In a House of Lies

October 29, 2018
The discovery of the body of Stuart Bloom, who went missing in 2008, in his car trunk in an isolated wooded area drives Edgar finalist Rankin’s intricate 24th Rebus novel (after 2017’s Rather Be the Devil). Bloom’s ankles being secured with police handcuffs raises questions about the original, possibly corrupt police investigation into the man’s disappearance. Semiretired copper John Rebus isn’t afraid to step on official toes as he assists Det. Insp. Siobhan Clarke, Det. Insp. Malcolm Fox, and the other members of Police Scotland’s Major Crime Division in their efforts to find Bloom’s killer. Their attention focuses on low-budget film producer Jackie Ness, who shot a movie called Zombies v Bravehearts in 2008 on the land where the car was found and in which Bloom served as an extra. Meanwhile, Rebus reopens the case of 17-year-old Ellis Meilke, who was sent to prison for the stabbing murder of his girlfriend. In both cases, the path to justice involves making some hard ethical choices. Rankin remains a master of the contemporary police procedural. Author tour. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary.

A new Rebus mystery narrated by James Macpherson, with his Scottish brogue and impeccable pacing, is always a satisfying experience. The gang's all here: Detective Inspector John Rebus is gruff, witty, and out of breath, thanks to emphysema; Siobhan Clarke is more measured, with crisp English undertones; and Malcolm Fox is a straight arrow, thoughtful and desperate to be part of the team. In this installment a body in a car is found by kids playing in the woods; the dead man has been missing for years. The new investigation appears to highlight the ineptitude, or even corruption, of the police (including Rebus) at the time the man went missing. Macpherson handles the twisty plot with ease, and since the crime boss, Big Ger Cafferty, is somehow involved, he gets to growl and snarl, too. A.B. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine