realistic way. Rebus used to be a heavy drinker and smoker. Now he’s cut way back on his drinking and he no longer smokes, but his old ways have caught up with him and he has COPD. As the book begins, he’s having to move from the Edinburgh walk-up flat he’s lived in for decades to a ground-floor place.

Rebus has been retired for awhile, but he still has boxes of old and cold cases and plans to work on them. But before he has any of those boxes unpacked, he gets a call from his daughter, Samantha, who lives way up north, asking him to help her. Her partner, Keith, father of her young daughter, has gone missing.

The book has two threads, playing out over the course of a week. One involves Rebus’s investigation of Keith’s disappearance. Rebus being Rebus, even when the actual police become involved, he refuses to step back. As you would expect, he doesn’t endear himself to them or many of the locals—or even his own daughter at times.

The other thread takes place back in Edinburgh, as Rebus’s old partner, Siobhan Clarke, and Malcolm Fox investigate the murder of a university student originally from Saudi Arabia. Was it a hate crime, a robbery gone wrong, or to do with his increasingly shady-looking connections to some rich locals? Could it even have a connection to Rebus’s investigation?

Any fan of police procedurals should enjoy this book. The storylines are tight, and enough bread crumbs are dropped that a careful reader will have a good shortlist of suspects for the crimes. The relationships among the characters fill out the story. It gave me a little thrill that Siobhan and Malcolm are working together. It’s a good way to expand Siobhan’s role, with Rebus edging off the stage.

One of the other things that I appreciate about this series is that while it’s gritty and realistic, it’s not gruesome and it doesn’t hammer you over the head with the social issue du jour. This series will age well and will likely be read and enjoyed for many years after it ends.