Product Description

It is August in Edinburgh and the Festival is in full swing... A brutally tortured body is discovered in one of the city's ancient subterranean streets and marks on the corpse cause Rebus to suspect the involvement of sectarian activists. The prospect of a terrorist atrocity in a city heaving with tourists is almost unthinkable. When the victim turns out to be the son of a notorious gangster, Rebus realises he is sitting atop a volcano of mayhem - and it's just about to erupt.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32547 in Books
• Published on: 1995-08-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author
Ian Rankin is a regular No.1 bestseller, and has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Diamond Dagger. He lives with his family in Edinburgh, and in 2003 received an OBE for his services to literature.

Customer Reviews

Troubles In Edinburgh
After a particularly gruesome murder is discovered during Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, Inspector John Rebus is seconded to the elite Scottish Crime Squad. The reason for this is that aspects of the murder make it appear that a terrorist group was responsible and Rebus’s previous SAS experience would come in handy. The investigation takes him from his home base to the villages of rural Scotland and across to Belfast and back again.

Throughout the book, the Catholic versus Protestant problem is continually raised, comparing Scotland to the Troubles in Northern Ireland and suggesting that the same uprising could be imminent. While the characters were discussing terrorist organisations there were enough three letter acronyms being bandied about to make me think I might have stumbled into a Microsoft manual.

Once again we are treated to the bare bones of Edinburgh’s back streets and dingy estates that have fallen into ruin. Rebus is as inscrutable and removed from his fellow officers as ever, yet, at least for me, he is becoming more and more likable. I feel this series is getting more and more enjoyable with every book I read, this one is no exception.

This book is truly addictive - you'll never want to stop!
This book is typical of Rankin: the superb writing style that he is so reknowned for is only too evident in this chilling story. Rankin describes the city of Edinburgh in such vivid detail that you feel you know the place like the back of your hand. Never before has the reader been allowed to enter so far into Rebus' personal life and, when he wants someone to talk to, as the reader you feel guilty that you are not there to offer support. This novel is unbelievable and makes the reality of events in Northern Ireland feel even closer to home.

Very difficult to put down!
This is the first Ian Rankin Novel that I've read.
I decided to buy a couple of the Rebus books after watching the television adaptations starring John Hannah. The way that Rankin can bring a scene to life with words on a page is uncanny - even down to the little mannerisums of the characters. I highly recommend this book to any reader of crime drama.