The usual suspects are present: the aging, yet still cantankerous and contrary Rebus, who battles both COPD and the powers that be in order to investigate the possible return of a long missing man (despite no longer being a serving police officer) at the behest of Rebus' nemesis (and perhaps the yin to his yang), Morris Gerald Cafferty, better known in police circles as Big Ger but now confined to a wheelchair after being shot.
Rebus' longtime sidekick and protege, Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke returns, investigating the murder of a serving police officer who, whilst in the throes of a bitter divorce, also threatens to dish the dirt on the corrupt goings-on at his station. DI Malcolm Fox is back as well, working the case with Clarke in hopes of nailing some of the corrupt but now-retired higher ups and perhaps snaring Rebus in the bargain.
As always, Edinburgh is itself a character in this latest offering from Rankin. Rankin showcases the ever changing Edinburgh landscape while also making it clear he has a bit of a soft spot for those seedier and/or working-class areas now beginning to surrender to gentrification.
Rankin weaves seemingly unconnected threads together into a fairly cohesive story, one which I finished in a single sitting. The past and present come together and collide in various ways, not only for Rebus but for several other of the characters. Rebus himself reflects on whether or not he went too far in crossing the line with regard to cases he worked.
Rankin begins and ends A Heart Full of Headstones with Rebus in the dock, although we don't find out why until near the end of the book. In-between, we have an apparent mastermind who has taken over some of Cafferty's business, legit or otherwise, only things aren't quite as they seem. We have a missing man who stole from Cafferty years ago but who Cafferty now says he wants to forgive. (Does he?)
The divorce mentioned earlier also revolves around domestic abuse and the husband's attempt to escape punishment by threatening to blow the lid off of corruption at his station. As you might guess, said husband ends up dead, though not until more than 100 pages in, the only actual murder in the novel. One other death occurs very near the end, but I would chalk that one up to self-defense.
Now to my quibbles with this 24th Rebus installment from Ian Rankin. As I mentioned earlier, Rankin begins and ends his book with Rebus in a Scottish courtroom. Fair enough. The fact that we don't learn why until near the end is fine as well. However, Rankin leaves us hanging with regard to the fate of Rebus. I suppose that is a good thing, as it almost certainly means a 25th installment will be coming. Still, I would have preferred a resolution . . . just in case.
My other real issue is with how DI Malcolm Fox comes across. In the past, Fox could be seem as a bit sanctimonious and holier-than-thou, and his ambitions were never far from the surface. Still, he always seemed to me to be a generally good guy. Here, though, Fox seems to me to be a bit more craven in terms of his ambitions and a bit more obsequious in his willingness to brown-nose his superiors. He does redeem himself a bit toward the end of the book, particularly with regard to the career of DI Clarke.
In bringing together the past and the present while also hinting toward the future, Rankin has woven a fairly masterful tale. Despite the unresolved ending, A Heart Full of Headstones reads in many ways as both a beginning and an ending. The ending, if it isn't yet here, is surely coming for Rebus. After all, he can't live forever, can he? At the same time, Rankin's ending hints at the beginning of new and different adventures featuring DI Siobhan Clarke as the central character.
All in all, while perhaps not perfect, A Heart Full of Headstones is another worthy installment in the long-running Inspector Rebus series. Grab yourself a single malt and a comfortable chair and curl up with another fine read from the master of Tartan Noir, Ian Rankin. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
A Heart Full of Headstones, ©2022 Little, Brown and Company. 331 pp.
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