Customer Reviews

Resurrection Men: An Inspector Rebus Novel

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In a moment of pure frustration, DI Rebus throws a mug of tea at his superior DCS Gill Templer. This action causes him to be removed from the Marber murder inquiry (Edward Marber was a successful Edinburgh art dealer who was brutally murdered outside his residence), and sent to Tulliallan Police College for counseling and a refresher's course on how to be a better police officer. There, he meets other officers who have all been sent up for the same reasons -- an inability to deal with authority and proper police procedure -- the Resurrection Men (or the Wild Men depending on who you're talking to) who have all been given this one last chance to pull up their socks and rescue what's left of their careers.

As part of their rehabilitation, the Resurrection Men have been given a cold case to investigate -- the murder of Eric Lomax, a vicious small time crook who was beaten to death sometime in 1995. The point of this exercise is to go over (again) the previous inquiry and to understand where that initial investigation had gone wrong, see if any new leads can be further developed, and to see if they can all work together as a team and actually get a result. Hindering this current investigation however are secrets that some of the Resurrection Men have pertaining to the original investigation -- Rebus included. Will these secrets come back to haunt these officers? Will the secrets actually affect the current investigation? More worrying for Rebus however is the sinking feeling that any time now someone will discover his particular secret, and that he will really have to face the music for having crossed the line that fateful day in 1995...

"The Resurrection Men" proved to be quite to read. Ian Rankin does a wonderful job of painting in Rebus's feeling of paranoia and loneliness as he tries to do his job as well as make sure that no one ever discovers what he did back then. Also nicely done was the manner in which Rankin seamlessly sews together the three subplots -- the subplot involving the Resurrection Men's reexamination of the Lomax murder; DS Siobhan Clark's investigation of the Marber murder; and a third subplot involving Rebus that I will not go into so as to enter into the realm of plot spoilers. And even though I expected that all these subplots would suddenly come together with a bang, waiting to see how Rankin would actually achieve this was still a treat. Some resolutions I expected but some still surprised me (in a good way, that is).

Well written, with strong character developments and a plot that unfolded smoothly and with nice tight pacing, "The Resurrection Men" was fun to read and should not be missed.

Inspector John Rebus has outdone even his own previous record for behaving badly --- he threw a cup of tea at DCS Gill Templer and got himself sent back to the police academy for some remedial lessons in playing well with others. Those who know Rebus well from previous books about him by Ian Rankin (this is the 14th, plus a novella) will be skeptical that this old Scottish dog can take on any new tricks --- and those who haven't yet had the pleasure are well advised to make his acquaintance very soon.

The Resurrection Men, as they are collectively called, is a group that, like Rebus, is being given one last chance to behave, or be tossed out of their various precincts. That's on the surface. Beneath the surface, it's not so simple. There are, as you might expect, shades within shades of bad cop behavior. Some difficult cops are worse than others --- that's the real problem Rebus takes on in this complexly plotted novel.

There are really three stories here, two of them are about crime (one past, one present) and the other is the ongoing, absorbing tale of Rebus's personal life, which has taken a new turn since the book just previous, THE FALLS. Our Scots Detective Inspector has, no matter how improbably, entered a relationship with an interesting woman of his own age named Jean Burchill. Jean works as a curator in a museum in Edinburgh; she can hold her own and doesn't take any guff off anybody, including John Rebus. His sudden remand to the police academy, with its outside-Edinburgh location, together with his having to maintain a certain amount of secrecy, soon puts the new relationship at risk. Dealing with this personal problem, Rebus gains new depth to his personality. It's painful. There's nothing easy about these things, ever, especially for Rebus.

The remedial instructor at the academy assigns the group of Resurrection Men a cold case, ostensibly as an exercise to teach them to work as a team. Each of the six men has had difficulty with teamwork in the past --- but three of them, as Rebus gets to know them better, appear to have some prior connection they're keeping mum about. The cold case assignment deals with an unprosecuted murder, some years earlier, of Rico Lomax, a thoroughly bad sort of man who took others down with him. It's a case in which Rebus was more involved than he wants to admit and one he does not like to remember. As their investigation deepens, Rebus begins to wonder if someone at Headquarters has set him up, if they may not be using this old case as a means to drive him off the police force once and for all.

