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Inspector Rebus #7
Let It Bleed
Struggling through another Edinburgh winter Rebus finds himself sucked into a web of intrigue that throws up more questions than answers. Was the Lord Provost's daughter kidnapped or just another runaway? Why is a city councillor shredding documents that should have been waste paper years ago? And why on earth is Rebus invited to a clay pigeon shoot at the home of the Scottish Office's Permanent Secretary? Sucked into the machine that is modern Scotland, Rebus confronts the fact that some of his enemies may be beyond justice...
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
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About the author
Ian Rankin
417 books6,454 followersAKA Jack Harvey.
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987; the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianrankin
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987; the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianrankin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 590 reviews
April 30, 2024
Despite a multitude of characters, story threads, and Scottish government entities— this was an excellent read. Rankin does an amazing job balancing the scales of justice and commerce.
The book may be years old but its storyline is as contemporary as it gets. What price progress?
I generally love the way his books come together but this may be one of my favorites. For that reason, I think it’s a good entre into the Rebus series as our lead inspector is maturing, despite still battling some demons. (Earlier books are fairly solid but the dude’s personal life is a hot mess!)
By this installment, Rebus’s sense of integrity (or need for justice) has almost become its own character in this detective series. It drives him to nearly self-destruct yet also serves as his guiding principle.
Look forward to continuing to see what Rebus will be battling against next!!
(Reviewed 1/2/24)
The book may be years old but its storyline is as contemporary as it gets. What price progress?
I generally love the way his books come together but this may be one of my favorites. For that reason, I think it’s a good entre into the Rebus series as our lead inspector is maturing, despite still battling some demons. (Earlier books are fairly solid but the dude’s personal life is a hot mess!)
By this installment, Rebus’s sense of integrity (or need for justice) has almost become its own character in this detective series. It drives him to nearly self-destruct yet also serves as his guiding principle.
Look forward to continuing to see what Rebus will be battling against next!!
(Reviewed 1/2/24)
June 9, 2019
Every time I think I’ve read all of the John Rebus books I seem to discover another one that’s slipped through the net. This time I’m convinced it’s the last one – I’ve triple checked! It’s one of the early books (released in 1995) and some of the technology and the politics have moved on since it came out, but that only adds to its charm. It’s like catching an old episode of a television series you used to love. And due to the random order I’ve read these books it took me a while to catch up on where Rebus stood with a number of his colleagues who’ve popped up numerous times over the years – some friends, some foe.
The storyline kicks off with a mad car chase over the Forth Bridge which ends with Rebus crawling towards a couple of young lads who have crawled from the wreckage of their car. They are suspected of perpetrating the kidnap of a young girl. But before Rebus can reach them he watches as one boy wraps his arms around the other and, leaning back, gently and soundlessly tips them both into a fatal fall to the Firth of Forth below. It’s a harrowing scene and one that’s going to haunt Rebus. Was that suicide? It certainly looked that way.
Before long there’s another episode – definitely suicide this time. An ex-con uses a sawn-off to end his days in the office of a local councillor. Are these events linked in any way? On the face of it no, but on the other hand this is an Ian Rankin novel and coincidence is something neither he nor Rebus is a great believer in.
As always, the interactions between characters are brilliantly written. To me, this is the single biggest joy of these books. Rebus is dry and cutting. Why give a straightforward response if you can be cryptic and wry? And the support characters are excellent too. In this book I particularly enjoyed John’s sparring with his bête noire, Detective Inspector Alistair Flower, and also with his flustered and frustrated boss, Chief Superintendent Thomas ‘Farmer’ Watson. At times it’s subtle and clever but mostly it’s just laugh out loud funny. But overall these tend to be dark tales and it’s not long before we’re sneaking back into posh Edinburgh’s dark underbelly.
I wont go into the bigger story – in truth it was a little convoluted for my tastes – but suffice to say it all gets very murky and then everything becomes clear. These books don’t always have happy endings, Rebus has a self-destructive streak and he’s a stubborn ass too. He’s as likely to self-destruct at his potential moment of success as any fictional character I’ve come across. Does he here? Well I’m afraid you’re just going to have to read it to find out.
The storyline kicks off with a mad car chase over the Forth Bridge which ends with Rebus crawling towards a couple of young lads who have crawled from the wreckage of their car. They are suspected of perpetrating the kidnap of a young girl. But before Rebus can reach them he watches as one boy wraps his arms around the other and, leaning back, gently and soundlessly tips them both into a fatal fall to the Firth of Forth below. It’s a harrowing scene and one that’s going to haunt Rebus. Was that suicide? It certainly looked that way.
Before long there’s another episode – definitely suicide this time. An ex-con uses a sawn-off to end his days in the office of a local councillor. Are these events linked in any way? On the face of it no, but on the other hand this is an Ian Rankin novel and coincidence is something neither he nor Rebus is a great believer in.
As always, the interactions between characters are brilliantly written. To me, this is the single biggest joy of these books. Rebus is dry and cutting. Why give a straightforward response if you can be cryptic and wry? And the support characters are excellent too. In this book I particularly enjoyed John’s sparring with his bête noire, Detective Inspector Alistair Flower, and also with his flustered and frustrated boss, Chief Superintendent Thomas ‘Farmer’ Watson. At times it’s subtle and clever but mostly it’s just laugh out loud funny. But overall these tend to be dark tales and it’s not long before we’re sneaking back into posh Edinburgh’s dark underbelly.
I wont go into the bigger story – in truth it was a little convoluted for my tastes – but suffice to say it all gets very murky and then everything becomes clear. These books don’t always have happy endings, Rebus has a self-destructive streak and he’s a stubborn ass too. He’s as likely to self-destruct at his potential moment of success as any fictional character I’ve come across. Does he here? Well I’m afraid you’re just going to have to read it to find out.
