Set In Darkness: Summary and book reviews of Set In Darkness by Ian Rankin, plus links to an excerpt from Set In Darkness and a biography of Ian Rankin.

On the eve of the first Scottish parliament in three hundred years, Edinburgh is a city rife with political passions and expectations. Queensbury House, the home of Scotland's new rulers, falls in the middle of John Rebus' turf, keeping him busy with ceremonial tasks. That quickly changes, however, when a long-dead body is discovered in a Queensbury House fireplace, a homeless man throws himself off a bridge - leaving behind a suitcase full of cash - and an up-and-coming politician is found murdered. The links between the three deaths lead Rebus to a confrontation with one of Edinburgh's most notorious criminals, a man he thought he'd put in jail for life. Someone's going to make a lot of money out of Scotland's independence - and, as Rebus knows all too well, where there's big money at stake, darkness gathers.

Media Reviews

Wall Street Journal Mr. Rankin is a master of the moody, modern British police prodecural, working on the same high plateau as Ruth Rendell, Reginald HIll and P.D. James. Set In Darkness is filled with memorable sequences, well-drawn characters and enough Scots words...to make some readers think of John Buchan's Thirty Nine Steps.   Manchester Guardian, UK A series whose time has come…complex, humane and gripping, this is a perfect introduction to the art of Ian Rankin, head capo of the Scots mystery MacMafia.   The Daily Mail (UK) Length has not added padding to Rankin's lean outlines; it has added texture. Set In Darkness is rich and complex.   The Times London, UK [A] consistent level of excellence unmatched in the field of British crime fiction…my advice is to read [it] now.   Sunday Telegraph, UK [Rankin] once again reaches the parts that many other British crime writers don't even aim for.

Recent Reader Reviews

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