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When a young woman is found unconscious at the wheel of her car, evidence at the scene suggests this was no ordinary crash. Especially when it turns out her boyfriend is the son of the Scottish Justice Minister and neither of them is willing to talk to the police.
Meanwhile, John Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a big demotion and an even larger chip on his shoulder. A new law has been passed allowing the Scottish police to re-prosecute old crimes and a thirty-year-old case is being reopened, with Rebus and his team from back then suspected of corruption and worse.
Known as ‘the Saints’, his colleagues swore a bond of mutual loyalty on something called ‘the Shadow Bible’. But with Malcolm Fox as the investigating officer – and determined to use Rebus for his own ends – the crimes of the past may not stay hidden much longer.
With political turmoil threatening to envelop Scotland, who really are the saints and who the sinners? And can the one ever become the other?
SAINTS OF THE SHADOW BIBLE not only reaches back to the past to find out what John Rebus did, but also to discover who he really is.
Meanwhile, John Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a big demotion and an even larger chip on his shoulder. A new law has been passed allowing the Scottish police to re-prosecute old crimes and a thirty-year-old case is being reopened, with Rebus and his team from back then suspected of corruption and worse.
Known as ‘the Saints’, his colleagues swore a bond of mutual loyalty on something called ‘the Shadow Bible’. But with Malcolm Fox as the investigating officer – and determined to use Rebus for his own ends – the crimes of the past may not stay hidden much longer.
With political turmoil threatening to envelop Scotland, who really are the saints and who the sinners? And can the one ever become the other?
SAINTS OF THE SHADOW BIBLE not only reaches back to the past to find out what John Rebus did, but also to discover who he really is.
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Reviews
"It's a novel densely packed with incident and intrigue, and Rankin's thriller plotting is sublime as ever...Rebus remains a remarkably lived-in and mesmerising figurehead of the genre."
"Ian Rankin unfold a mystery that intrigues enough to keep one reading to the end."
"Along come reminders of why Rankin, and Rebus, take their place at the head of the pack. A brief phone conversation between Rebus and a colleague is so tight, so efficiently written and so funny that you fall in love with the series all over again...add the novel to your contacts, or at least your Christmas list."
"Subtle, and ambitious... it is a fascinating exploration of ideas of loyalty and allegiance in a changing world, as well as a welcome return for a battered but tenacious survivor."
"Rebus is determinedly centre-stage in Rankin's finest novel for years. A first-rate thriller but also a forensic examination of contemporary Scottish society."
"The latest Rebus novel finds the author at the very top of his game. The result is a beautifully plotted book in which two main story lines move forward in a totally convincing and utterly compelling way. It's been a while since we've read a 300+ page novel at a single sitting, but we did on this occasion, and reached the extremely satisfying and perfectly crafted ending with a sense of genuine regret that there were no more pages to turn."
"Ingenious and a good read."
"SAINTS OF THE SHADOW BIBLE is a clever, subtle, read. But most of all, it's a genuine pleasure to see Rebus back in the CID."
"SAINTS OF THE SHADOW BIBLE is a hugely enjoyable encounter, like meeting an old drinking buddy in the pub"
Few alternative heroes have created the sort of passion from his faithful audience as Rebus.
"It seems an odd thing to say about one the most successful crime novels ever but I feel that Rankin is just reaching his peak. his recent books are the most interesting and entertaining of his career."
"Britain's best-selling crime writer has lost none of his extraordinary skill, but there is a little less sparkle than in the great days two decades ago. Now 66, Rebus feels like a man out of his time, which adds poignancy to the story, but does not spoil its charm."
"A thoroughly compelling read."
"This is Rankin and Rebus at their very best."
"The master of the police procedural does it again: another riveting read that doesn't disappoint."
"Rankin has once again come up with a winning formula."
"As ever Rankin's characters are finely observed and the gritty underworld his detectives inhabit becomes real even to those with no experience of it."
"Rankin's easy style and constant unfolding of events means there is no temptation to put this down unfinished.... Where he stamps his personality on to this genre most engagingly is in his handling of characters."
"Classic crime. Classic Rankin."
"...rich in character description and plots that twisty-turn together until all is revealed. A cracking read, as usual."
"Praise be! Ian Rankin's maverick inspector is a cop once again... It is a tribute to Rankin's consummate skill that this complicated tale of 'lying and cheating and concealing' is so streamlined.... A brilliant return - for Rebus and Rankin."
Past and present collide in a satisfying police procedural delivered in Rankin's customary laconic style.
"What makes this more than just a Scottish 'new tricks' is, as always , the quality of the writing and characterisation."
"It's Rankin's best novel for years which, given that his are consistently the best crime novels going, is quite the accolade."
"One of Rankin's undoubted talents is his ability to manage parallel investigations without ever losing the reader... a richly satisfying read."
It's a novel densely packed with incident and intrigue, and Rankin's thriller plotting is sublime as ever...Rebus remains a remarkably lived-in and mesmerising figurehead of the genre
Along come reminders of why Rankin, and Rebus, take their place at the head of the pack. A brief phone conversation between Rebus and a colleague is so tight, so efficiently written and so funny that you fall in love with the series all over again...add the novel to your contacts, or at least your Christmas list
Subtle, and ambitious... it is a fascinating exploration of ideas of loyalty and allegiance in a changing world, as well as a welcome return for a battered but tenacious survivor
Rebus is determinedly centre-stage in Rankin's finest novel for years. A first-rate thriller but also a forensic examination of contemporary Scottish society
Ian Rankin unfolds a mystery that intrigues enough to keep one reading to the end
He weaves his dual plots into an ever more tangled maze, and then smoothly, oh so satisfactorily, irons them out again. SAINTS OF THE SHADOW BIBLE is a clever, subtle read but most of all, it's a genuine pleasure to see Rebus back in CID
Praise be! Ian Rankin's maverick inspector is a cop once again... It is a tribute to Rankin's consummate skill that this complicated tale of "lying and cheating and concealing" is so streamlined.... A brilliant return - for Rebus and Rankin