July 26, 2022
The story started well. A car chase over the Forth bridge. Then a weird suicide. Rebus is then uncovering corruption in high places. A multi million computer company with a questionable past. Blackmail, lots of whisky drank and revenge. Rebus also finally goes to the dentist.
Overall I enjoyed the story with the ending a bit of a letdown. Set in Edinburgh during winter you can almost feel the cold.
Overall I enjoyed the story with the ending a bit of a letdown. Set in Edinburgh during winter you can almost feel the cold.
October 24, 2019
My favorite inspector.
April 13, 2020
Inspector Rebus mystery No.7: One of my fave Rebus tales to date. Rankin through Rebus gets the reader looking at the nature of the abuse of executive power and how Rebus handles it. Rebus Vs the World… classic Rebus! 7 out of 12.
February 11, 2015
Ian Rankin is up there with my favourite authors now. This was a really entertaining book and one which I did not want to put down. Rebus is of course a great character and this story showed all his many parts. I was not entirely sure how I felt about a certain scene with a cat but I enjoyed the development of his relationship with his daughter and there was even a hint that his other relationship with alcohol might be improving too. The book starts with an exciting car chase and ends so suddenly it is practically in the middle of a sentence. Now I have to get hold of the next book quickly to see how on earth he gets himself out of the trouble he is in.
December 19, 2016
I finally broke my Ian Rankin cherry.
Good things first. It is well written and has a bit of humour.
However, I grew up reading the "87th precinct" police procedurals by Ed McBain, but it's been twenty years since I read a British police procedural.
And now I remember the reason why, is because they are so, same old, same old.
For example, an alcoholic copper, a convoluted plot about political corruption, and the high ranking cops are part of the scam. Oh dear.
At least McBain had a terrific ensemble cast and varied plots, but even then, it wore thin after a time.
Rankin has won loads of awards and has devoted readers but I won't be joining their ranks.
Good things first. It is well written and has a bit of humour.
However, I grew up reading the "87th precinct" police procedurals by Ed McBain, but it's been twenty years since I read a British police procedural.
And now I remember the reason why, is because they are so, same old, same old.
For example, an alcoholic copper, a convoluted plot about political corruption, and the high ranking cops are part of the scam. Oh dear.
At least McBain had a terrific ensemble cast and varied plots, but even then, it wore thin after a time.
Rankin has won loads of awards and has devoted readers but I won't be joining their ranks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2018
The 7th Inspector Rebus novel starts with a bang - literally!
From then on John Rebus is drawn into a strange web of apparently unconnected acts, that eventually leads him to corruption in very high places.
A good, solid, Rebus read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
From then on John Rebus is drawn into a strange web of apparently unconnected acts, that eventually leads him to corruption in very high places.
A good, solid, Rebus read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
November 6, 2021
3.5 stars
July 18, 2010
I was a bit disappointed with this book, an unusual result for me with a Rankin book. It had a bang-up beginning - literally, bang-up. There was this exciting high speed car chase, ending in a crash on a bridge and the subsequent suicides by jumping of the two unfortunate young miscreants who were being chased by the police. Inspector Rebus witnesses the suicides and is troubled by them. Something seems wrong about their actions, and so, in his usual stubborn fashion, he tugs and tugs at that worrisome thread until a whole skein of lies and half-truths comes unraveled, revealing the underside of properous Edinburgh.
Rankin is never better than when describing Edinburgh. Even though I've never been there, I feel as though I have after reading his books, and that is true of this book as well. His feeling for the culture of the city, both high and low, is displayed once again, and one is treated to an exposition of the doughty Edinburgh citizens' collective personality.
The book has its pleasures, but, overall, I felt the plot was a bit muddy and there were just too many extraneous and, in my view, unnecessary, subplots woven in. Oh, well, not even Shakespeare could do a "Macbeth" every time out.
Rankin is never better than when describing Edinburgh. Even though I've never been there, I feel as though I have after reading his books, and that is true of this book as well. His feeling for the culture of the city, both high and low, is displayed once again, and one is treated to an exposition of the doughty Edinburgh citizens' collective personality.
The book has its pleasures, but, overall, I felt the plot was a bit muddy and there were just too many extraneous and, in my view, unnecessary, subplots woven in. Oh, well, not even Shakespeare could do a "Macbeth" every time out.
December 24, 2020
Finalinin ucu açık kalması iyi mi olmuş kötü mü karar veremedim. Belki 8.kitapta bahseder ne oldu son durum 🤔
February 16, 2024
6 stars out of 5. 3 dramatic suicides and Rebus doesn't drop his investigation despite orders from the Farmer's boss and sneering hints from Lauderdale's corrupt underling Flowers. Lauderdale is recovering in hospital from an auto accident while Rebus finally has to get his teeth looked at, from the same accident. The dentist, along with a diverse collection of other people Rebus talks to reveal a group of scam artists skimming money from homeless housing, job counseling (Drop-in Centers), and projects to attract manufacturing in Scotland. The document found under the mattress of one of the suicides seems to expose a vast conspiracy but Rebus needs to verify the odd names mentioned and see if they line up with people or companies: Menseung, Dalgety, LABarum. He sets his investigative journalist Mairie Henderson on the trail, and also calls in Brian Holmes and Siobhan Clarke's investigative skills. He's been ordered to stay away from work for 2 weeks, so of course that leaves more time to investigate. What are all these Scottish government agencies spending their huge budgets on? What are they 'developing'? Some of the agency officials want Rebus to investigate, too. And underlying the investigation is murder. Do all the jobs created justify murder? Some officials think so. - Worth reading twice, especially when government officials give you 'moral' reasons for why spending money on ethnic cleansing is justified.
