Mortal Causes

A boy is found tortured in an underground alley in Edinburg that is below the local courthouse. This is just the beginning of the best Rebus yet. The story itself is intriguing and thought provoking (it has to do with a home grown terrorist group that is working with the Protestant Paramilitaries in Northern Ireland). As the story builds, we meet some old friends that we didn't think we'd see again, and some new ones we hope never to see again. Rankin always does a great job in tying in humor and the comic relief in this one is precious (not to mention with a lot of patience). Unlike the last two, this is really a one man show, and John gets beat up, beat on, and seriously pummeled. (I would sure like for Rankin to take it easy on this guy, since he quickly approaching 50). John's instincts are amazing and he is as relentless as a junkyard dog with a new bone. A great fun read.

I have to admit that I am an Ian Rankin junkie. I have never been much of a murder-mystery devotee, but Rankin has a way with drama and putting characters together within the Edinburgh context that is exceptional. Mortal Causes is one of my favorite Rankin mysteries because it breaks away from many of his typical roles. Inspector Rebus is not called on the carpet, as usual, he is hard on the case, and we have the chance to see a bit of his own personal history. This novel is an 'easy read' and I found it thoroughly delightful.

After a particularly gruesome murder is discovered during Edinburgh's Fringe Festival, Inspector John Rebus is seconded to the elite Scottish Crime Squad. The reason for this is that aspects of the murder make it appear that a terrorist group was responsible and Rebus's previous SAS experience would come in handy. The investigation takes him from his home base to the villages of rural Scotland and across to Belfast and back again.Throughout the book, the Catholic versus Protestant problem is continually raised, comparing Scotland to the Troubles in Northern Ireland and suggesting that the same uprising could be imminent. While the characters were discussing terrorist organisations there were enough three letter acronyms being bandied about to make me think I might have stumbled into a Microsoft manual.Once again we are treated to the bare bones of Edinburgh's back streets and dingy estates that have fallen into ruin. Rebus is as inscrutable and removed from his fellow officers as ever, yet, at least for me, he is becoming more and more likable. I feel this series is getting more and more enjoyable with every book I read, this one is no exception.

If you're interested in Scotland(Britain) and their police force the Inspector Rebus series is a well-written, though dark look at life, murder and police politics and procedures

I only discovered Ian Rankin's John Rebus mysteries quite recently and have read through all those available in a relatively short time. Rebus is a memorable character and Rankin's portrait of Edinburgh and the police department in his procedurals rings as very convincing and true-to-life. In _Mortal Causes_, the most recent of the Rebus titles to see paperback, Rankin's hero must investigate a particularly gruesome murder which begins to look like it might be the work of a terrorist cell from Northern Ireland. Rebus had spent time there earlier in his career, before joining the police. His expertise comes to prove valuable in this case, on in which not everything is as it appears. Set during Edinburgh's annual summer Festival, readers are treated to an exciting, realistic mystery which takes place in the side streets and housing estates that tourists don't normally see. Inspector John Rebus continues to develop into one of the more multi-faceted and interesting characters in contemporary mystery fiction and Ian Rankin's ability to grab the reader by the throat shows no signs of letting up. All in all, this is the best of the Rebus series, with a new book, _Let it Bleed_ currently out in hardcover, and another, _Black and Blue_, waiting in the wings. Receives my highest recommendation