A cold case involving a missing private investigator threatens to unearth skeletons from Rebus’s past in this “must-read” mystery (Tana French). Former Detective John Rebus’ retirement is disrupted once again when skeletal remains are identified as a private investigator who went missing over a decade earlier. The remains, found in a rusted car in the East Lothian woods, not far from Edinburgh, … far from Edinburgh, quickly turn into a cold case murder investigation. Rebus’ old friend, Siobhan Clarke is assigned to the case, but neither of them could have predicted what buried secrets the investigation will uncover.
Rebus remembers the original case — a shady land deal — all too well. After the investigation stalled, the family of the missing man complained that there was a police cover-up. As Clarke and her team investigate the cold case murder, she soon learns a different side of her mentor, a side he would prefer to keep in the past.
A gripping story of corruption and consequences, this new novel demonstrates that Rankin and Rebus are still at the top of their game.
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It had been a long time since I had read a novel by Ian Rankin. Several of his books in the recent past had not grabbed me as much as his earlier books, but during lockdown I bought several novels by my favourite authors and In a House of Lies was one of those books.
The Blurb
Private investigator Stuart Bloom was missing, presumed dead.
Until now.
His body is discovered in an abandoned car – in an area that had already been searched…
Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke combs through the mistakes of the original investigation. After a decade without answers, it’s time for the truth.
But it seems everyone involved with the case is hiding something.
None more so than Siobhan’s own mentor: former detective John Rebus. The only man who knows where the trail may lead – and that it could be the end of him.
EVERYONE HAS SECRETS
NOBODY IS INNOCENT
IN A HOUSE OF LIES
The Review
There is no doubt that Ian Rankin is one of Britain’s finest crime fiction writers. However, he has a problem of his own making and it is an issue the author himself acknowledges: he allowed John Rebus to age in real time therefore his main character is well past 60 and therefore at a point he can no longer serve in the police force. So the choice Rankin has made is to use John Rebus as a non-serving source of information and assistance to Police Scotland. Siobhan Clarke, is used by the author as the link between Police Scotland and Rebus and in In a House of Lies she has his aid whether she wants it or not.
When skeletal remains turn up in the boot of a car, found in a deep gulley close to the Edinburgh. Rebus is sure he knows the name of the deceased. It is the body of a man who disappeared over a decade ago. Rebus was involved in the original and much criticised missing person operation.
For much of the first half of the book Rebus is side-lined as Clarke and the rest of team kick-off the murder investigation. Another of Rankin’s creations, Malcolm Fox, is parachuted in to join the team. Now I find Fox a dull and humourless character so, about half way through this book, I was getting restless. Then, Clarke asked Rebus to look into a separate matter, involving a young man who had confessed to the murder of his girlfriend and the story improved.
The pages contained Rebus’s dry one-liners and the energy of the whole thing seemed to increase exponentially. There is no doubt that the pages light up when Rebus is about. However in this book the author seemed unable to decide which was to be the main character: Rebus, Clarke or Fox. There are a number of potential murderers, loads of cops and too many faces from the past as organised crime bigwigs Big Ger Cafferty and Darryl Christie both make an appearance, but neither seems to add much.
I remain a huge fan of this series, now in it’s 22nd instalment, and of Ian Rankin. I do wonder where Rankin takes things next time around. Whatever he does, I hope he manages to write another gripping novel. Despite the faults of In a House of Lies, it is a great read and I must recommend it, if you enjoy crime mysteries.
The Author
Ian James Rankin, OBE, DL, FRSE was born in Fife, Scotland on 28 April 1960. He is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. He
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; the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year’s best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2’s Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin’s Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
Val Penny
John Rebus has retired, but can’t let his police work go. When the body of a missing person finally shows up, everyone is under investigation for blowing the first police investigation and running the current one badly. Rebus steps in to solve it.
Rebus has lost weight, given up the fags and greatly reduced his alcohol consumption. However, he is still like a dog with a bone when it comes to uncovering the truth.
Sadly, an old case of a “mispers” or missing person becomes a murder investigation, and truth seems somewhat elusive in the original investigation.
Although he is retired, Rebus “assists” the newly established murder team and ably uncovers the truth in another case where a young person is incarcerated for killing his girlfriend.
Ian Rankin has written another winning Scottish crime thriller, with his usual brand of humour and intelligence. Highly recommended.
A very absorbing read. Although the retired Rebus has lost some of his grit, he still hasn’t lost his touch, and he even has a small dog. With Rebus now retired, he doesn’t feature so much as in earlier books, and that takes the edge off the novel a little for me, but still the character must grow old as we all must. He’s doing it with some style!
Great fun to have John Rebus still in action with his protege’s. He has become a little more respectful of others in order to be allowed in the game but is still able to find the answers to the mysteries of crime regardless of the direction the others take.
Rankin and Rebus, an unbeatable combination. Rebus is retired, police work has changed, but Rankin plays truth and lies deftly and Rebus is Rebus although retired and in failing health.
Ian Rankin never fails to produce a story that is original and keeps the reader riveted to the book until the end. The unique Scottish favor seeps from the narrative and reinforces the reality of the plot. Ideal for readers of cop fiction but likes a change of pace from Bosch or Davenport.
Published in October 2018 ‘In A House of Lies’ is the latest ‘Rebus book’. Inspector Siobhan Clarke is investigating the murder of a private investigator whose remains have been found years after the man disappeared. She remains steadfastly loyal to Rebus who can’t resist poking his nose into police business, even though he’s retired.
Unlike the some well known murder mystery TV shows, Rankin does not stoop to bumping off characters left right and centre in order to maintain the reader’s interest. He relies on excellent writing skills, deft characterisation and good plotting. I don’t especially like the dark world of criminals and backbiting cops that Rankin creates, but his storytelling holds my attention.
I count myself an Ian Rankin fan. He’s one of those writers you can rely on – the quality of his books is so consistent. I happily buy every book he comes out with, knowing that I won’t be disappointed. Still, this one is something special. It feels like he’s just stepped it up another notch. It’s so clever, so dense, but the best bit is that every character just comes to life, Rebus is there of course in all his curmudgeonly glory , but Siobhan and Malcolm feel more alive to me and more exciting to read than they ever have before. Loved it!
Slow burning fuse of a story together with tortuous plot lines equals no explosive twists and turns.
This book is certainly no fast-paced action thriller. But I kept reading until the end because there was suspense and Rankin is clearly an excellent writer who, in this book, carries it off owing to the excellent well-fleshed out characters and superb dialogue.
As a newcomer to Rebus, I found the plot somewhat complicated and baffling at times.
I’m not having much luck lately in choosing a new (to me) well-known crime fiction author. I must stop reading new authors in the middle or end of a series.
Inspector Rebus is retired and ailing but he’s still at it.