![]() ![]() On the other hand, the plot is decent but not the best. Rankin's style is simple and direct with few words wasted and lacks any of the padding which seems to tempt other authors. Characterisation is excellent – Rebus arrives fully formed as the tortured soul with a difficult private life that we've come to know and love, the more so as we don't have to deal with him personally. ![]() ![]() First published in 1987 it didn't excite a great deal of interest initially and is now important only because it's the first of the Rebus novels. Rebus is being taunted, not least because he feels that the cryptic notes should reveal the killer's identity.Īs a stand-alone novel this book would probably not have stood the test of time. It feels personal even before the murderer starts to send him personal messages, each one accompanied either by a cross made from matchsticks or some knotted string. It's a short read but not necessary for the enjoyment of the later novels.ĭetective Inspector John Rebus has a daughter the same age as the two girls who have been abducted and murdered, their bodies dumped on waste ground. Summary: Important as the first of the Rebus novels this book has excellent characterisation but lacks the level of plot achieved in the later books. ![]()
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