July 19, 2018
Let it Bleed is one of the early Inspector Rebus books from Ian Rankin. The Scottish detective is true to his persona as a guy who can never take the easy way out, refusing to accept suicide verdicts or to let go of investigations when superiors and VIPs try to warn him away.
Rebus' lonely investigation into government corruption made him seem more like a journalist than a cop. Maybe an FBI agent would try to untangle a web of corporations, but would a murder investigator stick with it?
The main reason I didn't like this one as well as some others was that very web of corporate/government entities, Scottish politics, etc., which weren't as interesting to follow.
Rebus' lonely investigation into government corruption made him seem more like a journalist than a cop. Maybe an FBI agent would try to untangle a web of corporations, but would a murder investigator stick with it?
The main reason I didn't like this one as well as some others was that very web of corporate/government entities, Scottish politics, etc., which weren't as interesting to follow.
June 17, 2019
Not sure why I waited 5 years between #6 "Mortal Causes" and this one, but I definitely missed the sometimes inebriated Scottish detective. The story starts with a car chase, morphs into a double suicide, then into a huge conspiracy reaching into the stratosphere of the government.
February 27, 2018
Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.
Another book from my world challenge and, unfortunately, not a very good choice.
I can't really say I enjoyed Let it Bleed. Despite it being only 360-something pages, it felt like 800. The story was dark, dreary and slow, and it had next to no emotional pull. I realized rather late that it's one of those money-machine series with tens of novels, each the same as the previous one, and full of flat, uninteresting characters.
Inspector Rebus was a very unpleasant main character, he lacked charisma, he lacked compassion, he was terrible to his daughter, disrespected authority and personal rights and only kept going with the investigation because he had decided so and no one was going to stop him.
There were many characters in this book and not a single one was developed more than the generic background story. Even the villains had next to no motive for the crimes they committed. I'm pretty sure even Rebus himself mentioned that.
Not to mention that the entire solving of the crime was a hot mess of useless and meaningless details and conversations, and little pieces of information which, through Rebus' far-fetched deductions, lead to him solving the crime thanks more to guesswork, rather than evidence.
I admit that I am not generally a fan of detective novels, for many of the reasons that lead me to not liking Let It Bleed, as well, but even as far as those go, this is one of the worse ones I've read.
Another book from my world challenge and, unfortunately, not a very good choice.
I can't really say I enjoyed Let it Bleed. Despite it being only 360-something pages, it felt like 800. The story was dark, dreary and slow, and it had next to no emotional pull. I realized rather late that it's one of those money-machine series with tens of novels, each the same as the previous one, and full of flat, uninteresting characters.
Inspector Rebus was a very unpleasant main character, he lacked charisma, he lacked compassion, he was terrible to his daughter, disrespected authority and personal rights and only kept going with the investigation because he had decided so and no one was going to stop him.
There were many characters in this book and not a single one was developed more than the generic background story. Even the villains had next to no motive for the crimes they committed. I'm pretty sure even Rebus himself mentioned that.
Not to mention that the entire solving of the crime was a hot mess of useless and meaningless details and conversations, and little pieces of information which, through Rebus' far-fetched deductions, lead to him solving the crime thanks more to guesswork, rather than evidence.
I admit that I am not generally a fan of detective novels, for many of the reasons that lead me to not liking Let It Bleed, as well, but even as far as those go, this is one of the worse ones I've read.
August 8, 2017
Séptima entrega del inspector John Rebus con Muerte Helada y cuyo título en inglés —Let it Bleed—, hará referencia a un álbum de los Rolling Stones y donde encontraremos varias alusiones sobre él en la novela.
Uno de los mejores personajes de ficción de la novela negra y criminal, para aquí quien escribe, es John Rebus. Un enigmático y desaliñado inspector de la policía al que le gusta demasiado el alcohol —aunque él piensa que sólo necesita beber para dormir—, y que cada tarde hará diversos recorridos por los pubs de la ciudad.
Las novelas de John Rebus están clasificadas dentro del Tartan Noir, género literario escocés de novela policial con clásicas referencias al hardboiled. En esta ocasión, Ian Ranking ha ambientado Muerte Helada —escrito en 1995—, en un victoriano, frío y brumoso Edimburgo que hará las delicias de aquellos lectores que nos enamora este tipo de recreaciones.
"Aquella mañana, una densa calina procedente de la costa cubría toda la ciudad. Era uno de esos días en los que uno podía imaginarse a sí mismo en tiempos pasados, con caballos y carruajes traqueteando entre la niebla, en lugar de coches con los faros encendidos. La piel y la ropa de Rebus estaban húmedas al tacto". http://www.abrirunlibro.com/2017/08/m...
Uno de los mejores personajes de ficción de la novela negra y criminal, para aquí quien escribe, es John Rebus. Un enigmático y desaliñado inspector de la policía al que le gusta demasiado el alcohol —aunque él piensa que sólo necesita beber para dormir—, y que cada tarde hará diversos recorridos por los pubs de la ciudad.
Las novelas de John Rebus están clasificadas dentro del Tartan Noir, género literario escocés de novela policial con clásicas referencias al hardboiled. En esta ocasión, Ian Ranking ha ambientado Muerte Helada —escrito en 1995—, en un victoriano, frío y brumoso Edimburgo que hará las delicias de aquellos lectores que nos enamora este tipo de recreaciones.
