Series: Inspector Rebus #6
Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Detective
One of the good things about the contemporary crime fiction that can happen to itself is John Rebus and his creator Ian Rankin. Without Ian Rankin, there would have been no John Rebus. Rankin has certainly set a benchmark with his John Rebus’ series and Mortal Causes is the sixth book in this series. Without John Rebus, I won’t be reading as much crime fiction as I do. I started reading John Rebus, even before I laid my hands on Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Things are even darker than usual this time in Mortal Causes.
It is August during the Edinburgh Festival when Inspector John Rebus is called to investigate a brutally tortured body found hanging in the medieval subterranean streets of Edinburgh. The death looks like an execution which causes Rebus to start investigating radical activists. Even worse, he discovers the victim is the son of one of Edinburgh’s most notorious criminal gang leaders, Gerald McCafferty.
With well-crafted characters and the plot so interesting the author makes the book interesting by adding a a challenging situation in which Rebus needs to develop a level of understanding with Big Ger McCafferty. It sounds darker than most of his novels and it turns to be exactly how it sounds. The book not only focuses on the life protagonist John Rebus, but makes a reader to understand the relationship between a cop and a gang leader who is personally hurt. In other words, between two human beings who might different in their doings and actions, and are completely opposite to each other in terms of society they both reside in but sharing a relationship of mutual respect yet at the same time.
As usual, there is a subplot about a female lawyer becoming a little obsessed with Rebus and causing trouble for him in his personal life. This provides a little relief from the darker parts of the story. Throughout the book there are several graphic murders and the sense of danger is very high. The paramilitary angle of the story really raises the stakes and gives the book a different feel altogether. The story is written in a tone of dry-cynical at times which adds up to the darkness it resides. It also glances on how society should work and how it actually works.
4 out of 5
I’ve read this one and really enjoyed it. I do love Rebus…..
Have you heard about the latest edition in the Rebus series?
I have. Rankin is coming to read from it in Belfast at the end of the month and I am really tempted to go!
That’s amazing. I really hope you do go. I read the book last week, and it is good. I’ll be reviewing it soon.
Oh cool. I’ll look out for your review.
The BBC production of this episode (or was it ITV?) is unforgettable.
I did hear that first few episodes were good. I think John Hannah played Rebus. I never got the chance to see it though.
That particular episode starred John Hannah as Rebus.
Oh okay.
Was he any good?
I just finished an ARC e-copy of The Art of Good Habits. I learned some things from reading it so I recommend it. check out my review at http://runwright.net/2015/10/23/the-art-of-good-habits/
But lately, I finished Jennifer Weiner’s Who Do You Love and I just started The Hundred Foot Journey.
I also have a book of my own coming out soon. I’ll come back with details.
I’ll look into the link and congrats on your new book. 🙂
Also, I just realized I didn’t comment on your review. I got so excited with my own stuff.
I don’t really enjoy dark novels. The darkest novel I think I liked was maybe Gone Girl. I tend to get scared, maybe more so than seeing a movie, because the image from reading is a more lasting memory for me.
That being said, would you recommend this book to me?
I think this one is a different from the Gone Girl in sense of darkness. The darkness in the book and every other Rebus book is not the crime, it’s about the character, the protagonist himself. The dual face of city and like Jekyll and Hyde. You should read this essay I wrote on character of John Rebus: https://amandeepmittal.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/john-rebus-character-study/. If by darkness you mean you don’t like crime fiction then that’s okay and I won’t recommend this one.