A Good Hanging

February 1, 2002
For his 13th Det. Insp. John Rebus volume, Ian Rankin (The Falls) has traded the full-length police procedural for a collection of 12 gripping stories. The king of tartan noir puts his popular Scottish "heart attack material" supersleuth to work investigating arson, a ghostly vision, a converted ex-con and the "perfect murder" in A Good Hanging's fast-paced mini-mysteries.

January 1, 2002
The gently swaying body of a young man is discovered on a scaffold erected in the middle of Edinburgh's Royal Mile in the title story of this collection of 12 short stories, all starring Detective Police Inspector John Rebus, who has appeared in 14 highly regarded Scottish police procedurals. Given to deductive leaps that leave his coworkers gaping, the sharp-eyed, sharp-tongued Rebus often seems like a hard-boiled Sherlock Holmes, time warped to contemporary Edinburgh. The short story format works perfectly in showcasing Rebus unraveling a series of old-fashioned puzzles, including a locked-room murder and a murder that is perfect except for one tiny detail, a line from " Twelfth Night," picked up by Rebus alone. One story, "Sunday," follows Rebus on a lazy recovery day off; the surprise ending, revealing what he is recovering from, is beautifully understated. Here are classic deductive puzzles, in which everything is laid out for the reader in an intellectual challenge. The setting, moving from the gray pile of Edinburgh Castle through the cafes and bars of trendy New Town to Dickensian tenements, is arresting in itself. A captivating collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

February 15, 2002
Although Edgar Allen Poe proved that it was possible to craft a satisfying short mystery, there is always something disatisfying about that form: under its limitations, the plot contrivances are more obvious and the character development skimpier. First published in England in 1992, this collection of 12 tales reflects those flaws, but it also features Detective Inspector John Rebus, Rankin's police hero, and his fascinating city of Edinburgh. From the hanging of a young actor to a confessed murderer's declaration of innocence, the enigmatic and secretive Rebus solves these cases, much to the chagrin of his inferiors (and superiors): "How was he [Holmes] expected to shine, to be noticed, to push forward to promotion, when it was always Rebus who, two steps ahead, came up with the answers?" These stories are slight but enjoyable. Budgets allowing, purchase for your Rankin fans; otherwise, stick to Rankin's more complex and compelling novels like The Falls. Wilda Williams, "Library Journal"

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.