In
Memoriam, St Leonard’s CID
- A Question of Blood
A Question of Blood begins with Rankin reading the
introduction. He reminds us that Rebus’ world is written
in a real city, in real time. When Edinburgh and Scotland
changes, so does Rebus’ world. After he got word that
St Leonard’s no longer has a CID, he decided A Question
of Blood would be the last of his books to be set there.
The story opens with Siobhan visiting Rebus in hospital.
His hands are bandaged. He’s taken sick leave and Siobhan
is the only one who knows he is in the hospital. Siobhan is
feeling tense due to an internal inquiry involving her. DCI
Temple wants to discuss Siobhan’s stalker, the one that
died in a kitchen fire. Just the first chapters are enough
to keep the pages turning. There are way too many questions
and not enough answers. Has Rebus finally gone too far? When
a shooting at a Private school in South Queensferry, north
of Edinburgh, takes place, Siobhan wishes she could help with
the case. There are three dead, including the shooter, and
one injured. The shooter is ex-army and a business man. The
survivor’s father is a member of the Scottish parliament
and one of the victims is the son of a judge. Siobhan wonders
what effect the shooting will have with gun lobbyists and
current gun laws. DI Hogan is put in charge of the shooting,
but when it gets political, he calls in Rebus. Siobhan joins
him as driver and note taker. Once they arrive at Queensferry,
Rebus stuns Siobhan with some information about the third
victim. It gives fans another insight into Rebus’ personal
life and has Rebus reminiscing. The case draws the attention
of the Army, has Rebus dealing with a couple of lowlifes,
and Siobhan thinking about airplanes and flying.
Rankin offers plenty of twists and drags out the suspense
as he delivers one revelation at a time. The duo storylines
take the whole book to unravel, but trust me, it’s worth
the wait. The storyline is mostly interaction and investigation
with some action at the end.
And just when we think it’s all over….
The Epilogue happens…
Oh Rebus….
The audio version I’m reviewing is a recent release
and a return to number fourteen in the series; there have
been five new titles since. I read the book format eleven
years ago, which made this listen a memorable throw back –
listening to Rebus’ and Siobhan’s commitment to
solving a crime, no matter what, Rebus living on the edge
then and now, Siobhan putting her job and her loyalty to Rebus
first.
The narrator is the always familiar James Macpherson. The
various Scottish accents roll off his tongue and bring the
many characters to life, especially the shady ones. He breathes
an added arrogance into Rebus’s character and provides
a tone of common sense for Siobhan Clarke, especially when
she’s Rebus’ voice of reason. I couldn’t
help but smile at those moments.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Resurrection
Men #13 [book]
[audio]
Question of Blood #14 [book]
[audio]
Naming of the Dead #16 [audio]
[book]
Exit Music #17 [audio]
Saints of the Shadow Bible #19 [audio]
Standing in Another Man's Grave #20 [audio]
The Beat Goes On [audio]
(short stories)
Impossible Dead [book]
(Malcom Fox #2)
Rather Be the Devil #21 [audio]
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