Ian Rankin Libri

Given his contempt for authority, his tendency to pursue investigative avenues of his own choosing, and his habitually ornery manner, it's a wonder that John Rebus hasn't been booted unceremoniously from his job as an Edinburgh cop. He certainly tempts that fate again in A Question of Blood , which finds him and his younger partner, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke, trying to close the case of a withdrawn ex-soldier named Lee Herdman, who apparently shot three teenage boys at a Scottish private school, leaving two of them dead, before turning the pistol on himself. "There's no mystery," Siobhan insists at the start of this 14th Rebus novel (following Resurrection Men ). "Herdman lost his marbles, that's all." However, the hard-drinking, chain-smoking Rebus, who'd once sought entry into the same elite regiment in which Herdman served (but ultimately cracked under psychological interrogation), thinks there's more motive than mania behind this classroom slaughter. Perhaps something to do with the gunman's role in a 1995 mission to salvage a downed military helicopter, or with Teri Cotter, a 15-year-old "Goth" who broadcasts her bedroom life over the Internet, yet keeps private her relationship with the haunted Herdman. Rebus's doubts about the murder-suicide theory are deepened with the appearance of two tight-lipped army investigators, and by the peculiar behavior of James Bell, the boy who was only wounded during Herdman's firing spree and whose politician father hopes to use that tragedy as ammo in the campaign against widespread gun ownership. But the detective inspector's focus on this inquiry is susceptible to diversion, both by an internal police probe into his role in the burning death of a small-time crook who'd been stalking Siobhan, and by the fact that Rebus--who shies away from any family contacts--was related to one of Herdman's victims. Now middle-aged and on the downward slope of his pugnacity (the high point may have come in 1997's Black and Blue ), Rebus has become the engine of his own obsolescence. Overexposure to criminals has left him better at understanding them than his colleagues, and he only worsens his career standing by fighting other people's battles for them, especially Siobhan, who risks learning too many lessons from her mentor. To watch Rebus subvert police conventions and fend of personal demons (that latter struggle mirrored in A Question of Blood by Herdman's own) is worth the admission to this consistently ambitious series. --J. Kingston Pierce

On the eve of the first Scottish parliament in three hundred years, Edinburgh is a city rife with political passions and expectations. Queensbury House, the home of Scotland's new rulers, falls in the middle of John Rebus' turf, keeping him busy with ceremonial tasks. That quickly changes, however, when a long-dead body is discovered in a Queensbury House fireplace, a homeless man throws himself off a bridge - leaving behind a suitcase full of cash - and an up-and-coming politician is found murdered. The links between the three deaths lead Rebus to a confrontation with one of Edinburgh's most notorious criminals, a man he thought he'd put in jail for life. Someone's going to make a lot of money out of Scotland's independence - and, as Rebus knows all too well, where there's big money at stake, darkness gathers.

Vita da poliziotto, quella del sergente John Rebus. Una vita in cui il crimine è un appuntamento quotidiano, il senso d’impotenza è una costante inalterabile, le sigarette e l’alcol sono gli unici alleati per non soccombere di fronte all’angoscia delle miserie umane… Eppure nulla, nella tormentata vita di Rebus, è paragonabile alla disperazione che si è abbattuta su di lui e sulla sua città da quando è entrato in azione lo «Strangolatore di Edimburgo», che ha già ucciso due ragazzine e minaccia di colpire ancora. C’è infatti qualcosa, in quell’assassino, che perseguita John Rebus come uno spettro, che lo spinge a indagare fin nei recessi più oscuri della città, nonostante la diffidenza dei superiori, cercando anche il più piccolo indizio che serva a spiegare l’inspiegabile. Ma lui non può sapere che sta cercando nel posto e nel tempo sbagliati. Perché ciò che lo collega all’assassino non appartiene né a Edimburgo né al presente: è qualcosa che si trova nella mente stessa di Rebus, in attesa dietro la porta sprangata del suo passato. Gli ci vorranno l’affetto di una collega, la comprensiva ispettrice Gill Templer, la testardaggine del giornalista Jack Morton e l’inatteso, sofferto intervento del fratello Michael, per trovare il coraggio di capire, per individuare la strada giusta. Una strada segnata da una serie di cerchi e croci…

Rebus is handling four cases to catch a killer linked to Bible John while facing an internal inquiry and media scrutiny over a miscarriage of justice. With his reputation on the line, one mistake could lead to dire consequences, including losing his job or worse.

LET IT BLEED: Rebus finds himself sucked into an investigation that throws up more questions than answers. Was the Lord Provost's daughter kidnapped or just another runaway? And why on earth is Rebus invited to a clay pigeon shoot at the home of the Scottish Office's Permanent Secretary? Drawn into the machine that is modern Scotland, Rebus confronts the fact that some of his enemies may be beyond justice. BLACK & BLUE: Rebus is juggling four cases trying to nail one killer - and doing it under the scrutiny of an internal inquiry led by a man he's just accused of taking backhanders from Glasgow's Mr Big. Added to that there are TV cameras at his back investigating a miscarriage of justice, making Rebus a criminal in the eyes of millions of viewers. Just one mistake is likely to mean a slow and unpleasant death or, worse still, losing his job. THE HANGING GARDEN: DI John Rebus is on the trail of a WWII war criminal - until the running battle between two rival gangs on the city streets arrives at his door. When his daughter is the victim of a hit-and-run Rebus is forced to acknowledge that there is nothing he wouldn't do to bring down the prime suspect - even if it means cutting a deal with the devil.

There is no detective like DI Rebus - brilliant, irascible and endlessly frustrating both to his friends and his long-suffering bosses. For over two decades he has walked through the dark places of Edinburgh ...Now Rebus's life is revealed through this complete collection of stories, from his early days as a young DC in 'Dead and Buried' right up to the dramatic, but not quite final, retirement in 'The Very Last Drop'. This is the ultimate Ian Rankin treasure trove - a must for aficionados as well as a superb introduction to anyone looking to experience DI John Rebus, and the dark and twist-filled crimes he has to investigate, for the very first time.

DEAD SOULS - A call from an old friend brings back memories and more than a little guilt for DI John Rebus. An old schoolfriend's son has gone missing, the ghost of Jack Morton is inhabiting Rebus' dreams, a part-time poisoner is terrorising the local zoo and a freed paedophile rouses the vigilantes. SET IN DARKNESS - Two unusual incidents in one day seem unconnected, until a third body - that of a prospective member of the Scottish Parliament - is found at Queensbury House. Inspector Rebus investigates, and uncovers old secrets that suggest Scotland's second attempt at devolution will be just as dirty. THE FALLS - A student has gone missing in Edinburgh - completely out of character. There's almost nothing to go on but Detective Inspector John Rebus gets an unmistakable gut feeling that there's more to this than just another runaway high on unaccustomed freedom. Two leads a carved wooden doll in a toy coffin, found in the student's home village, and an Internet role-playing game. The ancient and the modern, brought together by uncomfortable circumstance ...

Exploring the hidden perils within academic institutions, this anthology features 18 authors who share compelling stories that challenge the notions of "trigger warnings" and "safe spaces." Each narrative uncovers the complexities and dangers that persist beneath the surface of traditional college life, revealing the stark realities that often contradict the protective measures promoted by modern education. Through diverse perspectives, the collection invites readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the contemporary academic experience.