“A Heart full of Headstones” is Ian Rankin’s latest book in the Rebus series. If you are a fan and haven’t read the book look away now! That’s if you want to be surprised by the denouement.
Cafferties dead and guess who is on trial for his killing? In the latest of the Rebus books, the 25th by my count, published in 2022, Rebus struggles with his health and technology. Retired, his protégé Siobhan is to the fore. Rebus’s past is continuing to haunt him as the changed times see the old ways of doing things ‘on the nose’. Rebus is working for Cafferty seeking an employee who ripped him off and did a disappearing act and to whom Cafferty wants to apologise. As if. The main thrust of the story also involves Malcom Fox who continues to crawl up the career greasy pole. A policeman who is charged with domestic violence is indicating he may give evidence against corrupt colleagues including John Rebus. When his dead body is found the powers that be swing into action, damage control action. Who is the perpetrator - fellow officers or someone closer to home?
The novel is littered with sections of excellent prose, though perhaps a bit too many characters and sub plots for me.
One theme that Rankin follows in these novels is that of music. As fans know Rankin himself is a musician, and his Rebus novels have titles drawn from popular music and his protagonist Rebus likes to listen to music as he sits and broods about life and the crime cases he is involved with. Often with copious amounts of his other love, alcohol. Examples of titles drawn from music are Black and Blue - the Rolling Stones and the FMI librarian Cameron tells me one title is from The Cure. The frontispiece of the book has a line from the Manic Street Preachers’ ‘this is my truth, tell me yours’. The book is rounded by quote from Jackie Leven. I have never heard music of either. I have heard other music referred to in the book e.g. Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac and Mott the Hoople. Billy Joel gest a mention ‘I’m an innocent man’ and Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart are also referred to . Guess that shows both my and Rebus’s age. As for his ex-offsider and friend Siobhan’s exposure to Boards of Canada I really have no idea dear reader.
I was so looking forward to this latest publication and I know I enjoyed the book as I rationed myself to so many pages per diem. Enjoy people.
The FMI library has ALL of the Rebus novels available for loan and will soon have a chat group focusing on Heart Full of Headstones. Watch this space.
