One of the many novels to feature DI John Rebus, rough-as-guts and booze-loving Scottish detective who takes on crime in the big city. In Black and Blue, Rebus has to juggle about four cases at once, some of which were closed long ago, and have now come back to haunt him. The main case is the serial killings of the mysterious John Bible, a copycat of his predecessor, Bible John. The Rebus books are as hard-boiled as they get, with organised crime, crime in big businesses, police corruption and drug crime all rearing their ugly heads. Books like this feature extremely complex plots, which can be disorienting to the uninitiated reader, but which are ultimately a whole lot of fun. As with all good crime novels, there are numerous suspects, numerous obstacles for the investigator to overcome, and even a bit of romance for the women-weary Rebus. Black and blue may be a bit heavy for some, but no-one can dislike Rebus's black humour, his cynical views on life, and his persistence in getting to the bottom of his cases. All-up, a great read for any crime fiction lover.
Author: Ian Rankin
Year published: 1997
Filed in: Crime