Series
Publication
Orion (2007)
Original publication date
2007
Collections
Genres
Subjects
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2009)
British Book Award (Shortlist — 2008)
Crimefest Awards (Winner — 2008)
Theakstons Old Peculier Prize (Shortlist — 2009)
Christian Science Monitor Best Book (Fiction — 2008)
Description
It's late in the fall in Edinburgh and late in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he is simply trying to tie up some loose ends before his retirement, a new case lands on his desk: a dissident Russian poet has been murdered in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. Rebus discovers that an elite delegation of Russian businessmen is in town, looking to expand its interests. And as Rebus's investigation gains ground, someone brutally assaults a local gangster with whom he has a long history. Has Rebus overstepped his bounds for the last time? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, controversial career, will Rebus even make it that far?
User reviews
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
The final book in Ian Rankin’s excellent series featuring DI John Rebus, Exit Music continues to uphold the high standard I‘ve come to expect. I’ve been a little nervous about reading this last book, as I wasn’t sure how the author would chose to draw the curtains around Rebus. I need not
Covering the last 10 days before his retirement, Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke are called to a homicide outside of a car park in downtown Edinburgh. As they investigate, certain discrepancies come up that make them believe this is much more than a mugging gone wrong. An once his long-time nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty comes into it, Rebus is convinced they are dealing with a major conspiracy.
This story was written with a slightly nostalgic feeling, I have to admit I have been dreading his retirement as much as Rebus. His life is so defined by his work, that the thought of him sitting in his flat, alone in the dark with his music was very depressing. I guess Ian Rankin felt the same way, so he gave us a slam bang cliff-hanger ending that leaves the door slightly ajar.
I will miss this doggedly determined, slightly self-destructive, deceptively vulnerable character.
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have worried so much as Ian Rankin gives the series a very fitting end, and as usual, turns his focus on the dark side of Edinburgh. Covering the last 10 days before his retirement, Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke are called to a homicide outside of a car park in downtown Edinburgh. As they investigate, certain discrepancies come up that make them believe this is much more than a mugging gone wrong. An once his long-time nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty comes into it, Rebus is convinced they are dealing with a major conspiracy.
This story was written with a slightly nostalgic feeling, I have to admit I have been dreading his retirement as much as Rebus. His life is so defined by his work, that the thought of him sitting in his flat, alone in the dark with his music was very depressing. I guess Ian Rankin felt the same way, so he gave us a slam bang cliff-hanger ending that leaves the door slightly ajar.
I will miss this doggedly determined, slightly self-destructive, deceptively vulnerable character.
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LibraryThing member FoxyLibrarian71
If you have read the rest of the series you will also enjoy this installment. Presumed to be the last of the Rebus novels, but maybe not. Have heard a rumor that Rebus might start doing 'cold cases'.
LibraryThing member Scriberpunk
This is the latest and last Rebus novel. Well, it’s the latest. I wouldn’t bet on it being the last.
It’s good. Really good. It has a decent plot but it doesn’t need one because, like all great detective fiction it’s all about the people, the places, the petty procedure, the pantomime of
Ian Rankin sticks within the genre’s rules and delivers to promise. It’s the sort of book I want to forget about so I can have the pleasure of reading again.
It’s good. Really good. It has a decent plot but it doesn’t need one because, like all great detective fiction it’s all about the people, the places, the petty procedure, the pantomime of
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crime. But mainly the people. I like and care about Rebus. And for me he now has a face and voice and it’s Ken Stott’s from the television serialisation, which isn’t a million miles away from whatever I had in mind from reading the earlier books BT (before television). The principal boy (Siobhan Clarke) is attractive and likeable, the comedy relief (Hawes and Tibbet and Davidson) are funny and likeable and even the big, scary pantomime villain (Big Ger Cafferty) is likeable. Ian Rankin sticks within the genre’s rules and delivers to promise. It’s the sort of book I want to forget about so I can have the pleasure of reading again.
