A Nemesis and Another Nimble Narrative (Set in Darkness - Ian Rankin)

Member Name: Glasgow Girl

Product:	Set in Darkness - Ian Rankin
Date:	29/05/02 (118 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I?ve been to the book shop - so Look Out for a Review of Dead Souls A.S.A... dooyoo get Aurora up-and-running, GG

Disadvantages: None - , btw, Well done Ian Rankin on gaining the QBH award !

INTRODUCTION
After taking some time-out from my lifetime?s vocation (that of ?homemaker?) doing a university stint in the social sciences (- a move not intended to fulfil some suppressed academic ambitions, simply for ?me?) I have returned, with some vigour I might add, to my one-time part-time hobby of reading. As a result of said university course, this opinion, it could justifiably be said, has been ?a long time coming?. Sobeit; as ?big Arnie? might be heard to say, ?I?m back?. So, if you haven?t entirely given up on me, here is another ?Rebus? review, as undertaken by ?yours truly? in an opinion some time back.

STORYLINE
Set in Darkness is the eleventh ?Rebus? novel and the four hundred plus pages keep the reader?s interest and the storyline tension at a steady beat from start to finish.

The setting, as with all ?Rebus? narratives, is Edinburgh. The timeframe is that of the late 1990?s, when the development of and the financial scandals involved in the new Parliament building in the heart of our capital city were but ?a twinkle in their father?s eye? you might say. Ian Rankin unfolds this, his eleventh ?tour de force? with his usual consummate ease. The opening scene has Rebus as a part of a group of ?interested individuals? being given a tour around one of Edinburgh?s many fine old buildings, soon to become an important hub in the layout of the new Parliament.
Now, I wouldn?t be wanting to spoil your reading fun, but, as the ensuing storyline has received publicity from far more auspicious sources than my little opinion, I feel it would not to be giving too much of the storyline away to say that, within a relatively short period, a body, or rather a skeleton has been unearthed and an investigation ensues.

Running in tandem with the ?skeleton? inquiry, the Group of detectives and ?highheadyins? (I think I spelt that right?) of the Edinburgh force are involved in the investigation of two other instances of ?unnatura
l death? and one involving a ?serial rapist?. Adding to these ?problems?, a villain, who also happens to be Rebus? nemesis, has ?got out of jail? and is back in Edinburgh, possibly with a settling of scores in mind.

For a change, the ?S? word rears is head in this Rebus novel, in the shape of a aging super-model who make an impression on Rebus which, as far as I?m concerned, is just a little out-of-character, although, I?m glad to say, it doesn?t really detract from the tempo of the story one little bit. (no pun intended there btw - honest ;-).

The way Ian Rankin weaves these various storylines together is, as always, intriguing and fascinating, making for an truly ?unputdownable? read.

ANNOTATION
I had hoped to read the 'Rebus' books in chronological order, but you know how things are, the best-laid plans ?gang aft aglae? (please tell me if that?s the right Burns quote).
Funnily enough, plans going off course or astray, are a constituent in the foregoing storyline, - come to that, ?constituent? could also be seen as a ?key? term. ...
But, I?m rambling on and possibly even spoiling things a wee bit, so I?ll close and leave you with this one suggestion;
read this book.
You?ll be glad you did.
Trust me.
GG

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