"Aquella mañana, una densa calina procedente de la costa cubría toda la ciudad. Era uno de esos días en los que uno podía imaginarse a sí mismo en tiempos pasados, con caballos y carruajes traqueteando entre la niebla, en lugar de coches con los faros encendidos. La piel y la ropa de Rebus estaban húmedas al tacto". http://www.abrirunlibro.com/2017/08/m...
May 31, 2017
I don't usually give five stars to a mystery/police procedural/thriller, unless it has social issue significance. This does, even if that is not the main point. Rankin contrasts corruption at the highest levels in Edinburgh with poverty, unemployment, drug dependency and seeming hopelessness, the latter of which he deals with rather clearly and bluntly.
One of the blurbs on the back cover refers to this as "Perhaps the best Inspector Rebus tale." This is absolutely true, for those I've read. Rebus is, of course, a mess. His relationships with those he cares about are in tatters. And yet, he does care. He does what he can, some of it distinctly unhelpful, some of it surprisingly sensitive.
Another noteworthy feature of this particular entry in the series is that it provides major backstory for the books that follow. Finally, I have some insight into relationships between Rebus, the Farmer, and Flowers. Things make a bit of sense! Apparently this is a series to read in order.
And now, I've got to go see if I can find the next one.
One of the blurbs on the back cover refers to this as "Perhaps the best Inspector Rebus tale." This is absolutely true, for those I've read. Rebus is, of course, a mess. His relationships with those he cares about are in tatters. And yet, he does care. He does what he can, some of it distinctly unhelpful, some of it surprisingly sensitive.
Another noteworthy feature of this particular entry in the series is that it provides major backstory for the books that follow. Finally, I have some insight into relationships between Rebus, the Farmer, and Flowers. Things make a bit of sense! Apparently this is a series to read in order.
And now, I've got to go see if I can find the next one.
September 28, 2023
En esta ocasión Rebus se ve inmerso en un caso muy actual, donde se aúnan dinero, poder e intereses políticos. Y como siempre, Rebus llegará hasta las últimas consecuencias para descubrir la verdad a pesar de que ponga en juego su puesto de trabajo.
Me encanta Rebus y me encanta el estilo de Ian Rankin, estos libros se leen de manera ágil y enseguida te sumergues en la trama, pero....pues si, en esta ocasión hay un pero, Rankin ha metido demasiada política para mi gusto en este libro, aunque me ha gustado, este junto a Causas mortales son los más flojos desde mi punto de vista.
También tengo que decir que los libros han ido mejorando en calidad según avanzas en la serie, y también han ido evolucionando poco a poco, acercándose cada vez más hacia la novela negra, en detrimento de la novela policiaca de sus primeros libros.
Y por último, no me ha gustado nada el final, según mi opinión, no aclara nada de lo que va a ocurrir con los implicados y a mi me gustan los finales sin flecos.
Me encanta Rebus y me encanta el estilo de Ian Rankin, estos libros se leen de manera ágil y enseguida te sumergues en la trama, pero....pues si, en esta ocasión hay un pero, Rankin ha metido demasiada política para mi gusto en este libro, aunque me ha gustado, este junto a Causas mortales son los más flojos desde mi punto de vista.
También tengo que decir que los libros han ido mejorando en calidad según avanzas en la serie, y también han ido evolucionando poco a poco, acercándose cada vez más hacia la novela negra, en detrimento de la novela policiaca de sus primeros libros.
Y por último, no me ha gustado nada el final, según mi opinión, no aclara nada de lo que va a ocurrir con los implicados y a mi me gustan los finales sin flecos.
December 2, 2019
Ian Rankin has gathered me in as one of his more avid readers. I have been enjoying his approach to police practices and procedures in Scotland. Having had considerable experience in American police practices, the approach to investigations under US constitutional law is a bit different. The internal conflicts between investigators and police administrators is quite similar but the Scottish approach seems to be much more “in your face” than our approach.
If you enjoy American police stories, you will enjoy the differences in Rankin’s stories. I have read the first several books in the series and plan to continue until I catch up with the author’s progress. Enjoy.
If you enjoy American police stories, you will enjoy the differences in Rankin’s stories. I have read the first several books in the series and plan to continue until I catch up with the author’s progress. Enjoy.
March 22, 2021
If Ian Rankin had set out to write seven books in the Inspector Rebus series, the seventh would be a fitting climax. Having read the first seven now, in sequence, I can say that the characters, especially Rebus himself, are well drawn, Edinburgh is fascinating, and the storylines are interesting enough for all the books to be page-turners
Let It Bleed, though is just excellent and so believable. The flawed character that is Rebus is expanded to reveal the determination of a bloodhound in his tracking down of corruption in high places.
A very good read indeed - and I'm looking forward to what treats lie in wait in the next in the series.
Let It Bleed, though is just excellent and so believable. The flawed character that is Rebus is expanded to reveal the determination of a bloodhound in his tracking down of corruption in high places.
A very good read indeed - and I'm looking forward to what treats lie in wait in the next in the series.
July 27, 2022
This is the seventh book in the John Rebus series. Having read a couple of Rankin's books, I decided to go back and read them in order. It is not necessary in terms of the plots of the various crimes he investigates, but readers do achieve a better appreciation of the characters involved, the evolution of John's personal life and how problems that caused him trouble in the past still linger. He is a rough, tough character, a melancholy, cynical and streetwise detective who continues his destructive behavior, living on cigarettes, booze and bacon buns, ignoring his need for dental work and ambushing his attempts at personal relationships.
