As an entry in the long-running series of John Rebus novels this one charts an
interesting time: that of the week of his retirement. Given that the series
has been fairly true to time -- charting investigations on a day-to-day basis
and following the ageing of the detective down the years -- this is truely a
pivotal moment.
However, as a novel in its own right it is hugely disappointing. As ever, Ian
Rankin cranks the handle of the literary loom to weave a plot which becomes ever
more intriguing and ravels up the stories of many peoples' lives, but in the end
it turns out to be nothing but a ravel and the actual resolution ends up being
somewhat tangential. The reveal of this resolution is even more separated from
the plot when the detective, having been suspended from his last week of duty,
suddenly turns up at the abode of one of the book's minor cameos and lo and
behold, everything has been worked out!
This anticlimactic feel actually pervades the book, as the ending is more to do
with leaving a bitter-sweet feeling in the reader than actually completeing
either the book or the working life of John Rebus. It is designed to show a
case solved, people vindicated, ends sown up and ends left dangling. The only
overall impression you have is that no way is John Rebus going to go away but
will continue working with his trusty companion as his retirement years roll by.
As usual with Ian Rankin it is the characterizations which make the book,
followed by an immersive atmosphere -- although this is not as strong as in his
other books --, and a plot which manages the balancing of involving lots of
people and sophistication without overwhelming the reader with too much
complexity. |
