Rather be the devil: a novel

*Starred Review* It's a setup as old as the genre: an unofficial sleuth keeps butting in on a police investigation while the coppers get increasingly pissed. But give the setup a quarter turn to the left, and make the sleuth not some blueberry muffin-­baking amateur but John Rebus, the legendary but now retired Edinburgh detective, and you have a very different situation. Rankin has been improvising on this theme ever since he wisely decided to reinvent the Rebus series after the curmudgeonly detective turned in his shield (Exit Music, 2008). This time the spur in Rebus' saddle comes from his recollection of an unsolved murder (promiscuous society lady killed in fancy hotel, possibly by a gangster); intrigued and needing something to do, Rebus begins to walk back the case, but soon enough he's strolled into a mess of trouble involving turf battles both within the police and among Scotland's reigning crime lords. There's lots of juicy interplay between outsider Rebus and his successors, Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox, but best of all, there's the re-emergence of another character on whom the mantle of retirement is sitting awkwardly: Big Ger Cafferty, former crime boss and Rebus' longtime frenemy. The ongoing pas de deux between these two aging antiheroes has been one of the best things in crime fiction for years, but Rankin kicks it up several notches here, with both men facing mortality and screaming in two-part harmony against the dying of the light.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2016 Booklist

A 1978 cold case brings John Rebus out of semiretirement in Edgar-finalist Rankin's complex 23rd novel featuring the Edinburgh copper (after 2015's Even Dogs in the Wild). Crabby from giving up cigarettes and more afraid than he would like to admit about impending medical results, Rebus reexamines the unsolved murder of Maria Turquand, the wife of a wealthy banker with a penchant for sleeping around, at Edinburgh's classy Caledonian hotel. Meanwhile, Det. Insp. Siobahn Clarke has her hands full with the beating of gangster Darryl Christie, who swears his injuries came at the behest of one of the city's biggest crime bosses, Big Ger Cafferty, who just happens to be Rebus's nemesis cum confidante. Det. Insp. Malcolm Fox, on loan from Police Scotland, looks into possible money laundering schemes involving not only Christie but also the heir to the banking fortune that made the Turquands millionaires back in the '70s. With its trademark blend of sharp wit and even sharper police work, this entry is yet another example of why Rankin remains in the top echelon of Scottish crime writers. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Reluctantly retired DI John Rebus may have given up smoking and drinking but proves himself incapable of resisting a crime that has long gone cold. Enjoying dinner at Edinburgh's old Caledonian Hotel, he is reminded that it was the scene of the 1978 murder of socialite Maria Turquand. Able to access the case files via his former colleague DS Siobhan Clarke, Rebus begins to track down connected witnesses, suspects, and coppers. The heat is turned up when Robert Chatham, a former cold case detective, ends up dead soon after talking with Rebus. Meanwhile, returning characters Malcom Fox and Clarke are forced to coordinate cases of assault and money laundering in connection to rising crime boss Darryl Christie. Rebus, Clarke, and Fox find they must work together to try to sort out various cases that are becoming increasingly intertwined. Rankin fans will cheer the return of their favorite characters in this gritty, dark, and page-turning crime novel. Verdict This may be the author's (Even Dogs in the Wild) 21st series outing, but the thrill is still fresh. Fans may be more comfortable with the myriad backstories and established characters, but newcomers can still appreciate this entry. For readers who like police procedurals such as Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series. [See Prepub Alert, 7/25/16.]-Susan Santa, Shelter Rock P.L., Albertson, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

*Starred Review* It's a setup as old as the genre: an unofficial sleuth keeps butting in on a police investigation while the coppers get increasingly pissed. But give the setup a quarter turn to the left, and make the sleuth not some blueberry muffin–­baking amateur but John Rebus, the legendary but now retired Edinburgh detective, and you have a very different situation. Rankin has been improvising on this theme ever since he wisely decided to reinvent the Rebus series after the curmudgeonly detective turned in his shield (Exit Music, 2008). This time the spur in Rebus' saddle comes from his recollection of an unsolved murder (promiscuous society lady killed in fancy hotel, possibly by a gangster); intrigued and needing something to do, Rebus begins to walk back the case, but soon enough he's strolled into a mess of trouble involving turf battles both within the police and among Scotland's reigning crime lords. There's lots of juicy interplay between outsider Rebus and his successors, Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox, but best of all, there's the re-emergence of another character on whom the mantle of retirement is sitting awkwardly: Big Ger Cafferty, former crime boss and Rebus' longtime frenemy. The ongoing pas de deux between these two aging antiheroes has been one of the best things in crime fiction for years, but Rankin kicks it up several notches here, with both men facing mortality and screaming in two-part harmony against the dying of the light. Copyright 2016 Booklist Reviews.

Rankin, who comes clutching an Edgar in one hand and a Gold Dagger in the other, brings us another mystery starring D.I. John Rebus, never mind that he's retired. He just can't let rest a socialite's 1970s death at a ritzy Edinburgh hotel.. Copyright 2016 Library Journal.

Reluctantly retired DI John Rebus may have given up smoking and drinking but proves himself incapable of resisting a crime that has long gone cold. Enjoying dinner at Edinburgh's old Caledonian Hotel, he is reminded that it was the scene of the 1978 murder of socialite Maria Turquand. Able to access the case files via his former colleague DS Siobhan Clarke, Rebus begins to track down connected witnesses, suspects, and coppers. The heat is turned up when Robert Chatham, a former cold case detective, ends up dead soon after talking with Rebus. Meanwhile, returning characters Malcom Fox and Clarke are forced to coordinate cases of assault and money laundering in connection to rising crime boss Darryl Christie. Rebus, Clarke, and Fox find they must work together to try to sort out various cases that are becoming increasingly intertwined. Rankin fans will cheer the return of their favorite characters in this gritty, dark, and page-turning crime novel. Verdict This may be the author's (Even Dogs in the Wild) 21st series outing, but the thrill is still fresh. Fans may be more comfortable with the myriad backstories and established characters, but newcomers can still appreciate this entry. For readers who like police procedurals such as Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series. [See Prepub Alert, 7/25/16.]—Susan Santa, Shelter Rock P.L., Albertson, NY (c) Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A 1978 cold case brings John Rebus out of semiretirement in Edgar-finalist Rankin's complex 23rd novel featuring the Edinburgh copper (after 2015's Even Dogs in the Wild). Crabby from giving up cigarettes and more afraid than he would like to admit about impending medical results, Rebus reexamines the unsolved murder of Maria Turquand, the wife of a wealthy banker with a penchant for sleeping around, at Edinburgh's classy Caledonian hotel. Meanwhile, Det. Insp. Siobahn Clarke has her hands full with the beating of gangster Darryl Christie, who swears his injuries came at the behest of one of the city's biggest crime bosses, Big Ger Cafferty, who just happens to be Rebus's nemesis cum confidante. Det. Insp. Malcolm Fox, on loan from Police Scotland, looks into possible money laundering schemes involving not only Christie but also the heir to the banking fortune that made the Turquands millionaires back in the '70s. With its trademark blend of sharp wit and even sharper police work, this entry is yet another example of why Rankin remains in the top echelon of Scottish crime writers. (Jan.) Copyright 2016 Publisher Weekly.