By: Ian Rankin
ISBN: 9780316342575
Publisher: Little Brown & Co.
Publication Date: 1/31/2017
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 4 Stars Detective Inspector John Rebus investigates a cold case that has turned red hot once again. John Rebus, as incapable of settling into his retirement as he is of playing by the rules, investigates a cold case from the 1970s involving a gorgeous and wealthy female socialite who was found dead in a bedroom at one of Edinburgh's most luxurious hotels. No one was ever found guilty, but the scandalous circumstances of the murder have kept the town talking for over forty years. Now, Rebus has his own reasons to investigate, but his inquiries quickly make him some very dangerous and powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to ensure that the case remains unsolved and the gossip falls on deaf ears.
A special thank you to Little Brown & Co. and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review to follow.
Praise
"Rankin is an expert at manipulating multiple plots...Along with his plotting prowess, Rankin has cultivated a fluid style that accommodates mordant cop talk, coarse gangster lingo and the occasional honest expression of compassion." ―Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
"Rather Be the Devil will not disappoint - in the last 30 pages or so, Rankin delivers so many shocking but satisfying twists I felt I might have whiplash."―Tampa Bay Times
"Excellent." ―The Seattle Review of Books
"[A] finely crafted new entry...[Rankin] is as tireless in delivering the goods as his creation is in solving tough cases." ―Kirkus
"With its trademark blend of sharp wit and even sharper police work, this entry is yet another example of why Rankin remains in the top echelon of Scottish crime writers." ―Publishers Weekly
"One of the best things in crime fiction for years, but Rankin kicks it up several notches here." ―Booklist (Starred Review)
"This may be the author's 21st series outing, but the thrill is still fresh." ―Library Journal
About the Author
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin 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, and the Rebus books are now translated into thirty-six languages and are bestsellers worldwide.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award. He is the recipient of four Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards including the prestigious Diamond Dagger in 2005. In 2004, Ian won America's celebrated Edgar Award for Resurrection Men. He has also been shortlisted for the Anthony Award in the USA, won Denmark's Palle Rosenkrantz Prize, the French Grand Prix du Roman Noir and the Deutscher Krimipreis. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Hull, the Open University and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts. Rankin is a number one bestseller in the UK and has received the OBE for services to literature, opting to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his wife and two sons.
