The second Inspector Rebus novel is Hide And Seek, and it has a completely different mood than the first, a classic detective genre novel. Polished and intense, it was published about two years after Knots & Crosses, and it seem like the true start of the series.
John Rebus has now risen to Inspector and is fully in charge of the case from the get go. In a rundown tenement block used by squatters, a young man has been found dead lying on his back with arms outstretched, burned out candles around and a pentagram drawn on the wall. A suicidal overdose - or a ritualistic murder scene? They soon find his body had been moved and investigate the young woman he squatted with, the victim's brother, and the seedy lowlifes of the area, including the male prostitutes who frequent the Calton Hill area at night.
Rebus is also courted by his superior (aptly named Watson) to head an anti-drugs task force supported financially by Edinburgh's elite businessmen. The free lunch at the fanciest restaurant, overflowing with fine wines, is an attractive bonus, but he soon discovers connections with the rent boys, those in highest power, and a private gambling club in town catering to high rollers and whatever they might fancy. Taking place over a short time with each chapter a day of the week, it moves back and forth between Rebus investigating, and his new assistant on the case (aptly named Holmes). Also a great character, they work well together.
Rankin has made Rebus more of a curmudgeon - calling people 'son' and very rigid about his rank - while downplaying signs of PTSD. It's like we are starting with a new Rebus and I can see why this was a hit - a true mystery, down and gritty, exposed by a man of action with personal problems. Right on trend for 1990, when Sue Grafton's Alphabet series and Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta series hit the shelves.
Impressive - I didn't put it down, just read it thorough in one go.
Looking forward to number three.
1990 / Paperback / 261 pages
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