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LibraryThing member edwardsgt
The time I took to read it says everything (1 day)! Its hard to believe this is it and the fact that Rebus' exit is open-ended leaves the possibility he might yet return from retirement. The quality of the plot, dialogue, characterisation and sense of place are as good as ever and will be sorely
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missed by Rebus fans everywhere. However, I did rather surprise myself by spotting one of the final (minor) plot twists which perhaps was signalled rather more obviously than usual. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member kraaivrouw
I seem to be reading a lot of European police procedurals - British cops, Irish cops, and now Scottish cops. I'm becoming a mini-expert in how cops in the British Isles investigate things and in all the nuances of their acronyms. I'm sure I really only know enough to be dangerous, but it's cool to
This book represents the exit of John Rebus, an irascible Scottish cop, who has been featured in 16 other books by Ian Rankin. Rankin writes irascible well and the plot here is fun, if bittersweet. I'm thinking at this point that I need to go back to the beginning and read them all through in order, this isn't the best entry into the series. Having said that, it was a fun book to read and if you like P.D. James (and who doesn't), you'll like these. I wonder what his next series will be like?
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read all the different ways people have to get to the same goal.This book represents the exit of John Rebus, an irascible Scottish cop, who has been featured in 16 other books by Ian Rankin. Rankin writes irascible well and the plot here is fun, if bittersweet. I'm thinking at this point that I need to go back to the beginning and read them all through in order, this isn't the best entry into the series. Having said that, it was a fun book to read and if you like P.D. James (and who doesn't), you'll like these. I wonder what his next series will be like?
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LibraryThing member LynnB
This is only the second book of Ian Rankin's that I've read (the other was Resurrection Men). DI John Rebus is about to retire from the Scottish police force, but there is one last crime to solve involving Russian poets and businessmen, and of course, Rebus's nemises Big Ger Cafferty.
I'm not a big
I'm not a big
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fan of this kind of book -- mostly about the plot, less about the characters. But after only two novels, I already feel I know DI Rebus. It's fast-paced, written in real-time, with enough twists and connections to keep me interested. Show Less
LibraryThing member miyurose
In this, what is supposed to be the last book in the Inspector Rebus series, Rebus is in the last two weeks before retirement. Now, I’ve only read one other book in this series (#12 The Falls), but these books seem to stand pretty well on their own. I liked this one better than the other I read,
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and I think part of that was that I listened to this one. The reader has a Scottish accent that takes some getting used to, but it helped me not get bogged down in the vernacular. The only real problem I had was that the mystery is starting to look like some sort of international conspiracy, so when you find out what actually happens, it’s a bit of a let down. But the ending makes up for it. Is this *really* the last? Show Less
LibraryThing member markymark
I was actually a bit disappointed with this. Enjoyable, but nothing like the best of the series.
LibraryThing member Heptonj
A superb 'exit' for Inspector Rebus when Russian diplomats and poet come to Edinburgh. With the brutal murder of the Russian poet and a seemingly unrelated death of a sound recordist Rebus is hard put to get to the bottom of the crime before his retirement. His protege Siobhan Clark is head of the
Murder, power and money are at the heart of this tale with the dreaded retirement of John Rebus lurking in the background.
I hope this is not the 'end' of Rebus adventures, but if it is - how could Mr Rankin end it like that? Aargh!
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investigation and looks to be on track to become Rebus' successor.Murder, power and money are at the heart of this tale with the dreaded retirement of John Rebus lurking in the background.
I hope this is not the 'end' of Rebus adventures, but if it is - how could Mr Rankin end it like that? Aargh!
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LibraryThing member mazda502001
It has taken me a while to work my way through the whole Rebus series but here's the last one. I will really miss Rebus and have thoroughly enjoyed the series. What a wonderful character Rankin has created - he will be sadly missed.
Back Cover Blurb:
It's late autumn in Edinburgh and late autumn in
But the further they dig, the more Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke become convinced that they are dealing with something more than a random attack - especially after a particularly nasty second killing. Meanwhile, a brutal and premeditated assault on a local gangster sees Rebus in the frame. Has the Inspector taken a step too far in tying up those loose ends? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, inglorious career, will Rebus even make it that far?
