Rather Be the Devil
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4.4 • 223 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
'Britain's No.1 crime writer' Mirror
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A CASE THAT WON'T DIE
John Rebus can't close the door on the death of glamorous socialite Maria Turquand. Brutally murdered in her hotel room forty years ago, her killer has never been found.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh's dark heart is up for grabs. Young pretender Darryl Christie may have staked his claim on the city's underworld - but has criminal mastermind and Rebus' long-time adversary, Big Ger Cafferty, really settled down to a quiet retirement? Or is he hiding in the shadows until Edinburgh is once more ripe for the picking?
Old Enemies. New Crimes. Rebus may be off the force, but he certainly isn't off the case.
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'Superbly told, impossible to put down ... underlines the treasure that Rebus has become' Daily Mail
'This elegantly crafted and witty thriller proves this old devil still has all the best tunes' Sunday Mirror
'Effortless plotting and a cracking narrative that keeps the reader gripped throughout' Daily Express
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A 1978 cold case brings John Rebus out of semiretirement in Edgar-finalist Rankin's complex 23rd novel featuring the Edinburgh copper (after 2015's Even Dogs in the Wild). Crabby from giving up cigarettes and more afraid than he would like to admit about impending medical results, Rebus reexamines the unsolved murder of Maria Turquand, the wife of a wealthy banker with a penchant for sleeping around, at Edinburgh's classy Caledonian hotel. Meanwhile, Det. Insp. Siobahn Clarke has her hands full with the beating of gangster Darryl Christie, who swears his injuries came at the behest of one of the city's biggest crime bosses, Big Ger Cafferty, who just happens to be Rebus's nemesis cum confidante. Det. Insp. Malcolm Fox, on loan from Police Scotland, looks into possible money laundering schemes involving not only Christie but also the heir to the banking fortune that made the Turquands millionaires back in the '70s. With its trademark blend of sharp wit and even sharper police work, this entry is yet another example of why Rankin remains in the top echelon of Scottish crime writers.
Customer Reviews
Rather be the Devil
Well up to the usual high standard
Rebus, Clarke & Fox Ride again
Was a bit dubious on how this would measure up to previous books, however Rankin has worked his manic again and combines all the key heroes and villains of previous titles into another compulsive page turning read.