This collection of 31 short stories about Inspector Rebus by Ian Rankin is immensely satisfying. Many of them were hard to find previously, and probably they will be new to most readers. They range in length from 4 pages to forty, or in the unabridged audiobook, from 7 minutes long to 102. The whole audiobook lasts about 21 hours, and it is easy to dip in and out of it, rather the listening to the whole thing all the way through. The performance by James Macpherson, who has read many other of the Rankin novels, makes you feel he is reading directly to you. His Scottish accent is of course authentic, and his characterization of the different people in the stories is lively, making it easy to keep them separate. One might complain that the Rebus stories are so consistent that they are formulaic, but that would not be fair. Each of these stories shows thought and intelligence. They are very much of a genre and the narrator’s voice feels familiar, but each story gives a vignette giving a slice of detective life and often vividly paints what goes on in Edinburgh.  The main character, John Rebus, has developed over the long series of novels, and these stories illustrate that well.  For audiobook listeners who like the slightly gritty and often charming Rebus stories, this collection will be welcome.

© 2016 Christian Perring

Christian Perring, Professor of Philosophy, Dowling College, New York