His home life is not a source of comfort and is now in complete disarray. Patience has left him and Sammy his estranged daughter has gone to live with her. He carries on, living a life of quiet desperation with loneliness and depression always lurking around the corner. The only thing he seems to be good at is his work, but he is a loner and doesn't work well with others. Her prefers to take his own investigative path, a fearless and determined plodder, always ready to dig deep, despite his powerful opponents. His inability to establish collegial relationships, his willingness to flaunt procedures and protocols and bow to authority cause him unending problems. His old nemesis Flower is hard at work trying to get him kicked off the force and may know much more than he's letting on.
The novel begins with a couple of suicides: two youths "fall" off a bridge and a felon recently released from prison blows himself to bits in front of a municipal councilman. The story line gets convoluted at times, involving local Scottish politics and for those on this side of the pond, it is not easy to keep all the acronyms straight or to decipher some of the Scottish slang.
But this is a great read. Tight, fast paced, enjoyable and hard to put down.
His home life is not a source of comfort and is now in complete disarray. Patience has left him and Sammy his estranged daughter has gone to live with her. He carries on, living a life of quiet desperation with loneliness and depression always lurking around the corner. The only thing he seems to be good at is his work, but he is a loner and doesn't work well with others. Her prefers to take his own investigative path, a fearless and determined plodder, always ready to dig deep, despite his powerful opponents. His inability to establish collegial relationships, his willingness to flaunt procedures and protocols and bow to authority cause him unending problems. His old nemesis Flower is hard at work trying to get him kicked off the force and may know much more than he's letting on.
The novel begins with a couple of suicides: two youths "fall" off a bridge and a felon recently released from prison blows himself to bits in front of a municipal councilman. The story line gets convoluted at times, involving local Scottish politics and for those on this side of the pond, it is not easy to keep all the acronyms straight or to decipher some of the Scottish slang.
But this is a great read. Tight, fast paced, enjoyable and hard to put down.
January 9, 2012
by Ian Rankin, published in 1995.
Well first off I’m going to say this was the most complex Inspector Rebus novel so far. It is number 7 for those keeping count.
It will be hard to say too much about this one without giving some of the plot away, so I’ll keep it to impressions and the like. First - winter in Scotland sounds damp and miserable.
And that is made more so by Rebus’s water heater system not working properly. Of course, he throws back enough “antifreeze”, if you know what I mean, so that he doesn’t have to worry much about it.
Did I mention there is an exciting car chase in this one too? Well there is, but not in Rebus’s car with the broken heater, and it doesn’t end too well for those inside - Rebus being one of them. Quite a thrill ride and there are three major plot twists for this one incident alone.
An old flame returns as Rebus’s boss in this novel too. Yeah, you just know that is going to go over well. And we see the return of his daughter Sammy who plays a part in . . . Oops, almost gave away something.
If you have been reading the Rebus novels for any amount of time like I have you, know what a delight it is to get down and dirty in Edinburgh with Inspector Rebus as your guide. And it is just so much fun to see Rebus digging himself in deeper and deeper until you think there is no out for him and those close to him.
But he is crafty, and gutsy and seems to pull himself out of trouble each time.
But this time Rebus takes on the Scottish government . . . Yes, the impossible. How will he fair? Read this carefully constructed convoluted crime novel and you will find out.
I’m going to take a while before going on to novel 8. After this one I need a bit of a breather from mind-crunching complexity.
This was a very fun read though and I couldn’t stop turning the pages right until the very last one - another plot twist. Just excellent.
Well first off I’m going to say this was the most complex Inspector Rebus novel so far. It is number 7 for those keeping count.
It will be hard to say too much about this one without giving some of the plot away, so I’ll keep it to impressions and the like. First - winter in Scotland sounds damp and miserable.
And that is made more so by Rebus’s water heater system not working properly. Of course, he throws back enough “antifreeze”, if you know what I mean, so that he doesn’t have to worry much about it.
Did I mention there is an exciting car chase in this one too? Well there is, but not in Rebus’s car with the broken heater, and it doesn’t end too well for those inside - Rebus being one of them. Quite a thrill ride and there are three major plot twists for this one incident alone.
An old flame returns as Rebus’s boss in this novel too. Yeah, you just know that is going to go over well. And we see the return of his daughter Sammy who plays a part in . . . Oops, almost gave away something.
If you have been reading the Rebus novels for any amount of time like I have you, know what a delight it is to get down and dirty in Edinburgh with Inspector Rebus as your guide. And it is just so much fun to see Rebus digging himself in deeper and deeper until you think there is no out for him and those close to him.
But he is crafty, and gutsy and seems to pull himself out of trouble each time.
But this time Rebus takes on the Scottish government . . . Yes, the impossible. How will he fair? Read this carefully constructed convoluted crime novel and you will find out.
I’m going to take a while before going on to novel 8. After this one I need a bit of a breather from mind-crunching complexity.
This was a very fun read though and I couldn’t stop turning the pages right until the very last one - another plot twist. Just excellent.
October 17, 2017
You know, the more I read of Ian Rankin's John Rebus series, the more I like its star. 'Let it Bleed' is one of the earlier entries (1996) but Rebus is pretty much Rebus through the years. He's a workhorse, totally consumed by the job (he's a detective in Edinburgh, Scotland), with more issues and personal problems than most could take. He's also extremely effective.
Let it Bleed begins with a car chase that ends in a dual suicide. Something doesn't look right to Rebus. so he begins to poke around. Following shortly thereafter, a suicide of a recently released old criminal takes place in the office of a local politician. That doesn't look right, either. With Rebus on the case(s), when something doesn't pass the smell test, the digging starts usually followed by other cops trying to keep up with him and bosses being pissed off. He's a guy with principles and a conscience and he usually lets nothing stand in the way of his finding the truth.
