Brianna Reviews // Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin

Published: 1^st September 2005 (first published: 1994)

Publisher: Orion

Format: Paperback

Synopsis: In Edinburgh you're never far from a peaceful spot, or from a hellish one either. Now, in the heart of summer, in the midst of a nationalist festival, Inspector John Rebus is on the murder case of a young man left hanging in a spot where his screams would never be heard. To find the victim's identity--and his killer--Rebus searches from Edinburgh's most violent neighborhood to Belfast, Northern Ireland--amongst petty thugs, gunrunners, and heavyweight criminals. But before Rebus can get to the truth, he's bloodied by the dream of society's madmen--and staring into the glint of a killer's eyes.

Firstly apologies for there being no review for The Black Book (No. 5 in the series) I read it mid-2014 and didn’t review it at the time and I don’t think I could adequately review it now from memory. I did enjoy it, though the lack of review is not a reflection on the quality of the story or writing.

Now onto Mortal Causes, I got stuck in a rut of reading the through the same series (Kathy Reichs), and if I can tear myself away from it I like to mix them up because I find I enjoy and remember the individual books more so enjoying the crime genre I thought it about time I pay Rebus a visit.

As far as I can remember this is the first book that has coincided with the Edinburgh Festival, but that doesn’t make Mortal Causes light or fluffy, Rebus contributes a little black humour though as he always does. A body has been found in Mary King’s Close a buried street which at the time of writing wasn’t open to the public (but is now a tourist attraction), the style of murder screams IRA to Rebus. The victim is the son or ‘Big Ger’ Cafferty a gangster that Rebus arrested and put in prison in The Black Book and on top of that a friend asks Rebus to look into a Youth Club in Edinburgh’s roughest estate. 

I don’t know if it a lack of memory of The Black Book but when I picked up Mortal Causes I felt like I’d missed something, so much so that I picked up The Black Book and skimmed through the last chapter. No I definitely didn’t miss anything, last I read Rebus and Patience Aitken were not together, yet at the start of Mortal Causes they are together, as if nothing happened, okay so it isn’t perfect and they are on the rocks a bit but this is Rebus, perfect harmony was never going to happen.  I do regret a little that I didn’t read this sooner after The Black Book because I really struggled to remember Big Ger, I eventually did… sort of… he killed some people and covered it up by burning down a hotel? That may not be factual but that sadly is the extent of what I remember of him, which is a shame because I really like the fact that he was brought into this book, Rebus lives and works in Edinburgh so you would expect that from time to time events would have something to do with someone Rebus has dealt with previously. Big Ger presents Rebus with a bit of a moral dilemma, not that rebus needs help with moral dilemma as he is frequently treading the line between right and wrong, however I think Rebus manages to stay on the right side of his moral line… just.

On the subject of series continuity Matthew Vanderhyde makes another appearance, I find that I really like him as a character, he makes me smile, I'm not entirely sure why.

I have to admit that the politics of Mortal Causes left me a little bit lost, maybe it’s an age thing I was 3 at the time it was published, which means it’s most likely set a year or two before that or maybe it’s because I have never really understood the Catholic / Protestant divide.

Even though the politics lost me a bit I enjoyed the book, it felt comfortable, by this point I’m well acquainted with Rebus, his colleagues, Brian Holmes, Siobhan Clarke, Farmer, Lauderdale and Flowers are all familiar, even his rocky relationship with Patience is comfortable. Meaning that his temporary assignment to Special Branch and the accompanying new faces doesn't really affect the familiarity of the book.

I admire the way that Ian Rankin makes the way Rebus's favour for the priest and the murder case tie together feel like a natural connection.  Although I do think the plot with the woman from the courts (I can’t remember her name) was a little bit unnecessary, although she did lead rebus onto the right track with Sword and Shields, but surely thing could have been done without her because to me I didn’t feel like she added anything to the story.

Brianna's Review // Tooth & Nail (Rebus #3) - Ian Rankin

First Published:  1992  

Publisher: Orion

Format: Paperback

Synopsis: Sent to London to help catch a vicious serial killer, Inspector John Rebus teams up with a beautiful psychologist to piece together a portrait of a depraved psychopath bent on painting the town red—with blood...

