Rating: 
Summary: Terrific
Review: A former soldier charges into a high school and shoots three students, leaving two for dead, and then kills himself. John Rebus and his partner Siobhan Clarke set out to investigate why this man did what he did, all the while dealing with allegations that Rebus himself has murdered a local thug who had been harassing Clarke. A Question of Blood explores the two mysteries, twines them togehter, all the while telling an excellent, compelling, gripping story. Ian Rankin is a talented writer--the writing is good, the dialog is excellent and the story works, keeping you guessing up until the last pages of the novel. This is the first of Rankin's novels that I have read and it certainly is impressive. Rebus is an complicated and entertaining character--a bit of a cynic, and certainly not one to tow the line. All in all, A Question of Blood is a terrific mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: A former soldier charges into a high school and shoots three students, leaving two for dead, and then kills himself. John Rebus and his partner Siobhan Clarke set out to investigate why this man did what he did, all the while dealing with allegations that Rebus himself has murdered a local thug who had been harassing Clarke. A Question of Blood explores the two mysteries, twines them togehter, all the while telling an excellent, compelling, gripping story. Ian Rankin is a talented writer--the writing is good, the dialog is excellent and the story works, keeping you guessing up until the last pages of the novel. This is the first of Rankin's novels that I have read and it certainly is impressive. Rebus is an complicated and entertaining character--a bit of a cynic, and certainly not one to tow the line. All in all, A Question of Blood is a terrific mystery.
Rating: 
Summary: Routine
Review: After all the fanfare leading up to the appearance of "A Question of Blood" in the US, I found this novel vastly overrated. There is nothing new here. Inspector Rebus is a loner cop who Doesn't Play by the Rules. His sidekick, Siobhan Clarke, is slightly more interesting, and of course she Doesn't Play by the Rules either. The crime is not hard to solve and the book is easy to put down. The plot lacks urgency. Disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: absolutely brilliant
Review: All of South Queensferry is in shock when Lee Herdman walks into a private school (Port Edgar Academy) one day and opens fire in the student lounge killing two boys one day. Since Herdman was an ex-army man, everyone assumes that he just snapped one day. However, the police still need to try and establish what chain of events led to the shooting. So an overworked DI Bobby Hogan who's in charge of the case decides to draft Rebus onto the team. Rebus however is being investigated because of his connection in the suspicious death of an ex-con (with a tendency for violence) who was stalking Rebus's partner DS Siobhan Clarke for a while now. Relieved to have something else on their minds aside from the impending internal investigation, both Rebus and Siobhan throw themselves completely into investigating Herdman's past and everyone he had a relationship with. But with the military police showing a sudden and profound interest in the case, Rebus begins to wonder about what's really going on, esp when he discovers the ties Herdman had with certain prominent families of South Queensferry...Ian Rankin comes up trumps again! And while this latest Rebus installment is not the usual fare (as others have noted it's not much of a whodunit kind of novel), it still made for compelling and engrossing reading. Ian Rankin is an absolute wonder at creating scenes, characters and atmosphere, and coming up with a story that's unique and complex. So that even though I did begin to see which way the investigation was going, and even though the ending didn't really explain completely why the shooter did what he did, I would still rate this latest Rebus novel as a 5 star read. As usual there is Rankin's clever and witty prose/dialogue to enjoy; and I rather liked that you really got to enjoy and appreciate the good and close relationship that Rebus and Siobhan have -- a friendship that's affectionate but (thank goodness) free of sexual tensions. So yes, this is a book worth buying and recommending as an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: He Has Blood on His Hands
Review: An ex-con, Martin Fairstone, who had been stalking and harassing Edinburgh Inspector John Rebus's friend, partner and protegee, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke, is found burned to death after spending time the night before with Rebus. The hard drinking, smokaholic turns up with bandaged hands, saying he scalded himself in the bath, but gosh darn, too much to drink, you know, can't quite remember. Gil Templar, Rebus's boss and Complaints and Conduct (same as American Internal Affairs) suspect Rebus and he is officially suspended. Meanwhile, Lee Herdman, a veteran of the elite SAS, shoots two boys to death and wounds another at the Port Edgar Academy in South Queensferry, before turning the gun on himself. One of the murdered boys is the son of a judge, the other turns out to be Rebus's second cousin. The wounded boy is the son of a Scottish MP. Because of Rebus's army experience and, of course because of his excellent detective skill, DI Bobby Hogan, asks Rebus to assist in the investigation, which he is more than glad to do. Much better to be the investigator in the second crime than the investigatee in the first. At first it looks like Herdman just snapped, but Rebus wonders why the Army is so interested and after an investigation that leads to another dead man and to his Goth (dresses all in black) sister, who has a live webcam in her bedroom, and then to an SAS operation, Rebus knows there is so much more here than a pressure cooked guy that just went nuts with a gun. I don't know how, but Mr. Rankin just keeps getting better and better. I didn't mention above that Rebus doesn't have the use of his burned hands during the investigation. He has to depend on Siobahn, a lady who will do anything for him, except light his cigarettes, which of course angers our fiftish, overweight, alcoholic, chain smoking hero. It's touches like that, and the way Mr. Rankin uses music to help with his characterization, the complicated plot with it's twist and turns and the superb writing that make his books a joy to read. Haley Lawford, S/V Cheerleader Too
Rating: 
Summary: Great characters are undermined by an average plot.