Meanwhile, back at the home precinct, DS Siobhan Clarke continues to work on the case of Edward Marber, a murdered art dealer; she was partnered with a new recruit, DC Hynds, when Rebus was shipped off to Tulliallan (the academy). Some years his junior, Siobhan is perhaps too much like Rebus in personality for her own good. He has trouble letting go of the Marber case and she is more than willing to consult him behind the scenes, thus keeping him involved. As the Marber investigation goes broader and deeper, some of the same personalities who were involved in the old Lomax case begin to surface as players in the new case as well. Lines begin to cross and the Resurrection Men begin to behave very badly indeed.

One does not read a Rebus novel solely for the plot, though in this book there is plot enough and more besides. Rather, one reads Ian Rankin for the totality of the experience, which is as much sensual as it is intellectual. Rankin gives us all of Edinburgh, of today's Scotland, in his novels -- much more so than any other novelist working at present. We get the sounds, the smells, the taste, the feel of the weather, of the nights, of the very air on the skin. With it all, we too have the enormous privilege of getting to know John Rebus. I have no words to adequately describe this remarkable character --- Rebus is a man you must know for yourself.

--- Reviewed by Ava Dianne Day

Detective John Rebus goes "under" at the request of his superiors to find the "dirty cops" in this Scottish novel.
This is superb writing, you get the feel of the characters, are inside their minds editing as they speak and wondering as they do what will happen next. I have read enough mysteries that I can often guess the ending- this story was more subtle and more exciting- a great, great read...

Great character development, brilliant plot developments, twisty endings, realistic settings. 435 pages holds your interest all the way through, this book follows after The Falls, the development of the supporting/background characters continues in believable and interesting fashion. The complexity of the plots that sometimes run parallel then may fold in on themselves, then unfold, is fascinating. A great detective story, fantastic writing. If you are in the mood to read two, read The Falls first and then this; however you can read this one on its own and be very pleased.

"Resurrection Men" is the fifteenth in the Detective Inspector John Rebus police procedural series by the outstanding, increasingly appreciated Scots author Ian Rankin, still a young man, lucky for us. In contrast to most Scots mystery writers at work now, Rankin sets his best-of-tartan-noir universe in the east coast Edinburgh, rather than the west coast Glasgow; it's a more beautiful, smaller city, the capital of the country, where you might expect the crime to be white collar, rather than blue. But Rebus always seems to find enough to keep busy.

As the book opens, Rebus has been sent undercover to Tulliallan Police College, where recruits are trained, and troublesome older officers sent to resurrect their careers. Sir David Strathern, chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police, Rebus's permanent posting, suspects several of the officers currently at the college are dirty, and he wants Rebus to find the proof. To Rebus, of course, this a difficult assignment. Aside from the obvious, St. Leonard's, his station house, is in the midst of an engrossing enquiry: Edward Marber, local art dealer, has been done in, and many of the usual suspects are known to Rebus. The policeman finds the college assignment doubly difficult because, for the unsolved case the officers there are always given to work, they're given a case they've never been given before. It's the Rico Lomax case, it was Rebus's, and he knows much too much about it. He can't help wondering...

Rankin is a highly talented writer with a great grip of the English language, Scottish subdivision; a grasp of police work, the ability to keep these three strong subplots going at one time, that sharp Scots humor, and the toughest tartan noir outlook around. Unfortunately, "Resurrection Men" has a few too many characters, and cites unfamiliar-to-Americans police nomenclature a little too often. It took me two readings to get it, and that's with helpful tables upfront.

The youthful writer is also a sharp observer of his city's weather, ambiance, and social systems. He writes that Edinburgh cops call their morgue the "dead center," and are proud to say they work at the dead center of Edinburgh. "The building," he writes, "is tucked away on the Cowgate, one of the city's more secretive streets. Few pedestrians ever found themselves there, and the traffic was intent on being elsewhere."