Back Cover Blurb:
It's late autumn in Edinburgh and late autumn in
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the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he tries to tie up some loose ends before retirement, a murder case intrudes. A dissident Russian poet has been found dead in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. By apparent coincidence, a high-level delegation of Russian businessmen is in town - and everyone is determined that the case should be closed quickly and clinically.But the further they dig, the more Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke become convinced that they are dealing with something more than a random attack - especially after a particularly nasty second killing. Meanwhile, a brutal and premeditated assault on a local gangster sees Rebus in the frame. Has the Inspector taken a step too far in tying up those loose ends? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, inglorious career, will Rebus even make it that far?
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LibraryThing member Ronrose1
This is #17, and possibly the final, in the police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Jon Rebus and his partner Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke. The crime initially involves the murder of a Russian expatriate poet, who has taken up residence in Edinburgh, Scotland. The investigation
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expands to include another related murder and an attack on a local crime boss. Street criminals as well as high standing financial and government leaders are equal suspects in this fast moving novel. The trail winds masterfully through a wonderfully detailed cast of characters who have motive and opportunity. This is reportedly Rebus's last case before he retires and he is rife to clear the details not only of this case, but of some long standing cases linked to a suspect in the current murder. DI Rebus is certainly worth another go round. Show Less
LibraryThing member caitemaire
It seems that Detective Inspector John Rebus, the very popular protagonist of some 20 books by Rankin, is about to retire from the Edinburgh police department in just a little over a week. But he will not be sitting on his laurels in these last days. No, he and his partner, Detective Sergeant
As if that is not enough for one book, things get even more complicated when a second murder takes place, a man tied into the first investigation. To top it all off, one of Rebus's nemesis, the local crime boss Big Ger Cafferty, a man Rebus would love to take down before he retires, may be tied into the whole thing as well.
It is going to be a very busy week for Rebus.
As I said, this is the the latest of many books in the Rebus series, and I have not read any of the previous books in the series. But happily, it is not necessary to have done so to enjoy this one.
Now I will admit, not being familiar with the characters or the setting, it took a little while to get into the swing of the book. And even once you get into the book, I will warn you that it is complicated tale and it takes a bit of effort to keep the ins and outs of the various aspects of the plot all straight. But it is well worth the effort.
Rebus is a wonderful character, one that I will most certainly have to go back to the previous books to get to know better. He is a bit of a trouble maker in the force and many in power will not be unhappy to see him gone. He is a loner, enjoys his drink, has an interesting taste in music and a personal life we only get a hint of in this book. Now, there is some question whether Rankin will really retire him totally and the ending leaves open a few possibilities to see him in the future. But if he does, that leaves behind the also quite good character of Siobhan Clarke, someone who, one way or another, I hope we see again in the future as well as a few aspects of this story that could be wrapped up.
A very well written, if rather complex, police procedural, with some excellent characters, an interesting setting, strongly recommended for fans of police mysteries.
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Siobhan Clarke, are called to a crime scene of a man beaten to death in a small street, a man who turns out to be a rather well known Russian poet. Before you know it, Rebus finds himself in the midst of an investigation that includes Russian businessmen, Scottish independence, crime bosses, Scottish bankers, politicians, and drugs. As if that is not enough for one book, things get even more complicated when a second murder takes place, a man tied into the first investigation. To top it all off, one of Rebus's nemesis, the local crime boss Big Ger Cafferty, a man Rebus would love to take down before he retires, may be tied into the whole thing as well.
It is going to be a very busy week for Rebus.
As I said, this is the the latest of many books in the Rebus series, and I have not read any of the previous books in the series. But happily, it is not necessary to have done so to enjoy this one.
Now I will admit, not being familiar with the characters or the setting, it took a little while to get into the swing of the book. And even once you get into the book, I will warn you that it is complicated tale and it takes a bit of effort to keep the ins and outs of the various aspects of the plot all straight. But it is well worth the effort.
