The Naming of the Dead by Ian Rankin
Mar15

The Naming of the Dead by Ian Rankin

The Naming of the Dead is the 16th Rebus novel by Ian Rankin. It is the sequel to Fleshmarket Close, which I read years ago, and the prequel to Exit Music, which I read last year. It also marks a big milestone for me – my last Rebus novel! I never intended to read the full series, but after reading a few in 2016 and 2017, I’ve been working my way backwards and forwards through the series since autumn 2022. And I’ve...

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Still Life by Val McDermid
Mar08

Still Life by Val McDermid

Still Life is the sixth (currently penultimate) DCI Karen Pirie novel by Val McDermid. It is the first Karen Pirie I’ve read and it won’t be the last. I’m pretty new to Val McDermid’s work. I was lucky enough to see her at Cheltenham Literature Festival last year, when a friend had a free ticket, and realised I needed to read her books! She was mainly talking about her newest Karen Pirie novel, Lying in Wait,...

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A Question of Blood by Ian Rankin
Mar01

A Question of Blood by Ian Rankin

A Question of Blood is the 14th Rebus novel by Ian Rankin. It is the sequel to Resurrection Men and the prequel to Fleshmarket Close, which I read many years ago. Like Resurrection Men, I didn’t think it was quite as good as either The Falls or Set in Darkness. But it is still superior to pretty much any other police procedural type thrillers out there! In A Question of Blood, an intruder walks into a private school near...

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Resurrection Men by Ian Rankin
Feb23

Resurrection Men by Ian Rankin

Resurrection Men is the 13th Rebus novel by Ian Rankin. It is the sequel to The Falls. I’ll be honest, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as The Falls and Set in Darkness, but it is still a very good read. A few days into a murder enquiry, Rebus loses the plot with DCS Gill Templer and throws a cup of tea at her. Rebus is immediately pulled off the case and sent to Tulliallan, the Scottish Police College, for retraining....

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1989 by Val McDermid
Feb21

1989 by Val McDermid

1989 by Val McDermid is the sequel to 1979. It is the second Allie Burns thriller, also known as The Nines thrillers – there will be a 1999 and a 2009 at some point in the future. I read 1989 straight after 1979, which I never do. But I loved 1979 so much I just had to keep going! Needless to say, it’s now 1989. The book starts with a daring murder plot, which is then not mentioned again for the vast majority of the story....

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1979 by Val McDermid
Feb16

1979 by Val McDermid

I picked up 1979 by Val McDermid in our village bus stop community library. It was a very lucky find! I’ve never read any Val McDermid before, but a friend offered me a free ticket to see her at Cheltenham Literature Festival last year. While she mainly talked about her latest book, Past Lying, she also talked about her previous novels (of which there are many!) too. I went away with a list of books I wanted to read and 1979 was...

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