Product Description

Stalking a poisoner at the local zoo, Edinburgh Police Inspector John Rebus comes across a paedophile taking pictures of children. When the social workers claim he is there for legitimate educational reasons, Rebus is faced with a dilemma - should he be outed to protect local kids or given a chance to start anew? As the locals begin a hate campaign he gets a call from the past - the son of a friend has gone missing and no one else will make time to ask the right questions. And then a fragment of Scotland's criminal history is repatriated at the end of a life sentence for murder. Once more Rebus's cup of trouble runneth over and the ghosts of past misdeeds return to haunt Edinburgh's streets.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #667919 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
When an author is as successful as Rankin has been with his tough and idiomatic Scottish thrillers, a problem sets in after several books: How to keep the formula fresh?

Rankin has delivered a powerful series of books featuring his beleaguered DI John Rebus and while never less than gripping, a certain tiredness seemed to be setting in. Thankfully, this new novel is a resounding return to form, with a plot as enjoyably labyrinthine as any Rankin enthusiast could wish and pithy dialogue that fairly leaps off the page. Stalking the streets of Edinburgh on the trail of a poisoner, Rebus hits upon a freed paedophile and his subsequent outing of the man leaves him with very mixed feelings. But another problem develops for Rebus: A convicted murderer has him in his sights for some lethal games. And the tabloid press lionising of Rebus won't help him in this situation. As always, Rankin is perfectly ready to tackle contentious issues--precisely the thing that gives his books their powerful sense of veracity. And Rebus, no longer in danger of having a soap opera-like accumulation of personal problems, seems as fresh and well-observed a character as in those first exhilarating books. Rankin has caught his form again, with even more assurance. --Barry Forshaw

About the Author
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into thirty-six languages and are bestsellers worldwide. Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award. He is the recipient of four Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards including the prestigious Diamond Dagger in 2005. In 2004, Ian won America's celebrated Edgar Award for Resurrection Men. He has also been shortlisted for the Anthony Award in the USA, won Denmark's Palle Rosenkrantz Prize, the French Grand Prix du Roman Noir and the Deutscher Krimipreis. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Hull and the Open University. A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts. Rankin is a number one bestseller in the UK and has received the OBE for services to literature, opting to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.

Customer Reviews

Another Rebus masterpiece
Another intriguing Rebus novel, with lots going on, plenty of suspense, and lots of good Edinburgh insights. My first Rebus novel was The Falls - this second reading of Rebus shows what a master Rankin is as you see how the character develops. I think I'm going to now read the series through and start with book 1 so that I can follow things through chronologically. If you've not read Rankin before then I recommend you do - mind you - you'll find you can't put it down - so make sure you've got some time on your hands!

A complex, clever and satisfying read
This is the first of Ian Rankin's books I have read and I will definitely be coming back for more. His hero, Rebus, is a complex, flawed but realistic detective. Serial killer Cary Oakes is a chilling and intelligent adversary. Rankin writes exceptionally well. Dead Souls has numerous sub-plots, each as interesting as the main story. The loose ends are tied together in a satisfying and exciting climax. I would definitely recommend this book to all those hard-to-please lovers of crime fiction.

A superb read - One of the best Rebus novels
Having read several Ian Rankin novels prior to Dead Souls, this novel reaches new heights of readability.
Previous novels have seen the development of the John Rebus character and provided enough details to keep the reader uncertain of which side of the line Rebus will step to next.
Having developed the chararcter in some very dark novels such as 'Tooth and Nail' it would appear that Dead Souls concentrates more on the story and the surroundings. With the novel set in Edinburgh this is an excellent feature.
Dead Souls follows several storylines which are connected to Rebus, as you would expect in everyday life - a similar style of writing to the 'Frost' books by R D Wingfield.
This book for me was particularly enjoyable, I found it lighter(not in content but in mood) than the previous novels such as 'Black and Blue' and 'The Hanging Garden'. I also found that this was the first Ian Rankin novel that I could read and read, you feel as if you are in Edinburgh yourself at some points and could almost be one of the chararcters.
The other excellent feature with not only Dead Souls but all of the Rebus novels are the cross references to previous situations and stories that have been featured in other books, the balance is perfect, enough to trigger memories of previous books for those that have read them, however not too many to deter those that have not read any Rebus novels before.
Overall the characters, storyline and surroundings of this novel are excellent and provide thought-provoking read.