Ian Rankin is a fantastic writer and his series involving John Rebus was his best work in my opinion. Sadly, Rankin decided to retire Rebus in 2007 so I'm trying to read all the earlier books. I've managed to get my hands on most of them. With this book I only have one more to acquire. When I get that one I think I'll have an orgy of Rebus reading.

I'm trying this year to read all the Ian Rankin books on my bookshelf. I kept buying them as I saw them but I wanted to wait until I had all the Rebus books so I could read them in order. I have had them all for a while but there are so many other books to read that I kept putting it off. Also, there's that part of me that knows that once I read them I won't have any more stockpiled unless Ian Rankin writes another Rebus. I keep hoping.

At the start of this book Rebus is actually not alone having moved in with Dr. Patience Aitken and rented his apartment to students. However, after spending one too many evenings away from home Patience locks John out so he has to go sleep on the couch in his own apartment. His brother, Michael, has just gotten out of jail and is also staying in the apartment. Rebus calls his life a black comedy but there is nothing funny about his sidekick DS Brian Holmes getting knocked on the head and staying in a coma for days. Holmes may have been targeted because of an old case he was looking into so, of course, Rebus starts looking into it as well. Five years before the Central Hotel burned down and a body was found in the ashes. It wasn't someone who perished in the fire. The body had a bullet wound through the heart and was dead before the fire started. The victim has never been identified nor has the killer. This investigation is not sanctioned by the police brass but that has never bothered John Rebus. His team is supposed to be helping in another operation to try taking down some money lenders. Big Ger Cafferty may be involved which is interesting to Rebus but he doesn't hold out much hope of actually getting a conviction. So it is Siobhan Clarke who is putting most of the time on surveillance while Rebus follows his hunches about the old case. Things get a little personal when his brother is abducted and hung upside down from a rail bridge. Michael was not physically hurt but he is mentally bruised and battered and John is worried about him. Rebus even goes so far as to get a gun for protection. Before he can decide whether to use it his superiors at the police station find out he has it and suspend him. That's okay with Rebus because it leaves him more time to pursue the hotel case. If he was a different man he might use the time to try to get back with Patience but he is too busy. That does somewhat intrigue Patience and they are together on a park bench on the last page of the book.

I left this book on a bench outside of the centre . This release is for the 2018 52 Towns in 52 weeks release challenge - Town # 28 .

When you find a BookCrossing book it is yours to do with what you like. You can read it and keep it or pass it on or if you don't think it is your kind of book pass it on to someone who might like it or release it in a spot for someone else to find like you just did. Whatever you choose it would be great if you could write a short note letting us know what new adventures the book is on.