Rebus is a wonderful character, one that I will most certainly have to go back to the previous books to get to know better. He is a bit of a trouble maker in the force and many in power will not be unhappy to see him gone. He is a loner, enjoys his drink, has an interesting taste in music and a personal life we only get a hint of in this book. Now, there is some question whether Rankin will really retire him totally and the ending leaves open a few possibilities to see him in the future. But if he does, that leaves behind the also quite good character of Siobhan Clarke, someone who, one way or another, I hope we see again in the future as well as a few aspects of this story that could be wrapped up.
A very well written, if rather complex, police procedural, with some excellent characters, an interesting setting, strongly recommended for fans of police mysteries.
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LibraryThing member smik
John Rebus is facing his last week in the police force. He will turn 60 in 10 days and is legally required to retire. He has no vision of what he will do in retirement and is determined to work as he's always done, right to the end. Late at night, at the foot of Raeburn Wynd the body of a Russian
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poet is discovered. So solving this crime will be Rebus' last case. But there is so much more to be resolved. Rebus' biggest unfinished business is with Big Ger Cafferty. He would dearly like to put Cafferty away forever, but is that going to be a legacy he will leave to DS Siobhan Clarke? And Shiv has problems of her own. Will she just move into Rebus' job as Detective Inspector and if she does, who will she choose to be her new partner? In a sense this, their last case together, is an important test for her too, made all the more important when DCI MCCrae decides that DS Clarke will be in charge of the case, with Rebus as a sort of mentor - if a loose cannon can ever be a mentor. Rankin manages to bed this case against the issues of real time Scotland, focussing on Scottish independence, an issue that dominated the Scottish elections of 2006. Not a short read, but certainly an engrossing one. It left me hoping against hope that this isn't the last we see of Rebus! Show Less
LibraryThing member readerbynight
I was very interested in reading this book because I had heard so much about the author and had never read one of his books before, not realizing that would make it difficult to review this as part of a series, so I will review it as a stand-alone.
The final in a long-running series, this book was
Rankin's portrayal of the murdered expatriated but acclaimed Russian poet rings true. With a group of Russian businessmen in town, could this be political? Then one murder becomes two, with a slight connection between the victims. With tenuous connections, many red herrings and lies, the case quickly escalates into a masterful puzzle, pitting Rebus and Clarke first against DCI Macrae and later against each other. His old nemesis "Big Ger" Cafferty may or may not be involved. This interplay of characters engenders an almost family feeling, as though the past is a part of the present. It also makes for a fascinating ride and draws the reader into the "family".
When the case is taken over by the SCD (SCDEA, Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency), and then by DI Derek Starr, I felt the anger along with the rest of the original investigators. With Rebus removed from the case, Clarke proves her mettle and capabilities. I was a little disappointed toward the end, probably mostly on behalf of John Rebus, but also touched. A fit end to a long-standing series.
But, fear not, fans of Rankin. He will be with us for a long time yet, and he currently has his latest book "Doors Open" released as of this month. Whether this is a stand-alone or the beginning of another series I was unable to find out but I as a new fan will be looking up some of the earlier Rebus books, and following future books.
The final in a long-running series, this book was
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entertaining, the characters full-fledged and mostly long established. Ian Rankin handles his characters well, the interaction is so natural - fun and serious by turns. There is the bull-headed terrier DI John Rebus, 10 days from retirement, fond of old movies and music who likes to test his young assistant on actors and musicians of decades past; DS Siobhan Clarke, his well-trained assistant who proves herself as both faithful and extremely capable; the straight-up newbie Todd Goodyear, and the two DCs assigned to Rebus, Colin Tibbet and Phyllida Hawes. This comprises the core group under DCI Macrae. Excellent police procedural and team play.Rankin's portrayal of the murdered expatriated but acclaimed Russian poet rings true. With a group of Russian businessmen in town, could this be political? Then one murder becomes two, with a slight connection between the victims. With tenuous connections, many red herrings and lies, the case quickly escalates into a masterful puzzle, pitting Rebus and Clarke first against DCI Macrae and later against each other. His old nemesis "Big Ger" Cafferty may or may not be involved. This interplay of characters engenders an almost family feeling, as though the past is a part of the present. It also makes for a fascinating ride and draws the reader into the "family".
