Plot
Inspector John Rebus has confronted Edinburgh's most hardened criminals, its bloodiest crime scenes, and its most dangerous backstreets - but nothing could have prepared him for what he finds on Fleshmarket Alley.
In the city's red-light district, men live out their sordid fantasies, and women with no other choice sell their bodies to make a buck. It's a neighborhood of lost inhibitions, forgotten scruples, and hopeless dreams. In its seediest clubs, refugees seeking asylum are subjected to the whims of the most ruthless characters in the crime world - men Rebus knows all too well.
Review
This was my first Inspector Rebus novel and I found it quite entertaining. I would recommend it to most people who prefer suspense to action. The action was much more concentrated towards the latter end of the story, but the thrill and anticipation followed though from the very start to the penultimate conclusion.
For those readers out there who prefer the English style of theatre and television, this is definitely for you. On the other hand, people who revel in the American versions of the same will find the pacing a bit off for their liking. It reads very much like a Agatha Christi novel, but with much darker undertones and a much more uncouth lead character.
If there's one thing Rankin did badly in this novel was that he made rebus a bit too flawed. the character becomes tolerable, but certainly not lovable. He balances this off with his female lead, Siobhan. She becomes quite the likable character. Rebus becomes like the slightly older and overprotective uncle to Siobhan's wild schoolgirl. The sexual tension is there and is slightly overdone in my humble opinion. His inclusion of it hurts the book a little, but not enough to spoil it completely.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