The plot takes a strange path through financial and political arenas at their highest levels to reach a conclusion that probably satisfies no one. It's a good procedural that exposes how a great detective mind works. It also makes one wonder how many cops are out there really as engaged and interested in the truth as Rebus.
As I've found through the entire series, the writing is great, the descriptions of the exotic locale of Edinburgh and its inhabitants are first-rate, interactions with peers, criminals, and superiors are interesting, and the story doesn't as much propel you quickly to the conclusion as take you through logical approaches to solving the mysteries. It's a fine example of Rankin's skills as a true master of this genre.
Let it Bleed begins with a car chase that ends in a dual suicide. Something doesn't look right to Rebus. so he begins to poke around. Following shortly thereafter, a suicide of a recently released old criminal takes place in the office of a local politician. That doesn't look right, either. With Rebus on the case(s), when something doesn't pass the smell test, the digging starts usually followed by other cops trying to keep up with him and bosses being pissed off. He's a guy with principles and a conscience and he usually lets nothing stand in the way of his finding the truth.
The plot takes a strange path through financial and political arenas at their highest levels to reach a conclusion that probably satisfies no one. It's a good procedural that exposes how a great detective mind works. It also makes one wonder how many cops are out there really as engaged and interested in the truth as Rebus.
As I've found through the entire series, the writing is great, the descriptions of the exotic locale of Edinburgh and its inhabitants are first-rate, interactions with peers, criminals, and superiors are interesting, and the story doesn't as much propel you quickly to the conclusion as take you through logical approaches to solving the mysteries. It's a fine example of Rankin's skills as a true master of this genre.
August 4, 2016
The Seventh novel in the Rebus series is different and more realistic than anything before.
Rebus investigates the kidnapping of the daughter of the Lord Provost, and the suicide of an inmate after he was released from jail.
This dark tartan noir takes the reader into the back room of politics and the Silicon Glen of Scotland.
Rebus is at his darkest and most free. He's got all the time in the world to solve the crimes.
Reading this novel in the summer makes me miss the cold and snow of the winter, thanks Rankin for the shivers and freezing rain.
Rebus investigates the kidnapping of the daughter of the Lord Provost, and the suicide of an inmate after he was released from jail.
This dark tartan noir takes the reader into the back room of politics and the Silicon Glen of Scotland.
Rebus is at his darkest and most free. He's got all the time in the world to solve the crimes.
Reading this novel in the summer makes me miss the cold and snow of the winter, thanks Rankin for the shivers and freezing rain.
November 19, 2024
Dice la contraportada: “pocos inviernos en Edimburgo han sido tan largos y fríos como este y Rebus se halla atrapado en una red de intrigas que arroja más preguntas que respuestas. Algo se mueve en las altas esferas políticas y esta vez los culpables pueden encontrarse fuera del alcance de la justicia”.
Creo que al que la escribió le ha pasado lo mismo que a mí: no sabe de qué va en realidad la novela, se le ha olvidado cuál es el meollo de la historia porque queda muy arrinconado al principio y desdibujado frente a la “intriga” política que se desarrolla ampliamente después y que es eterna y muy burocrática.
Esta novela me sacó de un bloqueo lector. Tras semanas sin leer nada, lo empecé y leí del tirón cien páginas de letra pequeña: dos chicos jóvenes se tiran por un puente una noche cuando se ven acorralados por la policía tras una persecucion: los miran de frente, uno le pasa el brazo al otro por los hombros, y caen silenciosamente a la oscuridad de un barranco. Tiene algo muy duro y a la vez poético.
Uno de los policías que lo presencia queda impactado con esa imagen y comienza a investigar.
El comienzo es prometedor, todo además barnizado del ambiente invernal de Edimburgo y dirigido por un policia peculiar: íntegro, funcional pese a su relacion conflictiva con el alcohol, medio perdedor para los demás, un ganador en su proceder implacable.
El problema para mí: la novela se ha convertido en un paseo por los diferentes despachos políticos, una trama muy fragmentada, poco hilado, sin ninguna referencia a lo que la dio comienzo. Está claro que eran señuelos, y que van a tener un papel al final, pero esto de ir de una comisaría a casa de un político después a un despacho del ministerio… E ir sacando pequeños hilitos que no te permiten hacer cábalas y son bastante confusos…No sé, me duermo.
No quiero desmerecer la novela, es buena si tienes paciencia, está muy bien escrita, te traslada, pero me estoy aburriendo mucho ya y la abandono. Quizá en otro momento…
Creo que al que la escribió le ha pasado lo mismo que a mí: no sabe de qué va en realidad la novela, se le ha olvidado cuál es el meollo de la historia porque queda muy arrinconado al principio y desdibujado frente a la “intriga” política que se desarrolla ampliamente después y que es eterna y muy burocrática.
Esta novela me sacó de un bloqueo lector. Tras semanas sin leer nada, lo empecé y leí del tirón cien páginas de letra pequeña: dos chicos jóvenes se tiran por un puente una noche cuando se ven acorralados por la policía tras una persecucion: los miran de frente, uno le pasa el brazo al otro por los hombros, y caen silenciosamente a la oscuridad de un barranco. Tiene algo muy duro y a la vez poético.
Uno de los policías que lo presencia queda impactado con esa imagen y comienza a investigar.
El comienzo es prometedor, todo además barnizado del ambiente invernal de Edimburgo y dirigido por un policia peculiar: íntegro, funcional pese a su relacion conflictiva con el alcohol, medio perdedor para los demás, un ganador en su proceder implacable.
