The Naming Of The Dead: From the iconic #1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

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Indeed, take the pieces of the mystery together and it's all far too convenient -- so much is connected ! But it's never been about the money to you, Rebus, never just been a job."At another point Rebus sees himself as a janitor, cleaning up the messes everyone else leaves. Rebus may seem always to be running on something very near empty, but there is no sign that Rankin has lost any of the energy to continue this consistently impressive series." - David Horspool, Sunday Times Surprisingly, it doesn't matter much: Rankin has fun following Rebus around, and the reader does as well. An underlying thread throughout the book is that of familial relationships; the book opens with Detective Inspector John Rebus attending the funeral of his brother Michael, who has died suddenly from a stroke. The parents of Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke arrive in Edinburgh as part of the protests, demonstrations, and scuffles that surrounded the G8 summit at Gleneagles, keeping the police busy. Clarke defied her parents by becoming a police officer; she now wants to feel like a daughter.

By the end Rebus and Clarke have figured out all the mysteries but also realize that justice, in the traditional sense, is an elusive thing and sometimes depends more on chance than anything else. They're joined by a few other scruffy allies, most importantly a journalist who has traded information with Rebus in the past (I look forward to someday seeing her featured in her own Rankin novel). Meanwhile they confront Rebus' nemesis, crime boss Big Ger Cafferty, who somehow knows every step they're taking. The novel begins with Rebus at the funeral of his brother -- an event he's glad to flee as soon as possible -- and this book is so crowded with action and events that even the 7 July London bombings seem merely incidental.Meanwhile here he is at his best. Indeed, I will go further. The Naming of the Dead is Ian Rankin's finest novel. It is more than a crime novel, or rather, Rankin's achievement is to show, convincingly, how crime permeates society." - Allan Massie, The Scotsman Meanwhile, the nearest person Rebus has to a close friend - Siobhan Clarke - is also at odds with her superiors as she attempts to find the riot cop who clobbered her liberal mother during one of the many demonstrations. She's also getting entangled with Rebus's nemesis, thuggish crime boss Big Ger Cafferty, who is showing an unhealthy interest in her while getting in the way of Rebus's investigations. Rebus's brother has just died suddenly of an apparent stroke, so we first find him at the funeral. He had not remained very close with his brother, but they had been very tight growing up and his memories color a lot of his thinking in this book. A well-known and disliked local lad has been murdered, not to anyone's surprise or regret. He was recently out of prison and was working as muscle for the local bad guy. But Rebus and his sergeant, Siobhan, still feel they should work the murder case. It is the eve of the G8 meeting in Edinburgh, so all of Scotland is involved in that, with many police from all over being reassigned to the meeting and the protests surrounding it. Protective Siobhan does her best to look out for the old folks, but there's only so much she can do.

And there are others who also seem to pop up suspiciously often, too: a young protester-woman named Santal whom her parents take to, as well as Councilman Tench, whose territory the camp is in (and who is very much at odds with Cafferty ...). Along the way Cafferty repeatedly pops up and helps things along -- and threatens to pull some (including Siobhan) down as well. The murderer had apparently taken a trophy, and that has now turned up -- along with evidence from the deaths of two other seedy characters. Rebus finds the body of a man at the grounds where the conference is to be held. Later the International Development minister is found dead in the grounds of Edinburgh Castle. It is believed that he committed suicide.The detectives prove a bit dense on occasion, not immediately realizing what it means that a former colleague's sister has moved in with her, for example, or needing to be told that some of the evidence they found is: "ultimately not quite right". obsessed and sidelined, thrawn and distrusted. Rebus had lost family and friends. When he went out drinking, he did so on his own, standing quietly at the bar, facing the row of optics." Literary significance and criticism [ edit ] Rankin puts a lot on his plate, and gets to juggling a lot at the same time, but it feels largely effortless, and it works surprisingly well G8 που έγινε το 2005 στη Σκωτία και το ίδιο καλοκαίρι, ενώ λίγο μετά έγινε η βομβιστική επίθεση στο μετρό του Λονδίνου - γεγονότα που εμφανίζονται στην υπόθεση.

