Doors Open

Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (05/10) "Doors Open" by Ian Rankin is a fluid, quick read about an art heist that goes wrong. Alongside the predictable story is a great commentary about the people and functioning of the City of Edinburgh, which I really enjoyed. The characters and situations in this book would already be familiar to most readers of crime fiction, but it is because of their clear portrayals that I think Ian Rankin's books are so popular. Mike Mackenzie is rich and bored. He and his two friends decide to steal pieces of art not just for their personal enjoyment, but to make a statement about the disappearance of works from the public's view after collectors purchase them. Why shouldn't this software business tycoon, professor, and banker have important pieces for themselves as they are more concerned with the pleasure they bring versus their worth. To make it all happen, however, the men need to trust each other as well as a rough character from Mike's past. The book focuses mainly on Mike's desires and fears alongside building excitement for the inevitable collision between these newcomers to crime and their seasoned, greedy partner. By the end of the book, double-crosses and arrogance bring about a stark, and deadly, reality-check to more than one participant. While it was easy to figure out the crime details and conclusion, the book remained interesting because of the character portrayals - and while many of these were stereotypical, they were realistic. The fleshing out of the former schoolyard bully Chib Calloway, for example, was well done. There are few surprises in "Doors Open" by Ian Rankin, but the book is a pleasant piece of escapism, and a good reminder to make sure that anyone's fantasies about the underworld remain just that.

Inspector John Rebus, Ian Rankin's usual protagonist, plays no part in his latest crime novel, but Edinburgh remains a vital part in this very unusual tale, plotted and written with the dexterity of a master of exciting and stimulating fiction. Three friends meet one day and hatch a plan to steal valuable artwork from the National Gallery by substituting clever forgeries. The idea is planted by a professor of art, and it appeals to Mike Mackenzie, a rich but bored man who has sold his software company for the proverbial pot of gold. The third person is a banker friend of Mike's. The caper becomes complicated by other factors, including a gangster brought into the plot by Mike. It would do the reader no service to further describe the story other than to suggest acquisition of the book itself, which would be its own reward. Highly recommended.

The above are the words of a key character in Ian Rankin's Doors Open. These words collectively describe the Edinburgh men, a banker, an art professor, and a computer software millionaire, who are the heart of the matter. These "three musketeers" have no prior criminal record, but they plot to rip off Scotland's National Gallery of Art. That is, they want to steal paintings. (They aren't interested in the gift shop.) Rankin subtly and skillfully develops the tale. Things start heading south when a crude gangster is recruited for "muscle." This crude gangster is himself pursued by a monstrous debt collector. It's all written in a refreshingly clear manner. It actually begins at the beginning and ends at the end. The author narrates in an almost conversational manner. No skipping around between first and third person. No irritating (blurry) flashbacks and flash forwards. No leaving the reader at the edge of a cliff at chapter's end and then not returning to cliff's edge until two or three chapters later. Rankin doesn't have to drop in arcane references and phrases that only he really understands. In other words, none of that stuff that authors do to fill space and make deadlines. I knew very little about Edinburgh before reading this novel, so I enjoyed the good measure of local atmosphere that is woven into the story. As for the painting heist itself, the reader must decide how plausible it all is. I found it to be clever and it held my interest. Rankin has a dry wit that often left me chuckling. Highly recommended.

I liked Doors Open very much, so I was surprised to read the negative reviews. Ian Rankin's Rebus books were great, but they were a bit somber. This book was light and entertaining, with a lively pace. And the characters were interesting, too (the art student, the professor, the mogul, the banker, and the gangster). Here's hoping Rankin keeps writing!