Review: As a long time fan of Peter Robinson and Val McDermid, I opened my first Ian Rankin book with great anticipation. "A Question of Blood" features Scottish Detective Inspector John Rebus, who in many ways reminds me of Alan Banks, the protagonist of the Robinson police procedurals. Both Banks and Rebus are mavericks who dislike authority, drink and smoke to excess, are estranged from their families, and have unerring intuition about criminal cases. Recently, Banks has begun to mellow. He has kicked the cigarette habit and he is making an effort to get in touch with his more sensitive side. Rebus, on the other hand, clings tightly to his vices and has a long way to go in the sensitivity department. In "A Question of Blood," Rebus and his partner, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke are investigating a school shooting in which an intruder, Lee Herdman, apparently killed two students, wounded a third, and then turned the gun on himself. In a second investigation, Rebus himself is in the hot seat. The police suspect him of being involved in the brutal killing of Martin Fairstone, a vicious ex-con who had been stalking Siobhan. Rebus had motive and opportunity, and his hands were mysteriously burned on the same night that Fairstone died in a suspicious fire. If any hard evidence comes to light tying him to the crime, Rebus will face a murder charge. Rankin masterfully depicts the crusty, unpredictable, and tenacious Rebus. He is married to his job, and continues to pursue his investigations even while he is in excruciating pain with two scalded hands. Siobhan Clarke is a dedicated and courageous detective in her own right, and Rankin fascinatingly choreographs her relationship with Rebus. The partners work well together and care greatly for one another, but is their relationship merely platonic? The plot of this novel is not as intriguing as the colorful characters that populate the book. Unfortunately, school shootings have become too frequent in society, and many authors have already used this plot device. No new ground is broken here. The book's story becomes much too complicated as "A Question of Blood" meanders to its melodramatic and overly eventful conclusion. Rankin's themes include drugs, teenage rebellion, illegal gun sales, opportunistic politicians, and emotionally damaged army veterans. Although I recommend this mystery for its lively and memorable characters, I give it lower marks for its convoluted and derivative story line.
Rating:
Summary: Great characters are undermined by an average plot.
Review: As a long time fan of Peter Robinson and Val McDermid, I opened my first Ian Rankin book with great anticipation. "A Question of Blood" features Scottish Detective Inspector John Rebus, who in many ways reminds me of Alan Banks, the protagonist of the Robinson police procedurals. Both Banks and Rebus are mavericks who dislike authority, drink and smoke to excess, are estranged from their families, and have unerring intuition about criminal cases. Recently, Banks has begun to mellow. He has kicked the cigarette habit and he is making an effort to get in touch with his more sensitive side. Rebus, on the other hand, clings tightly to his vices and has a long way to go in the sensitivity department. In "A Question of Blood," Rebus and his partner, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke are investigating a school shooting in which an intruder, Lee Herdman, apparently killed two students, wounded a third, and then turned the gun on himself. In a second investigation, Rebus himself is in the hot seat. The police suspect him of being involved in the brutal killing of Martin Fairstone, a vicious ex-con who had been stalking Siobhan. Rebus had motive and opportunity, and his hands were mysteriously burned on the same night that Fairstone died in a suspicious fire. If any hard evidence comes to light tying him to the crime, Rebus will face a murder charge. Rankin masterfully depicts the crusty, unpredictable, and tenacious Rebus. He is married to his job, and continues to pursue his investigations even while he is in excruciating pain with two scalded hands. Siobhan Clarke is a dedicated and courageous detective in her own right, and Rankin fascinatingly choreographs her relationship with Rebus. The partners work well together and care greatly for one another, but is their relationship merely platonic? The plot of this novel is not as intriguing as the colorful characters that populate the book. Unfortunately, school shootings have become too frequent in society, and many authors have already used this plot device. No new ground is broken here. The book's story becomes much too complicated as "A Question of Blood" meanders to its melodramatic and overly eventful conclusion. Rankin's themes include drugs, teenage rebellion, illegal gun sales, opportunistic politicians, and emotionally damaged army veterans. Although I recommend this mystery for its lively and memorable characters, I give it lower marks for its convoluted and derivative story line.
