Product Description

Struggling through another Edinburgh winter Rebus finds himself sucked into a web of intrigue that throws up more questions than answers. Was the Lord Provost's daughter kidnapped or just another runaway? Why is a city councillor shredding documents that should have been waste paper years ago? And why on earth is Rebus invited to a clay pigeon shoot at the home of the Scottish Office's Permanent Secretary? Sucked into the machine that is modern Scotland, Rebus confronts the fact that some of his enemies may be beyond justice...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #170612 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Detective Inspector John Rebus is not a man easily intimidated, so when political heavyweights start to lean on the dour, moralistic Edinburgh detective to stop an investigation, Rebus doggedly digs in and follows the case as it moves from embezzlement to murder and finally to conspiracy at the highest level of government.

Bill Paterson has just the right gritty edge to his voice to produce a convincing portrayal of jaded Edinburgh copper, Rebus. In the course of his investigation, Rebus comes into contact with all levels of Edinburgh society and Paterson finds convincing, unobtrusive voices for all of them. His reading is clear, well-paced and totally absorbing throughout. (Running time approx 3 hours 20 minutes)

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

Not the best but still pretty good
'Let it Bleed' is the seventh book in the Inspector John Rebus series, written by Ian Rankin and set it Edinburgh. The story begins with a high-speed car chase ending with the two teenagers in pursuit killing themselves. Then a few days later, a man who has been recently released from prison commits suicide in front of a councillor, who apparently has nothing to do with the victim at all. This takes Rebus onto an investigation into the corrupt world of Scottish politics and dodgy dealings.

I'm a big fan of Ian Rankin, especially his Inspector Rebus novels, and although 'Let it Bleed' isn't the best of the seventeen Rebus books (by a long shot), it is still a very enjoyable read and one that can be picked up and read fairly quickly. Anyone who has read a Rebus book before will be familiar with the gritty Edinburgh setting and Rebus's moody and agressive attitude and his obsessive behaviour towards his cases.

If it is your first time reading a Rankin/Rebus book, I perhaps wouldn't start with this one as it is a little slow and feels a bit like a series filler, but instead go with one of the best ones such as Knots & Crosses, Tooth & Nail, Black & Blue or Dead Souls. Still a very good read for fans of the series though.

Another quality Rankin and Rebus thriller
Rankin continues to churn out excellent novels, with the John Rebus series being the pick. This is another great Rebus novel that requires careful attention from start to finish. Blink and you'll miss a plot twist, or a hidden clue. The story is simple: Rebus unravels Edinburgh's underbelly of corruption - involving local government, the prison service, the police, and the Scottish Office - whilst his personal life unravels itself around him. If you've never read a Rebus novel, this one is a good introduction that will leave you feeling the need to read all the others.

A Deeper Look At Rebus
In this instalment of the Inspector John Rebus series, we are given a much deeper insight into Rebuses world, his life outside the police force, and how he’s dealing with the loneliness of living alone.

From the opening scene Rebus is involved in an all-out thrill ride of a chase through the streets of Edinburgh. Unfortunately for Rebus the chase doesn’t end well, although it has an even worse ending for the men he was chasing. A suicide soon after is linked to the original case and Rebus is soon chasing down clues and digging up dirt. When he’s warned off the case by influential men from both inside and outside the police force, his resolve is hardened and he redoubles his efforts, convinced that he must be onto something pretty big.

Just what it was he was on to was a little hard to decipher. Corruption in government departments is the bone that he latches onto and then he finds that he’s up against some pretty powerful customers. His job is on the line which means the world to him because as he points out, without his job, he’s nothing.

We get a very candid look into Rebuses life outside of the police force and realise that he’s not doing too well at this point. His realisation that he may have a drinking problem is highlighted by the admission that when he tries to sleep sober he is haunted by nightmares, so he ensures he has a few drinks before bed each night. There is also a disturbing reference to suicide in the book and the fact that Rebus has given it some thought was indicative of his current frame of mind.