El problema para mí: la novela se ha convertido en un paseo por los diferentes despachos políticos, una trama muy fragmentada, poco hilado, sin ninguna referencia a lo que la dio comienzo. Está claro que eran señuelos, y que van a tener un papel al final, pero esto de ir de una comisaría a casa de un político después a un despacho del ministerio… E ir sacando pequeños hilitos que no te permiten hacer cábalas y son bastante confusos…No sé, me duermo.
No quiero desmerecer la novela, es buena si tienes paciencia, está muy bien escrita, te traslada, pero me estoy aburriendo mucho ya y la abandono. Quizá en otro momento…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2018
just LOVE the absolute darkness of John Rebus & his tortured, almost Puritanical, conscience. The rest of him is FAR from Puritanical, but his conscience is another matter. When two men jump off a bridge after a pursuit, Rebus has questions. When a recently released convict walks into a local councilor's office with a shotgun and commits suicide, Rebus has even more questions and has the nagging feeling that they are connected. They are - in a truly spectacular and DARK way. Rebus follows the investigation, despite being called off and threatened with forced resignation, to the very heights of the Scottish power elite. These are people who will do anything for the good of Scotland, for jobs - and to line their own pockets. In the meantime, Rebus has some time off and goes to the dentist who discovers a mouth full of years of being ignored & an abscess that will need a root canal, but for now must be left to bleed to let the poison out - a metaphor for the investigation.
Rankin is BRILLIANT. This book is, like so many others, only partially satisfying. The bad guys aren't all bad, but they do bad things to make the system work, for "jobs," for Scotland. Sound familiar? There was a television series made of some of these, but I found it to be unsatisfying. I wish someone would grab onto this series and televise it. I would love to see Rebus age.
Rankin is BRILLIANT. This book is, like so many others, only partially satisfying. The bad guys aren't all bad, but they do bad things to make the system work, for "jobs," for Scotland. Sound familiar? There was a television series made of some of these, but I found it to be unsatisfying. I wish someone would grab onto this series and televise it. I would love to see Rebus age.
August 23, 2013
Oh Rebus, you are at your incorrigible but "hearts in the right place" best in this one; a thoroughly enjoyable read. I love the mystery of the two, seemingly unrelated suicides you attempted to solve and the dirt, intrigue and corruption you dug up along the way. I love how you are trying, not very effectively, mind you, to build that relationship with your daughter, how you supported and empathized with a drug-addicted teenager, how you even somehow enlisted the assistance of the odious Flower to your cause and yet still managed to leave your previous relationship with Patience in tatters (truly, did poor Lucky really deserve the fate you left him to?) and that with Gill hanging by a thread. Honestly though Rebus, I can see how you can keep yourself going every day and toss off the collateral damage you leave in your wake along the way. Your inherent sense of right and wrong and knowing this, ultimately, is all that really matters, is all you need to press on day by day; and for that I admire you. Good job, again.
August 30, 2019
Detective John Rebus takes on the establishment (the crooked one, that is) and manages to come out on top.
April 18, 2021
I've read and enjoyed each of the previous books in the Inspector Rebus series. Let It Bleed, was, I felt, an outstanding entry in the series. I wish I could speak eloquently of why I think so, but it boils down to that for me, John Rebus came alive for me in this story.
Rebus is a good cop from the standpoint of his dogged determination to complete any investigation that he begins. Like many cops, fictional and real, he drinks too much and too often. For Rebus, drinking to excess is what allows him to go to sleep at night when otherwise his thoughts run in an endless loop of victims, crimes and perpetrators.
Rebus is not the darling of his superiors because he often goes outside the boundaries of standard police procedure while undertaking his investigations.
In Let It Bleed, Rebus has once more ruffled the feathers of those above him when he insistently continues to investigate the suicide of a recent ex-con. With plenty of time on his hands after he is suspended for 10 tens, Rebus does what he does best -- that is, he continues and expands his investigation, letting the evidence take him where it goes.
Rebus is a good cop from the standpoint of his dogged determination to complete any investigation that he begins. Like many cops, fictional and real, he drinks too much and too often. For Rebus, drinking to excess is what allows him to go to sleep at night when otherwise his thoughts run in an endless loop of victims, crimes and perpetrators.
Rebus is not the darling of his superiors because he often goes outside the boundaries of standard police procedure while undertaking his investigations.
In Let It Bleed, Rebus has once more ruffled the feathers of those above him when he insistently continues to investigate the suicide of a recent ex-con. With plenty of time on his hands after he is suspended for 10 tens, Rebus does what he does best -- that is, he continues and expands his investigation, letting the evidence take him where it goes.
August 16, 2017
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Yeah, right.
Before we get to this moment of self-deception (or self-mockery, it could go either way with his sense of humor), we're treated to what's quite possibly the most action-packed few pages in the series thus far -- more happens in the first 6 pages of this novel than can happen in chapters of Rebus novels. Two suspected kidnappers are leading the police on a high-speed chase, and no one's relishing it more than Chief Inspector Frank Lauderdale. No one's hating it more than Inspector John Rebus. Things go really bad from there, but not in the way that anyone expects (least of all the reader, as jaded as we might be from too many crime novels).
While the police are still trying to sort out what exactly happened there, a man walks into a (poorly attended) public meeting with a Councilman and shoots himself in front of the Councilman. Once Rebus visits the widow, something starts bugging him. There's just something wrong with that suicide (more than just what has to be wrong to lead to a suicide). Rebus starts asking some questions. Before he realizes it, he's investigating two incidents of suicide connected to two Councilmen.
And then pressure comes down on Rebus to stop. Which works about as well as you'd think. He's "encouraged" to take a few days of leave, which he uses to dive in without restraints to get his answers. This series as dabbled in political intrigue, power brokering and the like before, Let it Bleed takes it up a notch. What can happen to Rebus if he falters -- or what can happen to him if he makes all the right people happy -- shows that he's in a whole other league now.
