Guilt weighs heavily on Inspector John Rebus in Dead Souls, which is the tenth outing for our favourite Edinburgh-based policeman. Guilt about the distant past, when an old flame turns up looking for her missing son. Guilt about the near past every time he looks at his daughter Sammy, who is now confined to a wheelchair. And guilt about the present when he outs a freed paedophile, who is subsequently murdered. Life gets even tougher when a convicted murderer is sent back to Edinburgh from the USA, and starts to entangle Rebus in a deadly game of cat and mouse. The writing is taught and tense, and Rebus is not a happy soul in this book. His many, many ghosts are keeping him company on an almost permanent basis, and his relationship with Patience is in severe danger of collapse. Ian Rankin seems to take immense pleasure in putting his main character through some deep traumas in every book, but this one pushes him to the very edge. This is a book for those who like their crime drama to be dark and brooding. The crimes in question are disturbing and make for a tough read. The dialogue feels authentic and crisp, and the slow reveal of what's really been going on is patient and un-showy. There is plenty of action too, and none of it is pretty. While it may be grim, this is still a good read with plenty of stuff to keep the reader gripped. If only Rebus could catch a break and have a little happiness from time to time ...!
My STAR rating: FOUR.
Length: 477 print pages.
Price Paid: free, borrowed from my husband.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.
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