The author writes further on pedestrians and traffic: a "pavement drunk" causes them to step out onto the road. "The drunk was making for the opposite pavement, stumbling blindly across the road. They both knew he'd make it. He was carrying a bottle: no way a motorist would want that flying through his windshield."

"You worked hard all week, then prayed for oblivion at the weekend," Rebus muses of his city's inhabitants. But you'd better have your wits fully about you when you tackle this book.

I have a note for Rebus fans and new comers.

For John Rebus fans:

This newest book is a must. Buy it, if for no other reason, than the supplementary note in the front of the book that exlains the Scottish police force chain of command. No longer do we North Americans have to wonder whether a DC takes home more in his "pay packet" than an ACC. Or what a "wooley suiter" is. Hey, you can use this handy list when you watch "Frost" and other British police shows popping up on PBS stations or on Canadian TV whose signals stretch over the borders. Better yet, use it when you see a "John Rebus" special on TV over here when you can find one showing.

I won't go into the story details--other reveiws have done a good job on doing that, but what I will say is that I thought the story started out very well. There were many exciting possibilities in it (A+) for that. But, I would have liked to see a lot more ending action. But overall, I still give the book 5 stars (4 for the story and 1 for the supplementary info)

For new comers:

The John Rebus stories are a series. Each book is fine as a stand alone. I read them out of order and liked them anyway, but if you have an opportunity, read them in order. However, this particular story does very well as a stand alone if you want to read it first and then start from the beginning. Rebus is a detective with personal problems--which seem to aid his work rather than detract from it. It is fun to watch him sometimes suffer, sometimes stumble, but always work methodically through a case. Rebus is a very human character.

End of comments

Detective Inspector Rebus has crossed the line. Never one for authority, this time he has gone too far. During a dispute over how to handle the investigation into the death of Edinburgh art dealer Edward Marber, Rebus throws a mug of coffee over the Chief Super, and is immediately suspended. He then faces his Last Chance Saloon, as he is sent back to Police College for punishment, to learn the foreign (to Rebus, at least) arts of discipline and respect for authority. He is placed with four other of the force's more unorthodox members, and as a training exercise they are given an unsolved case - the murder of Edinburgh low-life Rico Lomax - to have a deeper look at. However, it soon becomes apparent to Rebus that something incredibly fishy is going on, something that has to do with the real reason their superiors have asked them to investigate this case...

Meanwhile, back in Edinburgh, Rebus' protégé DS Siobhan Clark is left to deal with the killing of the art dealer, and feels herself being thrown into uncertainty when the name of notorious gangster - and Rebus's nemesis - Morris Gerald Cafferty, recently released from prison, turns up. Is she ready to follow in Rebus's footsteps, and is she capable of contending with the possible new complexities of an already puzzling case?

This, Rankin's 13th Rebus novel, is one of his very best. It boasts a brilliantly thick plot, true to previous form, more great characters, a tense yet blunt writing style, and of course Edinburgh, which continues to breath and pulse like a menacing giant. John Rebus is on absolutely wonderful form yet again in a complex, engrossing, and incredibly strong book, and DS Clarke is marvellous, becoming more and more like her boss every day. It is clear that Rankin is priming her to step into Rebus' shoes upon his retirement, which is surely not far away. And when Rankin does retire him to a more background role, reader's need not worry, as Clarke is an ideal replacement.

I would recommend this book, indeed to entire series, the best currently being produced in Britain, to anyone who is a fan of brilliant crime novels. In the UK Rankin is a writing phenomena, sales of his books alone account for approximately 10% of the ENTIRE British crime market. And quite deservedly so. He's a brilliant crime writer whose talents eclipse those of even such greats as Michael Connelly (in my opinion), and Resurrection Men can only further cement his growing readership in the US. If there's any justice, Resurrection Men, this 13th in the rebus series, will be a best-seller all over America.

This is the first novel I've read by Scottish author Ian Rankin; as a result, this review is bound to be more applicable to those who, like me, are newcomers to Rankin.