And then after all the action at the beginning of the novel, Rankin gives us an incredibly talky ending. And it works. Not many novels about police officers or detectives end with as much dialogue, as many meetings, as this does, but it's entirely satisfying. No one'll be sitting there for the last couple of chapters just wishing for a car chase, a gun fight, or anything like that. Rebus being smarter, wilier, and unwilling to bend is what makes this ending not only inevitable, but just what the reader needs.
There are a lot of criminals in this novel, but most of them aren't your typical mystery novel "bad guys." They're guys who take advantage of the system, manipulate the system, and then try to protect their assets (that last one is the most problematic). There are textbook villains -- and not all of them pay for it -- but with Rebus around, you know that some justice will be meted out.
Our favorites are back -- so is Patience -- Rebus' daughter's back in Edinburgh, on her own now. Siobhan Clarke, Farmer Watson, Gill Templer, and Brian Holmes all are involved. Clarke is the most interesting, yet again, her determinism and ability to stay (pretty much) in line with her superiors while helping Rebus make her a fun character to spend time with. She's more involved in these cases than she has been in the past -- and it's good to see Rebus having someone allied with him. Thankfully, she's a good police officer, too. Because, honestly, Rebus is a horrible police detective. He's just too much of a lone wolf, too intuitive, not the kind of detective you want building a case for you. With Templer, Farmer and Clarke around, at least he's got some good, capable help.
A gripping, tense, intriguing, and frequently funny, novel. Let it Bleed is just a great book. This series has been growing on me, little by little for seven books now, that's pretty clear. Let it Bleed is above and beyond the best of the bunch, and I am looking forward to what's coming up.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
He stood there shivering after the warmth of the pub and his car. He was a few yards from where the boys had jumped. The area was cordoned off with metal barriers, anchored by sandbags. Two yellow metal lamps marked off the danger area. Someone had climbed over the barriers and laid a small wreath next to the broken rail, weighing it down with a rock so it wouldn’t be blown away. He looked up at the nearest of the two vast supports, red lights blinking at its summit as a warning to aircraft. He didn’t really feel very much, except a bit lonely and sorry for himself. The Forth was down there, as judgmental as Pilate. It was funny the things that could kill you: water, a ship’s hull, steel pellets from a plastic case. It was funny that some people actually chose to die.
“I could never do it,” Rebus said out loud. “I couldn’t kill myself.”
Which didn’t mean he hadn’t thought of it. It was funny the things you thought about some nights. It was all so funny, he felt a lump forming in his throat. It’s only the drink, he thought. It’s the drink makes me maudlin. It’s only the drink.
Yeah, right.
Before we get to this moment of self-deception (or self-mockery, it could go either way with his sense of humor), we're treated to what's quite possibly the most action-packed few pages in the series thus far -- more happens in the first 6 pages of this novel than can happen in chapters of Rebus novels. Two suspected kidnappers are leading the police on a high-speed chase, and no one's relishing it more than Chief Inspector Frank Lauderdale. No one's hating it more than Inspector John Rebus. Things go really bad from there, but not in the way that anyone expects (least of all the reader, as jaded as we might be from too many crime novels).
While the police are still trying to sort out what exactly happened there, a man walks into a (poorly attended) public meeting with a Councilman and shoots himself in front of the Councilman. Once Rebus visits the widow, something starts bugging him. There's just something wrong with that suicide (more than just what has to be wrong to lead to a suicide). Rebus starts asking some questions. Before he realizes it, he's investigating two incidents of suicide connected to two Councilmen.
And then pressure comes down on Rebus to stop. Which works about as well as you'd think. He's "encouraged" to take a few days of leave, which he uses to dive in without restraints to get his answers. This series as dabbled in political intrigue, power brokering and the like before, Let it Bleed takes it up a notch. What can happen to Rebus if he falters -- or what can happen to him if he makes all the right people happy -- shows that he's in a whole other league now.
And then after all the action at the beginning of the novel, Rankin gives us an incredibly talky ending. And it works. Not many novels about police officers or detectives end with as much dialogue, as many meetings, as this does, but it's entirely satisfying. No one'll be sitting there for the last couple of chapters just wishing for a car chase, a gun fight, or anything like that. Rebus being smarter, wilier, and unwilling to bend is what makes this ending not only inevitable, but just what the reader needs.
There are a lot of criminals in this novel, but most of them aren't your typical mystery novel "bad guys." They're guys who take advantage of the system, manipulate the system, and then try to protect their assets (that last one is the most problematic). There are textbook villains -- and not all of them pay for it -- but with Rebus around, you know that some justice will be meted out.
Our favorites are back -- so is Patience -- Rebus' daughter's back in Edinburgh, on her own now. Siobhan Clarke, Farmer Watson, Gill Templer, and Brian Holmes all are involved. Clarke is the most interesting, yet again, her determinism and ability to stay (pretty much) in line with her superiors while helping Rebus make her a fun character to spend time with. She's more involved in these cases than she has been in the past -- and it's good to see Rebus having someone allied with him. Thankfully, she's a good police officer, too. Because, honestly, Rebus is a horrible police detective. He's just too much of a lone wolf, too intuitive, not the kind of detective you want building a case for you. With Templer, Farmer and Clarke around, at least he's got some good, capable help.
A gripping, tense, intriguing, and frequently funny, novel. Let it Bleed is just a great book. This series has been growing on me, little by little for seven books now, that's pretty clear. Let it Bleed is above and beyond the best of the bunch, and I am looking forward to what's coming up.
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