Dead Souls

Inspector Rebus, Book 10

By: Ian Rankin

Narrated by: Bill Paterson, Ian Rankin

FEATURING AN EXCLUSIVE INTRODUCTION READ BY IAN RANKIN.

The 10th Inspector Rebus novel from "Britain's best crime novelist" (Daily Express).

Stalking a poisoner at the local zoo, Inspector John Rebus comes across a paedophile taking pictures of children. When the social workers claim he is there for legitimate educational reasons, Rebus is faced with a dilemma - should he be outed to protect local kids or given a chance to start anew? As the locals begin a hate campaign he gets a call from the past: the son of a friend has gone missing and no one else will make time to ask the right questions. And then a fragment of Scotland's criminal history is repatriated at the end of a life sentence for murder.

Once more Rebus' cup of trouble runneth over and the ghosts of past misdeeds return to haunt Edinburgh's streets.

©1992 John Rebus Ltd (P)2003 Orion Publishing Group Ltd

like listening to a telegram

I fill several hours a day with audiobooks, and from classics to cozies, I like to listen to series in order for character and story development. Unfortuntately several of Rankin's Rebus tales are available in my region only in 3.5 hour abridgements. Dead Souls is the best of them --at least the first half unfolds like a novel; then the rest of the story is telegraphed in bits and pieces, making not only for a wasted listen, but for a frustrating experience when you realize 1.) all the good stuff you've missed and 2.). how much better the available full length novels would be if all were narrated by Paterson or Macpherson.

If, like me, you can't pass on the abridged Rebus, you will at least get interesting intros by Rankin himself for a couple of the novels.

I suspect a full length version of this present novel would be one of the better Rebus as he wrestles with his past, his attitudes toward pedophiles, as well as the ghosts of other dead souls that haunt his present.