Book review: The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Short Stories by Ian Rankin
ByRobert Dex
Published by Orion
Edinburgh cop John Rebus has already been resurrected once by his creator, who brought him out of retirement for a new novel a few years ago and now he is back again in this short story selection.
It collects together previously published work with a handful of new stories tracking Rebus from his first days on the force to the end of his career.
They reveal Rankin as a master of the short story art, with tightly-contained twists and turns and memorable characters fleshed out in just a few pages.
Readers new to Rebus would be better off beginning at the beginning with the novels, but for fans who have read and re-read them already, this is a special treat – like getting an extra pint in long after last orders have been called in the detective’s beloved Oxford Bar.
Book review: The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Short Stories by Ian Rankin