Rating:
Summary: Great characters are undermined by an average plot.
Review: As a long time fan of Peter Robinson and Val McDermid, I opened my first Ian Rankin book with great anticipation. "A Question of Blood" features Scottish Detective Inspector John Rebus, who in many ways reminds me of Alan Banks, the protagonist of the Robinson police procedurals. Both Banks and Rebus are mavericks who dislike authority, drink and smoke to excess, are estranged from their families, and have unerring intuition about criminal cases. Recently, Banks has begun to mellow. He has kicked the cigarette habit and he is making an effort to get in touch with his more sensitive side. Rebus, on the other hand, clings tightly to his vices and has a long way to go in the sensitivity department. In "A Question of Blood," Rebus and his partner, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke are investigating a school shooting in which an intruder, Lee Herdman, apparently killed two students, wounded a third, and then turned the gun on himself. In a second investigation, Rebus himself is in the hot seat. The police suspect him of being involved in the brutal killing of Martin Fairstone, a vicious ex-con who had been stalking Siobhan. Rebus had motive and opportunity, and his hands were mysteriously burned on the same night that Fairstone died in a suspicious fire. If any hard evidence comes to light tying him to the crime, Rebus will face a murder charge. Rankin masterfully depicts the crusty, unpredictable, and tenacious Rebus. He is married to his job, and continues to pursue his investigations even while he is in excruciating pain with two scalded hands. Siobhan Clarke is a dedicated and courageous detective in her own right, and Rankin fascinatingly choreographs her relationship with Rebus. The partners work well together and care greatly for one another, but is their relationship merely platonic? The plot of this novel is not as intriguing as the colorful characters that populate the book. Unfortunately, school shootings have become too frequent in society, and many authors have already used this plot device. No new ground is broken here. The book's story becomes much too complicated as "A Question of Blood" meanders to its melodramatic and overly eventful conclusion. Rankin's themes include drugs, teenage rebellion, illegal gun sales, opportunistic politicians, and emotionally damaged army veterans. Although I recommend this mystery for its lively and memorable characters, I give it lower marks for its convoluted and derivative story line.
Rating:
Summary: VickySaysHi - Rebus Forever!
Review: Atmosphere, deep characterization, real emotions, solid clever plotting - what more could one want in a mystery? Rankin again satisfies in every area. If you aren't yet a fan, start with Knots and Crosses and join the millions who wait impatiently for each new installment of this series.
