Resurrection Men: An Inspector Rebus Novel (Inspector Rebus Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Ian Rankin (Author) "Then why are you here?..." (more)
Key Phrases: comms room, lettings agency, inquiry room, Allan Ward, Francis Gray, Dickie Diamond (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Like Edinburgh inspector John Rebus, the resurrection men of the title are treading on thin ice--they've all been sent to a short course at the Scottish Police College because they've failed in some way, generally "an issue with authority." Rebus has been known to have issues of that nature before, which only boosts his credibility with the other cops in attendance, suspected by their bosses of being on the wrong side of the fence, on the take, or even guilty of murder on several previous occasions. The dour Inspector's agenda aims to bring the higher-ups proof of the so-called Wild Bunch's nefarious activities; in the process, his own conduct in the old case he and his college classmates must rework and revisit comes under scrutiny. A solid police procedural whose protagonist, the hero of 14 other titles in this internationally acclaimed series, continues to grow on readers who are just discovering him. --Jane Adams --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Rankin's moody Inspector John Rebus, unorthodox pride of the Edinburgh police, begins this latest installment in hot water. He's been sent back to the police college for "retraining," with a group of other "resurrection men," for throwing a cup of coffee at a superior in a moment of frustration. It soon becomes clear, however, that the police brass have their own agenda for Rebus. Some of his fellow officers are suspected of being on the take, and it's his mission-should he accept it-to try to infiltrate their schemes, perhaps even encourage them. Meanwhile, a murder he and the edgy Det. Sergeant Siobhan Clarke have been investigating has turned up some curious links with an apparently Teflon crime boss Rebus has been after for years. The two cases gradually come together in Rankin's skillfully woven plotting, full of his trademark tough, oblique dialogue and sudden moments of touching warmth. The book's only drawbacks are that it seems a little overextended, and that the final bloody climax lacks something in conviction, if not in tension. This isn't one of Rankin's top efforts, but even coasting, he leaves most police procedurals at the gate.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316608491
• ISBN-13: 978-0316608497
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,660 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 15 in The Inspector Rebus Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a truly wonderful reading experience, January 25, 2003

By	tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Resurrection Men: An Inspector Rebus Novel (Hardcover)

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.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detective John Rebus at his best!!!, April 2, 2003

By	prisrob "pris," (New EnglandUSA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Resurrection Men: An Inspector Rebus Novel (Hardcover)

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...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, April 11, 2004

By	Stephen McHenry (Olney, MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.