Review: The Black Book

 

The Black Book is the fourth novel in Ian Rankin's Edinburgh-based series featuring hard-bitten police detective John Rebus. This one finds Rebus poking into a five-year old mystery involving an unidentified body burned up in a hotel fire.

The series really hits its stride in this book. The first one, Knots and Crosses, is a good story in itself, but the mystery is too personal to Rebus to be a proper kick off for a series – it's a sprint, not the start of a marathon. Hide and Seek is better, but still a little thin. The third one, Tooth and Nail, finds Rebus seconded to Scotland Yard to find a screamingly improbable serial killer. It has the markings of an early manuscript dusted off to appease an eager publisher.

But The Black Book has none of these flaws. Rebus has filled out as a character, as has his supporting cast, and there are about 50 more pages, which gives Rankin the space to develop the main and side stories. Edinburgh's history and environs shape the story and provide plenty of color.

Completists should start the series at the beginning, but for those just looking for a great mystery, jump right in with The Black Book.

OTHER REVIEWS

If you would ike your review of this or any of Rankin's other books listed here, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it. 

NOTES

This counts as one of my books for the TBR challenges I am doing this year.

Book Beginnings: The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.  Please remember to include the title of the book and the author.

Leave a link to your post.  If you don't have a blog, but want to participate, please leave a comment with your Book Beginning.



MY BOOK BEGINNING

The Founding Fathers would be appalled by the modern presidency.

-- The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents: From Wilson to Obama by Steven F. Hayward.

This is exactly what I need for a refresher course on 20th+ Century Presidents. Hayward is as witty and irreverent as ever. And he gets right to the point with his system of grading US Presidents on how strictly they adhered to their oath to uphold the Constitution.  I'm learning while I'm laughing.

Opening Sentence: A Month of Sundays

Forgive me my denomination and my town; I am a Christian minister and an American.

A Month of Sundays by John Updike.

This rather coy beginning is understandable when the narrator, the Reverend Tom Marshfield, goes on to explain that he is spending a month in a rest home of sorts for disgraced clergy.   The novel takes the form of his daily journal entries describing, for the most part, his sexual exploits with the women in his congregation.

Teaser Tuesday: Understanding the Abuse of Adults

Quite often, by the time the relationship becomes sexualized, the victim is already deeply immersed; she has already heavily invested her heart in the relationship.  Many victims/survivors consider the religious leader to be a close friend; others have fallen in love with him/her, believing that s/he is "the one and only."

--  Understanding the Abuse of Adults by Catholic Clergy and Religious by Kathryn R, Byrne.

This book is a very well-written, accessible, and thoughtful discussion about a problem traditionally ignored.  It is a very good book.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event. 

Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia at A girl and her books (fka The Printed Page), who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring meme (details here).

This month, Mailbox Monday moves north, to somewhere near Quebec, where Cindy at Cindy's Love of Books is hosting.  Please stop by to visit her blog and join in the fun.

I got two quirky but cool books from OSU Press last week.   I love how they publish some offbeat stuff.



The Wet Engine: Exploring Mad Wild Miracle of Heart by Brian Doyle.




Wild Delicate Seconds: 29 Wildlife Encounters by Charles Finn.