January Books 3) Mortal Causes, by Ian Rankin

I was already becoming a fan of Rankin’s novels about Edinburgh policeman John Rebus, but particularly enjoyed this one for the Northern Ireland dimension. Last time Rebus went outside Scotland (to London, in Tooth and Nail) it wasn’t really a success, but here he takes an effective day trip to Belfast(though he mysteriously visits a fictional Malone Road police station) to chase up Loyalist terrorists who may be planning to attack the Edinburgh Festival. The whole picture came together rather neatly at the end, in an arrangement of events reminiscent of the better Agatha Christie novels but in a believable police procedural setting – including high-level collusion with the terrorists, and the blurred lines of demarcation between organised crime, the forces of law and order, and the press. I did wonder about the sub-plot with the seductive and mildly psychotic lady lawyer, but perhaps this is a set-up for something in a later volume. Apart from that, all nicely done.

LibraryThing Unsuggestion: Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

One thought on “January Books 3) Mortal Causes, by Ian Rankin

  1. The evidence they’ve got looks pretty good: mitochondrial DNA indicates that the person in question is a direct descendant via the female line of Richard’s mother[*]. Candidate #1 for that is Richard himself. Carbon dating is a bit loose, but RIII’s death date is close to the middle of the range.

    [*] They’re got mito-DNA from someone who is documented as being the direct matrilinear descendant of his sister. If that person *isn’t* actually descended from the sister, then an astounding coincidence has happened in them finding this to be their relative anyway.

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