When the case is taken over by the SCD (SCDEA, Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency), and then by DI Derek Starr, I felt the anger along with the rest of the original investigators. With Rebus removed from the case, Clarke proves her mettle and capabilities. I was a little disappointed toward the end, probably mostly on behalf of John Rebus, but also touched. A fit end to a long-standing series.
But, fear not, fans of Rankin. He will be with us for a long time yet, and he currently has his latest book "Doors Open" released as of this month. Whether this is a stand-alone or the beginning of another series I was unable to find out but I as a new fan will be looking up some of the earlier Rebus books, and following future books.
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LibraryThing member ImBookingIt
I have a friend that has been urging me to read Ian Rankin for several years now. I've meant to get to this series, and when I had a chance to review this book I jumped on it, even if I had to start at the end.I can see why my friend recommends the series so highly. There were a variety of
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interesting characters, the mystery was well plotted, and the writing was high quality.On the other hand, I think I was missing some richness because I hadn't read any of the early books. I think having a better understanding of where the characters came from would have made the journey more meaningful.It is a good book on its own, and I recommend it for those that like police procedural mysteries. I'm going to go back and fill in some of the earlier books. Show Less
LibraryThing member iubookgirl
With all the crime dramas on TV these days, it's easy to think that cases can be solved in one hour. Exit Music, however, gives us a more realistic view of the time and effort involved in crime-solving. Detective Inspector John Rebus, the star of the novel, is perfectly painted as the veteran
This book stands independently of Rebus' previous adventures, which I appreciate as I've never read the other Rebus books. Exit Music is the supposed swan song for Rankin's popular detective, but, without wanting to give anything away, I have a sneaking suspicion that readers will be seeing him again. Perhaps it is just semantics on Rankin's part. After all, it is the last appearance of Detective Inspector John Rebus...future books would see him as a civilian like the rest of us.
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detective days from retirement. In addition to the crime, we witness Rebus' misgivings about leaving the force. The injection of this personal unease is humanizing and endearing.This book stands independently of Rebus' previous adventures, which I appreciate as I've never read the other Rebus books. Exit Music is the supposed swan song for Rankin's popular detective, but, without wanting to give anything away, I have a sneaking suspicion that readers will be seeing him again. Perhaps it is just semantics on Rankin's part. After all, it is the last appearance of Detective Inspector John Rebus...future books would see him as a civilian like the rest of us.
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LibraryThing member marwanbadri
The novel is a reasonably good thriller, but reading Exit Music made me feel like I was reading a tourist guide to Edinburgh, hence the 2 stars.
LibraryThing member fourbears
I've read all of this series. One of my favorites. In this one Inspector Rebus retires, though they try to arrest him and put him on suspension first. As usual he's right and the police powers that be are wrong. I was listening to the book and there was a really dramatic (and funny) scene as it was
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wrapping up. I laughed and wondered if it would end right there without resolving the outcome of that little situation for the reader. It did. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
While I enjoyed reading this last episode of the Inspector Rebus books, I can’t say I’d see any reason for anyone to read it who has not been following the series, unless you're into crabby, alcoholic, detectives who always solve the crime in spite of their self-sabotaging habits.
This 18th book
It begins to appear that the murder of the Russian poet at the book’s outset is related to the presence of prosperious Russian big-wigs in the city who have ties to Scottish nationalists in Parliament and to rich bankers in Edinburgh. Moreover, somehow Morris Gerald “Big Ger” Cafferty, a notorious Edinburgh crime boss and Rebus’s nemesis, is also involved somehow. Rebus has spent most of his career trying to rein in Big Ger, and he senses the possibility that now, at the eleventh hour, he’ll get his chance.
