Mortal Causes

Throughout the book, the Catholic versus Protestant problem is continually raised, comparing Scotland to the Troubles in Northern Ireland and suggesting that the same uprising could be imminent. While the characters were discussing terrorist organisations there were enough three letter acronyms being bandied about to make me think I might have stumbled into a Microsoft manual.

Once again we are treated to the bare bones of Edinburgh’s back streets and dingy estates that have fallen into ruin. Rebus is as inscrutable and removed from his fellow officers as ever, yet, at least for me, he is becoming more and more likable. I feel this series is getting more and more enjoyable with every book I read, this one is no exception.


Rankin getting better by the book   July 15, 2002
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is the 6th of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series that I've read and it is first rate storytelling all the way. While some books are better than others, as a whole, I give this series 5 stars. The language is straight-forward yet so eloquent in its simplicity and vividly captures the underside of Edinburgh. Having once visited Edinburgh, it's interesting to read about this side of the city at the same time as associating with the landmarks, streets and locations that I saw as a tourist. Inspector John Rebus as the protagonist is the key factor in the series' success -- a flawed character, dark and troubled, whose personal life is a mess and who pushes the limits professionally -- but entirely credible and entirely committed to ridding his city of the lowlifes who degrade it. Warts and all, Rebus is likeable and holds the reader's sympathy and respect. By this point, many series start showing signs of fatigue and waning quality, Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series being a case in point. This series only seems to get better.