Dead Souls

When an author as successful as Rankin has been with his tough and
idiomatic Scottish thrillers, a problem sets in after several books: how
to keep the formula fresh. Rankin has delivered a powerful series of
books featuring his beleaguered Detective Inspector John Rebus, and
while never less than gripping, a certain tiredness seemed to be setting
in. Thankfully, Dead Souls is a resounding return to form, with a
plot as enjoyably labyrinthine as any Rankin enthusiast could wish for,
and pithy dialogue that fairly leaps off the page. Stalking the streets
of Edinburgh on the trail of a poisoner, Rebus hits upon a freed
pedophile and his subsequent outing of the man leaves him with very
mixed feelings. But another problem develops for Rebus: a convicted
murderer has him in his sights for some lethal games. And the tabloid
press lionizing of Rebus won't help him in this situation. As
always, Rankin is perfectly ready to tackle contentious
issues--precisely the thing that gives his books their powerful sense of
veracity. And Rebus, no longer in danger of having a soap opera-like
accumulation of personal problems, seems as fresh and well-observed a
character as in those first exhilarating books. Rankin has caught his
form again, with even more assurance.