Discussion: The prospect of retirement doesn’t go down easily for Rebus. He wonders what he will do: the force has been his life for three decades. He can’t imagine what his life will be without it. His thoughts are morbid and depressing. He muses a lot on the way the city seems to be run by a combination of the underworld and the “overworld” (rich movers and shakers, “with their games of golf and their ‘quiet words,’ their stitch-ups and handshakes, palm-greasing and scratching of backs”). At his retirement party, Siobhan gives Rebus an iPod loaded with music – “exit music” - but Rebus can’t let go, and when he does, at the end, it’s literally by kicking and screaming.
Evaluation: Rebus isn’t the most likeable detective: he’s nasty, cheap, a know-it-all, and usually drunk or on his way to being so. He selfishly uses the few people he accepts as friends, and pushes away all others. He gets away with it in the storyline because he almost always solves his cases, and as far as his appeal to readers, I have read that it seems to be based on sympathy with his instinctive negative reaction to authority and obsequiousness. I would have to add that Rankin does a great job of portraying a man like Rebus, and good characterization certainly has appeal. Nevertheless, I’m not unhappy to see him go, and would like to see Siobhan take over a new series, but I suspect we aren't done with Rebus yet!
This 18th book
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in the series begins with a murder committed just ten days before the mandatory retirement of Edinburgh, Scotland Inspector John Rebus, after thirty-some years on the force. At age sixty, he is the longest-serving officer in the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), and manages to accomplish quite a bit in spite of spending a great deal of time drinking. His young colleague Siobhan Clarke will miss his insights when he retires, but not his irascibility or incorrigibly provocative behavior.It begins to appear that the murder of the Russian poet at the book’s outset is related to the presence of prosperious Russian big-wigs in the city who have ties to Scottish nationalists in Parliament and to rich bankers in Edinburgh. Moreover, somehow Morris Gerald “Big Ger” Cafferty, a notorious Edinburgh crime boss and Rebus’s nemesis, is also involved somehow. Rebus has spent most of his career trying to rein in Big Ger, and he senses the possibility that now, at the eleventh hour, he’ll get his chance.
Discussion: The prospect of retirement doesn’t go down easily for Rebus. He wonders what he will do: the force has been his life for three decades. He can’t imagine what his life will be without it. His thoughts are morbid and depressing. He muses a lot on the way the city seems to be run by a combination of the underworld and the “overworld” (rich movers and shakers, “with their games of golf and their ‘quiet words,’ their stitch-ups and handshakes, palm-greasing and scratching of backs”). At his retirement party, Siobhan gives Rebus an iPod loaded with music – “exit music” - but Rebus can’t let go, and when he does, at the end, it’s literally by kicking and screaming.
Evaluation: Rebus isn’t the most likeable detective: he’s nasty, cheap, a know-it-all, and usually drunk or on his way to being so. He selfishly uses the few people he accepts as friends, and pushes away all others. He gets away with it in the storyline because he almost always solves his cases, and as far as his appeal to readers, I have read that it seems to be based on sympathy with his instinctive negative reaction to authority and obsequiousness. I would have to add that Rankin does a great job of portraying a man like Rebus, and good characterization certainly has appeal. Nevertheless, I’m not unhappy to see him go, and would like to see Siobhan take over a new series, but I suspect we aren't done with Rebus yet!
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LibraryThing member -Eva-
Russian businessmen are in town with their wallets out and in their wake a Russian dissident poet is murdered and then our beloved rule-bending DI Rebus manages to get himself suspended a mere three days before his retirement. Doesn't stop him from directing the murder investigation, though - it
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wouldn't be Rebus if it did. I'm not happy that this is the last book in the Rebus series, but he does go out with a bang, which makes me happy. I've got all the parts I adore about the series in this last installment: fantastic dialogue, great characters, and lots of Edinburgh geography, all tinted with a little bit of Rebus' arch-nemesis, "Big Ger" Cafferty. I can only hope that Rankin comes up with a great way to bring Rebus back at some point in time, but if he doesn't, it's still been a really amazing ride! Show Less
LibraryThing member doregan
Just finished this book - good solid Rebus book but surely not the end of him!
