Black & Blue: An Inspector Rebus Mystery (Inspector Rebus Mysteries (Hardcover))

Rating:
Summary: A pretty good read!
Review: I have read all the previous books and must admit that this is the best yet. Rankin mixes both his fictional account of "Johnny Bible" and his theories on Bible John ( a real life serial killer who is still at large) seamlessly in this tale involving drug dealing, murder and gangsters in Scotland's three major cities. This is a typical Rebus novel with more twists and red herrings than you can count and yet it maintains feasibility unlike many other novels I could mention. The description of the different people and locations is very accurate and if you want a novel that explores the Scots psyche and attitude to crime look no further

Rating:
Summary: Made My Kilt Curl
Review: I was just introduced to Ian Rankin with this book. I loved it. Love Rebus. Rankin has a great knack for character and how to intertwine plots. I've been on a steady diet of Connelly, Deaver, Pearson, Crais, Kellerman, etc., and it was great to take a 'trip' across the ocean to get a glimpse of detective life in Scotland. It was much more gritty and hard-nosed than many of the stateside gumshoe tales. Felt a real affinity between Rebus and Harry Bosch. Maybe they are long lost cousins. Now plan to read all of Rankin's works in sequence. Keep up the good work Ian.

Rating:
Summary: The best of all Ian Rankin's Rebus books - riveting reading
Review: I've read all of Ian Rankin's books since I first saw him speaking at Edinburgh's Book Festival some years ago. He just gets better and better. Black & Blue has a plot that's too complicated to describe here, but once I had started it I just had to keep on reading. Not all the good guys are nice, and not all the bad guys are nasty, and Rebus himself is suffering from even more angst than usual, but he still keeps our sympathy. Most of all,the plotting is superb; it's complicated and rewarding to stick with. (And if you get the chance to hear/see Rankin himself, grab it - he's a nice, entertaining guy!)

Rating:
Summary: My first encounter with Rebus & loved it!
Review: Inspector Rebus is the most deliciously flawed and complex mystery protagonist I have yet encountered. The plot, which takes Rebus from Edinburgh to Glascow, Aberdeen, an offshore oil rig, and the Shetland Islands, and the sense of Scottish atmosphere and character contribute greatly to this book, but it is Rebus' struggles with his own personal demons in the context of solving the several interwoven mysteries he faces which make Black and Blue such a worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: A pretty good read!
Review: Not up to the pace of Michael Connelly, but still pretty good. I found it very slow until about a third through the novel - hence only four stars. But if you are waiting for your favorite author's next work, a nice way to pass the time.