Nearly every time I read one of Ian Rankin's novels, I think, "OK, this one is his best." Well, this one is going to be difficult for any of the others to beat, if only for its amazing scope. Thriller, die literarisch ernst genommen werden wollen, dürfen sich nicht damit begnügen, gesellschaftspolitisch brisante Themen aufzugreifen und knurrige Ermittler mit sich und der Welt hadern zu lassen. Ein bisschen mehr wäre nicht schlecht." - Rainer Moritz, Neue Zürcher Zeitung On the advice of a fellow book-lover, I decided to read an Inspector Rebus book, and this was the first in the series I could easily obtain. I loved it! Having never read others in this series, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that I was not lost by not previously meeting the main characters. Rankin again paints a corrupt world (even Bono's antipoverty crusade is suspect) in convincing shades of gray" - Will Boisvert, Entertainment Weekly Rebus television series. It was the third episode broadcast in the show's fourth season, and starred Ken Stott in the title role.Rankin’s sixteenth novel in the Detective Inspector John Rebus series is set during the week of the summit, and the ceremonial reading of names captures some of the political resonance of the hundreds of thousands of people who came to Edinburgh during that week. The title also signals other deaths, such as the victims whose killer Rebus is seeking, and others murdered during the course of the novel. The novel opens with Rebus at the funeral of his younger brother, Michael, who had apparently died of a massive stroke at age fifty-four. On a much broader level, the naming of the dead suggests remembering all losses and the lament voiced by Rebus that often one can do little except name them. Despite that, Rebus is determined to seek justice and prevent further murders by at least one killer, a serial killer in the case at hand. Rebus is the same truculent character he has always been and impending old age - his 60th birthday and consequent retirement - is preying on his mind. Edinburgh is preparing to host a trade summit where politicians and delegates from all over the world will be attending. After getting out of prison Colliar had gone to work for Rebus' nemesis, 'Big Ger' Morris Gerald Cafferty, and Siobhan knows this is an opportunity Rebus won't let pass by:

That's a lot of plot (nor is it all of it), but the strength of the novel lies in the way that Rankin weds it to his exploration of character: we get more insight into Clarke as she struggles with her relationship with her academic parents. Throughout, Rebus is brooding on his age and increasing isolation, thinking about the unexpected death of his brother and the way he has messed up with the rest of his family. Unquestionably a best from Rankin, The Naming of the Dead goes way beyond the scope of even the greatest crime thrillers to become an essential state-of-the-nation take on 21st century Britain. This is possibly the best novel you will read in your life full stop. Yes, it is that good It's not enough, is it?" she repeated. "Just...symbolic...because there's nothing else you can do." "What are you talking about?" he asked, with a smile. "The naming of the dead," she told him, resting her head against his shoulder. (p.410.) The Naming of The Dead (Rankin took the title from a ceremony to honour those who had died in Iraq which took place in Edinburgh in 2005) has a nice initial premise. While every cop and his dog is pulling overtime to cope with the daily marches and demonstrations surrounding the summit, Rebus has been sidelined. Who wants him getting close to world leaders? But when a body is discovered in a spooky glade in Auchterarder (the location of the summit), Rebus, as the only person left in the office, is assigned the case and finds himself visiting the G8 after all. They call his work crime fiction, but the adjective is superfluous ... these novels are totally absorbing. Once I start reading one, all else goes by the board till I have finished itThe title refers to: the ceremony Clarke's ageing left-wing parents attend, where the names of a sampling of the dead from the Iraq War are read out; the list of victims created by Rebus and Clarke as they try to unravel the crime; and also to John Rebus' evocation of grief in naming the many of his own friends and family who have died in the course of his life. Rebus consistently goes his own way -- a nice contrast to the many police officers in for the occasion, many of whom spend much of their time just waiting around for something to happen.