LibraryThing member quiBee
Compelling final book in the Rebus series.
Rebus is winding up his final days as a cop and determined to get his arch nemesis, Cafferty, before he retires.
As usual, he gets on the outs with authority.
Great ending.
Rebus is winding up his final days as a cop and determined to get his arch nemesis, Cafferty, before he retires.
As usual, he gets on the outs with authority.
Great ending.
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
It's the end of an era. DI Rebus has retired but not before he solves one last murder. And not before he gets suspended one more time. You would think those two events would be mutually exclusive but John Rebus is not one to let a suspension get in the way of solving a crime. Which makes me wonder
The events in this book take place in late November 2006. A young girl finds a dead body as she makes her way down a fairly deserted street in Edinburgh. It's not completely deserted because her screams bring a middle-aged couple to her side. The police are called and since Rebus and Siobhan Clarke are going over some cold cases at the station they take the call. It looks like an ordinary mugging gone bad since all the deceased's valuables are gone. Once the victim is identified as a dissident Russian poet, Todorov, Rebus wonders if it was some revenge by the Russian government. The Scottish parliament and First Albannach Bank (a thinly disguised Royal Bank of Scotland) have been wining and dining a group of Russian businessmen and one in particular, Andropov, has ties to the deceased. When a second death occurs a few days after the first and this victim is the person the poet had a last meal with, it seems too much of a coincidence. Rebus and Clarke, with the help of the other two detectives and a uniformed officer who was at the scene of the first death and impressed both John and Siobhan, start delving into the lives of both men. When Rebus is checking out the story the girl who found the body gave he discomfits the step-daughter of the head of FAB (who was the person the girl said she had been visiting). The head of the bank goes to the chief of police and Rebus gets suspended. With only a few days to go until his official retirement Rebus digs into the case even though he is banned from the police station. Since he hardly seems to need any sleep he also stakes out his arch nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty, and finds out that another police division is also watching Cafferty. Rebus does discover that Cafferty and Andropov are meeting and appear to be doing business together. Does this mean that Cafferty is involved in the two murders? There is nothing Rebus would like better than to end his career by putting Cafferty behind bars. When Cafferty is found badly beaten Rebus is the prime suspect. With the clock ticking down on his career it looks like Rebus might be spending time in a police station but on the other side of the bars.
The ending is as much of a surprise as all the other Rebus books that I have read. I won't spoil the surprise for others but I will say that it leaves scope for further adventures of John Rebus. So I won't say farewell, just take care and see you soon I hope.
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what awaits him in his retirement. Surely Ian Rankin is not going to give up on John Rebus entirely.The events in this book take place in late November 2006. A young girl finds a dead body as she makes her way down a fairly deserted street in Edinburgh. It's not completely deserted because her screams bring a middle-aged couple to her side. The police are called and since Rebus and Siobhan Clarke are going over some cold cases at the station they take the call. It looks like an ordinary mugging gone bad since all the deceased's valuables are gone. Once the victim is identified as a dissident Russian poet, Todorov, Rebus wonders if it was some revenge by the Russian government. The Scottish parliament and First Albannach Bank (a thinly disguised Royal Bank of Scotland) have been wining and dining a group of Russian businessmen and one in particular, Andropov, has ties to the deceased. When a second death occurs a few days after the first and this victim is the person the poet had a last meal with, it seems too much of a coincidence. Rebus and Clarke, with the help of the other two detectives and a uniformed officer who was at the scene of the first death and impressed both John and Siobhan, start delving into the lives of both men. When Rebus is checking out the story the girl who found the body gave he discomfits the step-daughter of the head of FAB (who was the person the girl said she had been visiting). The head of the bank goes to the chief of police and Rebus gets suspended. With only a few days to go until his official retirement Rebus digs into the case even though he is banned from the police station. Since he hardly seems to need any sleep he also stakes out his arch nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty, and finds out that another police division is also watching Cafferty. Rebus does discover that Cafferty and Andropov are meeting and appear to be doing business together. Does this mean that Cafferty is involved in the two murders? There is nothing Rebus would like better than to end his career by putting Cafferty behind bars. When Cafferty is found badly beaten Rebus is the prime suspect. With the clock ticking down on his career it looks like Rebus might be spending time in a police station but on the other side of the bars.
