Product Description

It's late autumn in Edinburgh and late autumn in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he tries to tie up some loose ends before retirement, a murder case intrudes. A dissident Russian poet has been found dead in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. By apparent coincidence, a high-level delegation of Russian businessmen is in town - and everyone is determined that the case should be closed quickly and clinically. But the further they dig, the more Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke become convinced that they are dealing with something more than a random attack - especially after a particularly nasty second killing. Meanwhile, a brutal and premeditated assault on a local gangster sees Rebus in the frame. Has the Inspector taken a step too far in tying up those loose ends? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, inglorious career, will Rebus even make it that far?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2626 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-07
• Released on: 2008-08-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Review
'Prepare yourselves: this is goodbye to Detective Inspector John Rebus, possibly the most famous of the plethora of fictional policemen. And it's a classic plot to send him on his way' (SHORTLIST )

'with just four days left in the job, Rebus gets himself suspended for insubordination - will he be able to solve the case in time? What is guaranteed is that Rebus heads into retirement the same chippy, curmudgeon that his millions of fans have grown to love' (SUNDAY TIMES )

'Fans will not be disappointed, while new readers will have the added delight of catching up with all the novels they have missed' (THE TIMES )

'As this (according to Rankin), the final outing for Rebus demonstrates, he is always ready to shake things up for his beleagured protagonist' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )

'Rebus's swansong is a typically gritty affair, with the usual twists that Edinburgh's finest cop should surely expect as routine by now. Rankin's expertly crafted plot, vivid characters and pacy narrative means fans will lap this up' (NEWS OF THE WORLD )

'classic Rankin...a fantastic tale that exercises his familiar gift for grabbing a reader then taking them on a dark trip through high life and low life. Doors Open is a must-read novel from Scotland's King of Crime' (WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY )

'Rankin paints on a Hogarthian canvas that revels in a vast cast of fully-realized characters, a well-loved setting, a twisty plot, and a wry sense of irony' (MYSTERY SCENE )

'In this highly significant outing, the vigorous prose is matched (as ever) by a storytelilng ability that takes no prisoners' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )

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

Goodbye and Thanks For The Memories
What a fantasic send off for one of the great creations of modern literature.
I have read all the Rebus books in sequence over the years and fans of the series will be delighted to know Ian Rankin has written a a suitable finale.
We join Rebus with one week until his retirement and in a great device the chapters count down the days no surprising the pieces don't slide together until the final day of the week.

A murder of a Russian poet in Kings Stable Road gives Rebus one last case to solve soon ties are being made to big business, politicians and the criminal underworld led by Rebus' nemesis Big Ger Cafferty. Is this the last chance saloon for John to finally nail Edinburgh's gangster ?
As has been the case with the last few Rankin books the reader is left guessing right until the final pages who has commited the crimes. I can say that I guessed part of it but I doubt anyone will be able to predict all the conclusions.

The early books in the series were enjoyable but it's been the last half dozen that have really elevated the series the introduction of DS Siobhan Clarke I feel was where it really kicked in giving Rebus a genuine partner to bounce off. This book is no exception with the scenes with them together being the strongest. It's real shame in some ways that Rankin's decision to age Rebus in real time deprives us of further INSPECTOR Rebus books but if you haven't ever read any of the series you are so lucky to have twenty books available to you.

For the rest of us here's looking forward to the first of the DI Clarke stories which if Ian Rankin decides not to write then there really will have been a crime committed.

One of his best.
I've read about half a dozen Rebus books and this was the best, though sadly the last in a long series! (I shall go back and fill in the gaps as he is a character I have come to love.) Fabulous metaphores throughout the book, the plot was good and although I felt flat at the end (because it was over), don't agree that this was because the ending itself was flat. It was inevitably 'Rebus' and entirely appropriate.

A bit of a let-down
A very good plot, and well up to the usual standard of Rankin's powers of perceptive and descriptive writing, but let down, I think, by a somewhat lame ending. Admittedly, it's difficult to know how he could think of a finale which would appeal to all readers, but having just finished reading it about an hour ago, I can't help feeling a bit "flat".