Firstly, I really enjoyed this novel which, though a murder mystery, is very different from any other murder mystery I've ever read. Not only is it loaded with dialogue, but we view the entire story from the perspective of two police officers--John Rebus and his erstwhile partner Siobhan Clarke. It's unusual to get no description of any events from, at the very least, an objective, omnicient perspective. But don't think the story suffers as a result, for it doesn't. It was just unusual (at least from my perspective).

Secondly, if you've never read a Rebus novel, you won't be handicapped at all. I don't know how much of what we're told (ie. about prior relationships or previous cases) was the more in-depth subject of previous novels, but Rankin makes sure that we have all the information we need in order to understand and enjoy this novel even if we've never read any of the previous ones. (And I don't believe he spoils things in case you want to go back and read the earlier books.)

As for the story itself, Rebus has been sent back to "training school" for insubordination. Five other officers from various locales in Scotland are on the course with him, and it is in the course of their rehabilitation that they are given an old unsolved case to work on as a team. In the interim, Siobhan has taken over from Rebus on a new murder investigation. I know I'm not saying much, but I really can't say anything more without spoiling things. Suffice it to say, there are quite a few twists which make for an interesting story, and Rebus (as becomes clear quite early on) is a fairly complex character, for whom nothing is entirely black or white. I for one was not entirely sure just which side of the law he was on; frankly, I'm still not. For him the world exists, more than for most, in shades of grey. It would appear that Siobhan is beginning to come to that realisation too.

In conclusion, although I'm not familiar with previous Rebus stories, I think it's a fairly safe bet that fans of Rankin's previous novels will not be disappointed with this one. Rankin tells a good tale, and I for one will be keeping an eye out for future novels.

At morning call Rebus ends up throwing a mug of tea at DCS Gill Templer and finds himself sent to TulliAllen Police College for a 'refresher' course. All the men sent to this course are there because they don't know how to follow the rules and take orders. This is their last chance to be 'resurrected' and save their jobs and pensions. John's group is nicknamed the 'Wild Bunch' and he is in the middle of multi-layered murder inquiry.

As part of their course, the 'Wild Bunch' is given a cold case to work on, which John and another member Francis Grey had both been involved in. At the same time, back at St.Leonard's, Siobhan is working on another murder case involving a murdered art dealer. Of course we know that the two will in some way be inter-related before the end of the book.

But John has been sent to TulliAllen for another reason; the question is, is John aware of why he was sent, and what the true implications of solving the cold case murder could bring. As always, Rankin brings in a lot of 'red herrings' including a little side action that involves our old friends "Big Ger" Cafferty and the "Weasal".

Though the story moves along with a decent amount of suspense; not only does the ending and tie-up of the murders tend to be overly bloody, it's also overly complicated. Unlike most of Rankin's books, this one seems to have had the ending written by committee, in that there is too much going on to make it feel like a finale, as opposed to an end.

The idea of a world-weary police detective who's willing to bend a few rules is one of the most used (and overused) formulae in the world of mystery novels. In Ian Rankin's hands, however, this well trodden path becomes something marvelous. I've been a fan of the Rebus novels for years. Rankin shows us an Edinburgh that's dark and exotic, while simultaneously being "small town"-ish and provincial. A Rebus novel will leave you feeling that you've experienced a bit of the city (and region) that will never appear in a tourist guide.

In this installment of the Rebus series, John's gotten himself in more than a bit of trouble. He's been sent off for a last ditch chance to rescue the remains of his career. Could our man sit in a classroom and behave himself? Could things be as straight forward as they appear? Of course not! Rankin weaves rich and varied plot lines that involve most of your favorite characters from the previous novels, splashing raw and genuine feeling emotion across the pages as abundantly as blood and gore flow at a Rebus crime scene. This isn't a "cozy".

Resurrection Men is a great addition to the Rebus series. I highly recommend it. Rankin fans will not be disappointed. If you are looking at this as your first entry into the series, please consider reading the books in chronological order. Aspects of the plot lines do carry along from book to book.