The ending is as much of a surprise as all the other Rebus books that I have read. I won't spoil the surprise for others but I will say that it leaves scope for further adventures of John Rebus. So I won't say farewell, just take care and see you soon I hope.
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LibraryThing member dalzan
The last in the Inspector Rebus series. Rebus gets involved with a murder of a Russian. He’s convinced that his old enemy, Cafferty, is involved. It’s Rebus’ last chance to get Cafferty before his retirement at the end of the week. A new officer in their team turns out to want revenge and
Good ending. Does Cafferty live or die? The reader finds out that Rebus has a ‘soft spot’ for Cafferty after all. A good ending to a series.
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tries to frame Rebus, but Rebus is spending more time on suspension than on the job.Good ending. Does Cafferty live or die? The reader finds out that Rebus has a ‘soft spot’ for Cafferty after all. A good ending to a series.
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LibraryThing member JohnGrant1
I bought this some little while ago and decided to keep it to read as my reward for finishing my nonfiction book Denying Science (coming your way this fall, plug plug); of course, Denying Science proved to be one of those rare books that took me far longer to polish off than anticipated, so, as you
This is the book that sees Rebus's exit -- his last case before retiring from the force. In a way it's a simple one -- a distinguished Russian emigree poet and notorious womanizer, now based in Edinburgh, is beaten to death in a little frequented street somewhere off the end of Princes Street. As Rebus investigates, he becomes convinced the murder must have something to do with the presence in Edinburgh of fleets of Russian industrialists who're being courted by Members of the Scottish Parliament in hopes they'll bring money and jobs to the Scottish economy. Is there some kind of coverup going on? Are those Russians really just businessmen or are they better characterized as mob bosses? And how come Ger Cafferty, Edinburgh's top gangster and Rebus's longtime nemesis, is somehow mixed up in all this?
This isn't the best Rebus novel I've read but it's not far off it, and certainly a distinguished ending to an astonishingly distinguished series; the book's climax is like something out of a Shakespeare play, at once darkly comic and a comment on the human condition. I'm lucky enough that I've never made a point of reading the Rebus books in order, so I still have several to go -- in fact, I already own two others that I've not yet read (plus a couple of Rankin's non-Rebus novels). There cannot be a crime-fiction writer in the world who does not regard Rankin's work as the benchmark against which all other writing in the field should be compared.
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can imagine, by the time I allowed myself to reach Exit Music down from the shelf, I was trembling like a junkie in need of a fix. But it was worth the wait . . .This is the book that sees Rebus's exit -- his last case before retiring from the force. In a way it's a simple one -- a distinguished Russian emigree poet and notorious womanizer, now based in Edinburgh, is beaten to death in a little frequented street somewhere off the end of Princes Street. As Rebus investigates, he becomes convinced the murder must have something to do with the presence in Edinburgh of fleets of Russian industrialists who're being courted by Members of the Scottish Parliament in hopes they'll bring money and jobs to the Scottish economy. Is there some kind of coverup going on? Are those Russians really just businessmen or are they better characterized as mob bosses? And how come Ger Cafferty, Edinburgh's top gangster and Rebus's longtime nemesis, is somehow mixed up in all this?
This isn't the best Rebus novel I've read but it's not far off it, and certainly a distinguished ending to an astonishingly distinguished series; the book's climax is like something out of a Shakespeare play, at once darkly comic and a comment on the human condition. I'm lucky enough that I've never made a point of reading the Rebus books in order, so I still have several to go -- in fact, I already own two others that I've not yet read (plus a couple of Rankin's non-Rebus novels). There cannot be a crime-fiction writer in the world who does not regard Rankin's work as the benchmark against which all other writing in the field should be compared.
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9780752890531
Physical description
5.16 inches
Other editions
Exit Music by Ian Rankin (Paperback)