The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Stories: From the iconic #1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

Product Information

My one complaint about this stellar volume is that Rebus' nemesis, gangster Morris Gerald "Big Ger" Cafferty, doesn't appear at all except in a passing reference. Each story is just a snippet in to both the writing style of Rankin and also the Life and Times of Inspector Rebus, Gentleman. 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. A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts.

Not only is he an excellent narrator, but his voice and accent are ideally suited for the character of Rebus and as a skilled actor he also creates different personas for all the other many characters who appear in the stories. Recommended if you like fun detective stories or if you want to kickstart your ride on the Rebus bandwagon. Officers from other cities, people Rebus met from time to time, would remark how cushy he had it in Edinburgh.

Published in 2014, this book contains all of the short stories featuring Ian Rankin's John Rebus that were written up to that point. This book will suit existing fans of Rankin’s work, lovers of crime fiction in general and, in fact, anyone who appreciates a well turned phrase.

The Rebus stories are interesting as there are no big involved cases, but just Rebus out and about doing the day-to-day policing in Edinburgh. To thoroughly enjoy this book, one should first read a couple of the novels to get a feel for the character since short stories can't do much character development and Rebus is a fully developed character who has his faults. But even when the stories feel dated or slight (there are a few Christmas tales written for newspapers), Rebus is always enjoyable company for the reader if not for his colleagues.

Rankin talks about his own childhood, how he first wrote about the detective, how he discovered that he was really writing about Edinburgh and how he really got to know Rebus. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Hull and the Open University.

THE BEAT GOES ON is the ultimate Ian Rankin treasure trove--a must-have book for crime fiction aficionados and a superb introduction for anyone looking to experience DI John Rebus, and the dark, twist-filled crimes he investigates. The detective instinct of John Rebus is quite entertaining, as is with any detective that you come across.

Many of these stories featured in two previously published collections, A Good Hanging and Beggars Banquet. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh. The characters are a broad mix, from the posh and pompous to the snarky and mean and then the downright nasty. At short form, the hard-drinking, chain-smoking, no-respect-for-authority Rebus, the star of 20 novels, remains a compelling character, and this thick tome is a welcome addition to the Rankin canon.