This is the third book in the Inspector Rebus series. Though so far at least any one of the first three books could be a standalone book and the reader would have no problem understanding what is going on but I think you get a little more out of them if you have read them in order as it does reference previous events but you don't really need to be aware of them.

I really enjoyed reading this book and trying to guess who the murderer was (because we all want to beat the detective to it) and I think it’s safe to say that this time, Rebus and Rankin beat me to it. This book like the first two is also written from the point of view of multiple characters including that of the murderer (you’d think it would make it easier to guess who they are… but it doesn’t).  I also found this book quite humorous in places. Tooth & Nail unlike the previous two is set in London instead of Edinburgh but this doesn’t mean that this book lacks the details that Knots & Crosses and Hide & Seek have.  I hope that it is just due to the change in setting that Brian Holmes was not in it as I still have my hopes of him being a recurring character. Being in London, Rebus has a fair amount racism and a cultural barrier to deal with as well as trying to solve the murders. I’m starting to think that my gamble of buying the first five books has been a success 3 out of 5 down and so far I have really enjoyed them, I suppose I should start looking for the next few books I’ll need.

GUEST REVIEW // Knots & Crosses + Hide & Seek - Ian Rankin

Guest review from Brianna!

Published:  1987 and 1991

Publisher: Orion

Format: Paperback

This is a review of the first two Inspector Rebus books by Ian Rankin (don’t ask me why both together, I don’t know) Knots & Crosses and Hide & Seek.
I’ve been curious about reading Ian Rankin’s books for a couple of years, since I was told that they were supposedly good and that they are set in Edinburgh, a city which means a lot to me. So I thought I’d take a risk and buy the first 5 Inspector Rebus books.

The first thing that struck me about the books was that they were written in the 80’s (Hide & Seek was written in 91 though, just go with it), and no I don’t make a habit of reading the publication dates when I pick up books. I had no need to; it is obvious when these books are set/written. The police records are all physical files, computers are mentioned but sparsely, smoking is just a fact of life but mostly it just has that feel of being slightly out of date, and it is an authentic feel - probably down to the fact that it was written in the 80’s and for the most part it was really refreshing to read. It’s nice not to hear about the internet or mobile phones for once.  Ian Rankin is also very detailed in his description of Edinburgh, he doesn’t try to polish it up or make it seem beautiful. He gives a realistic view, sometimes pretty, but like all cities for the most part it’s just not made of gold. If you are familiar with the city it should add extra to your enjoyment as he names the places and streets that the characters go to, even the pub where Rebus drinks is a real pub.

I really enjoyed reading both books, but unlike other detective/mystery solving novels I’ve read, these weren’t fast paced books. It took a while in Knots & Crosses for the case to pick up any momentum or make any progress, but once it does, it moves at a much faster pace. Hide & Seek however takes until after the halfway point for the case to even become a case. This slow pace however doesn’t detract from the story and it’s not so slow that you forget what’s going on and I still felt the need to pick it up again regularly.

Knots & Crosses and Hide & Seek are both written from the point of view of several of the characters. I really like the way Ian Rankin has done this as you hardly ever have the point of view of a character you have not previously met: For example from Rebus’s POV you meet McCall, you then later have McCall’s POV where you meet another character. So in a way you get introduced to them beforehand (the times where you have the POV of someone you haven’t met yet are generally in the prologue or the very start).

As for the characters themselves, I like Rebus (which I suppose is fortunate as he is pretty central) he is realistically human he’s no angel but he has morals, and those who commit crimes need to see justice, and what more do you want from a policeman? And throughout the book he is always investigating, always noticing little things even when it’s not work related. I really like Tracy in Hide & Seek as well as Brian Holmes who I hope becomes a recurring character in later Rebus books. I don’t think there is anyone I particularly don’t like although I did take an instant dislike of Rebus’s brother.

Overall I would definitely recommend these books; they are well written the characters are well developed and realistic and most importantly, they kept me guessing, Knots & Crosses was a little predictable but I was still kept guessing and Hide & Seek definitely didn’t end the way I expected.