Doors Open by Ian Rankin

Doors Open is a standalone novel by Ian Rankin (no Rebus!). First published in 2008, it was reissued in 2026 and I picked up a copy nice and cheaply in Sainsbury’s. I’ve read one other Ian Rankin standalone novel – Witch Hunt – and it was by far the worst book by him I’ve ever read.

Doors Open is the story of three art-loving friends in Edinburgh. Mike is rich and has retired early. Allan is bored of his job in banking and art professor Robert is ready for retirement. At an art auction, they discuss their sadness and disgust that so many great paintings are hidden from public view.

Then Robert mentions that many are stored in a warehouse and nobody really knows exactly what is there. He has a plan to steal some and somehow manages to get his friends on board, despite the fact that none of them have ever committed a crime before.

Stealing valuable paintings in broad daylight, what could possibly go wrong?

Bizarrely, the three non-criminal friends keep working on their plan. They just need the help of a few others to make it work…

On the day of the heist, things seem to run smoothly. But, in reality, how easy will it be to hide the crime? Particularly with Edinburgh’s biggest gangster on board… And can they really trust everyone around them?

Meanwhile, a frustrated detective is annoyed not to have been given the case. And he has his suspicions about who is responsible. Will he keep the information to himself or will he share it and go through the proper channels?

A review on the cover of Doors Open said: ‘Perhaps Rankin’s most entertaining book yet’ and it could be right! It lacks the complexity of some of his novels. It also lacks murder, which is unusual for a crime story, but it is a fun read, without becoming cosy crime.

If you enjoy a crime novel and can suspend your disbelief at why these middle class men would decide to steal paintings, I would recommend Doors Open. (And if you’ve never read a Rebus novel by Ian Rankin, I would definitely recommend those!)