The Naming of the Dead

Ian Rankin

Apr 2007 · Sold by Little, Brown

About this ebook

The leaders of the free world descend on Scotland for an international conference, and every cop in the country is needed for front-line duty...except one. John Rebus's reputation precedes him, and his bosses don't want him anywhere near Presidents Bush and Putin, which explains why he's manning an abandoned police station when a call comes in. During a preconference dinner at Edinburgh Castle, a delegate has fallen to his death. Accident, suicide, or something altogether more sinister? And is it linked to a grisly find close to the site of the gathering? Are the world's most powerful men at risk from a killer? While the government and secret services attempt to hush the whole thing up, Rebus knows he has only seventy-two hours to find the answers.

Ratings and reviews

Mmy neighbor gave this book to read. Unfortunately, he forgot to tell me that this book was part of a series and that it was best that I read the earlier novels by Ian Rankin. Still, I struggled through "The Naming of the Dead" and finished it six days later. If you are a fan of this author and have read the series you probably are thrilled with the character Detective Inspector John Rebus, but coming in cold with this character I found myself trying to comprehend exactly who he was. One thing, I never found him to be boring and the plot kept my interest. I was hoping for an exciting mystery to unfold and by mid point in the story it did. The author's writing is style flows easily and he has a knack for describing in detail the scenes, police procedures, crime scenes and the traits of the characters. Overall, in my opinion this is a wonderful mystery novel, even though it is clouded by coming in late to the series. I'll definitely try another novel by Mr. Rankin that revolves around the Rebus character.

Great read! Lots of twists and turns.

Great book, great Rebus

About the author

Ian Rankin is a #1 international bestselling author. Winner of an Edgar Award and the recipient of a Gold Dagger for fiction and the Chandler-Fulbright Award, he lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife and their two sons.