Rating:
Summary: A Timely Police Procedural Featuring D.I. John Rebus
Review: Detective Inspector John Rebus has appeared in each of Ian Rankin's fourteen police procedurals. He is an updated, hip, evolving archetype of the investigator/detective/cop. He is part of a larger group that works within clear boundaries and are, generally, "do it by the book coppers," but Rebus operates best on his own terms. His manner and style are most effective when he skirts the issue of the technical law, and he relishes the challenge of not stepping too far over the line into "gray territory." Still, he usually manages to "do it" his way and inevitably ventures into the uncharted murk his fellows avoid. He concentrates on getting the job done, and when an opportunity arises that is the key to solving the crime, he has no qualms pushing against the establishment. In A QUESTION OF BLOOD, the most recent Rebus book, he is called upon to solve a school shooting that has left three dead and one wounded. At the same time he becomes the prime suspect in the grizzly death of a lowlife criminal named Martin Fairstone, who was harassing his partner, Siobhan Clark. One night, Rebus goes pub-crawling to find Fairstone with the intention of setting him straight about staying away from Siobhan. But, as does happen in life, the two get smashingly drunk and Fairstone invites Rebus home for a nightcap. They are going to bury the hatchet, and as far as the DI is concerned, that was all there was to the meeting. He leaves, hails a cab and falls asleep until he reaches home when he realizes that ... "he'd done it again. Ended up drinking too much ... [the] driver had to wake him up. Rebus [remembered] running a bath ... world tilting in the darkness, shifting on its axis, pitching him forwards so his head thumped against the rim of the [tub] ... waking on his knees, hands hanging over the side of the bath" having turned on only the hot water tap. "His hands were scalded by the rising water ... Scalded." At that moment he has no idea that Martin Fairstone burned to death in a grease fire a short time after Rebus left. When word gets out that Rebus is in the hospital with burns on his hands (he insists he is scalded), his superiors start to ask uncomfortable questions. He is called on the carpet and put on suspension, despite his vehement denials of any involvement in the fire. But Rebus has a fine reputation as an investigator and is requested by the DI who is working on the school shootings. Thus, he is also allowed to be an unofficial, ad-hoc member of the team with Siobhan as his driver/assistant/partner. Once he is on the scene he is devastated to learn that one of the dead boys is the son of his cousin, a man he hasn't seen in decades. Rebus "had been thinking about families: not just his own ..." but of so many people he knew --- how we lose touch, how "life" interferes, how Rebus himself replaced his family with co-workers who became close friends "producing ties that oftentimes seemed stronger than blood." Rankin's books are set in Scotland, but their universal themes transcend geography and his adroitly depicted human relations evoke a sense of the familiar, the approachable. Readers can identify with the events and crises his characters face without the real experience of murder and violence. Rankin's books are more complex and far more arresting than many of those written by his genre mates. One of the devices he uses to humanize the folks who populate his novels is music. In an interview Rankin said, "The music is a good shorthand way to delineate character. If you want to tell the reader a lot about a character in a small space, just tell them what their musical taste is. You'll get their age, their background, whether they're gregarious or a loner." Rankin said in a online interview that he incorporates true crimes or at least refers to them in his books because "I have made a conscious effort to use real crimes and real-life mysteries in my books. Why? Because, for Scots-based readers at least, they cause a suspension of disbelief. If a reader knows that the case I'm writing about really happened, it's easy for them to be coaxed into thinking that everything else in the book is real, too. This means that the reader becomes more involved in the story. The hook is in, as they say in the trade! I'm also fascinated by real-life unsolved crimes (and a few of the solved ones, too)." His spare prose and everyday language allow the reader to enter the action as his characters act out their parts. Of his work Rankin says, "All my life I've made my living writing about murder, torture, and corruption. Other people go to work and deal with money, or food, or administration. I go to work and think of malice, and crime, and evil." He recognizes the dark underside that lurks beneath the skin of all of us and, in doing so, makes Rebus sympathetic to the criminal and acutely aware of his own demons. He understands how easy it is for people to hate, how those deprived of love and basic human compassion learn to take at any cost. And he makes no secret of the contempt he holds for the bureaucrats who add to the world of chaos that he and his colleagues must try to keep together. Of the future for his attractive yet enigmatic detective, Rankin says in various interviews, "I always say that if I'd known Rebus was going to become a series character, I wouldn't have given him such an odd name (the word rebus means "picture puzzle," by the way). Rebus works in real time. In book one, he is forty and now we're up to book sixteen and he's fifty-five, and you've got to retire at sixty, so I've got a maximum of five more books left if I do a book a year. Then we'll have a parting of the ways and Siobhan might become the main character. I honestly don't know because I never think more than one book ahead. There is no game plan." Ian Rankin may not have a specific game plan in mind at the moment, but fans and readers around the globe will certainly want him to keep John Rebus around for a long time. When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes, he was inundated with pleas from every corner of the world to resurrect his famous alter ego. And he did. When one considers the enormous number of Rebus fans who know both the books and the BBC television series, Rankin could face the same kind of hue and cry. Sometimes a writer will create a character who truly does take on a life of his own --- and Rankin's Rebus is a fine example of that phenomenon. --- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum
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