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Fleshmarket Close by Ian Rankin
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Fleshmarket Close (original 2004; edition 2005)

by Ian Rankin

Series: Inspector Rebus (15)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
2,331476,585 (3.79)69
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. An illegal immigrant is found murdered in an Edinburgh housing scheme. Rebus is drawn into the case, but has other problems: his old police station has closed for business, and his masters would rather he retire than stick around. But as Rebus investigates, he must deal with the sleazy Edinburgh underworld, and maybe even fall in love.… (more)
Member:rrasmussen01
Title:Fleshmarket Close
Authors:Ian Rankin
Info:Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) (2005), Paperback, 496 pages
Collections:Your library
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Fleshmarket Close by Ian Rankin (2004)

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» See also 69 mentions

English (40)  Swedish (3)  Spanish (2)  Italian (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (47)
Showing 1-5 of 40 (next | show all)
An immigrant is murdered at the Edinburgh housing project where he had been living, sending DI John Rebus on a quest to uncover the depths of racism, human trafficking and illegal housing schemes. Meanwhile, DS Siobhan Clarke is asked to locate a missing woman, the sister of a girl who had been raped and subsequently committed suicide; the rapist has just been freed from prison and the woman’s parents are worried for her safety. When another murder occurs, the separate inquiries start to overlap, in ways surprising to all…. The issues of illegal immigration and human trafficking seem never to go on the back burner; they are just as relevant in 2023 as they were when Mr. Rankin published this book in 2004, and unfortunately just as intractable. The relationships between Rebus and others in the police force are somewhat muted in this outing, but the humanity of all the characters (especially the refugees) is, as ever, front and center and well worth noting. Recommended. ( )
  thefirstalicat | Mar 25, 2023 |
I've come late to Ian Rankin and the Rebus novels (in more ways than one), and I was warned that in starting with 'Fleshmarket Close' I would be pitched into a well-established character and backstory. But I'd recently come to understand that the author was friends with two other writers whose work I admire - Ken MacLeod and Iain Banks - and so I felt I needed to complete my education.

I need not have worried. Rankin is so at home with his characters that by this 15th book in the series, he does not feel the need to tell, but can show instead. I quickly picked up on most of Rebus and Siobhan's character traits, and what I didn't know I could reasonably easily fill in. After all, Rebus is a Saab driver (like me), I have visited Edinburgh a few times, and I have worked with Scots on many occasions. This was all quite familiar to me.

The plot concerned two apparently unrelated cases, one of which doesn't seem to be a crime at all. But others get drawn into the picture until we have a tapestry that makes an unpleasant big picture when you stand back from it. Perhaps there's a lot of interconnectedness between the cases that might stretch credulity a bit, but this is a thriller novel after all; what would be the point of a crime novel where there was only one victim, their circumstances lacked complications and the steps leading to the apprehension of their killer were straightforward matters of filling in the boxes to see what answer pops out?

The book is shot through with Scots humour and the detail of Edinburgh police bureaucracy is particularly telling. Do not make the mistake of getting on the wrong side of the Edinburgh Drugs Squad! ( )
1 vote RobertDay | Mar 11, 2021 |
Ein illegaler Einwanderer wird ermordet in einer Edinburgher Sozialsiedlung gefunden – ein Mord mit rassistischem Hintergrund oder etwas ganz anderes? Die Spuren führen Inspector Rebus geradewegs in die Edinburgher Unterwelt. Unterdessen kümmert sich Siobhan Clarke um den Fall eines verschwundenen Mädchens, und auch sie taucht bei ihren Ermittlungen in die dunkelsten Winkel der Stadt ein. Hier, in den Kneipen und Bars des Rotlichtbezirks, halten ein paar Männer alle Fäden in der Hand. Und die sehen es gar nicht gerne, wenn Rebus und Siobhan Clarke ihre Kreise stören …
  Fredo68 | May 14, 2020 |
Vintage Rebus

All the essential elements of the Rebus genre with the added topically that is Ian Rankin's trademark.. Another great read. ( )
  froschling | Feb 11, 2020 |
Gripping thriller set in Edinburgh, packed with plenty of characters, murders, a missing teenager and abused immigrants. The novel has various plot lines that merge together, all set in the pubs, nightclubs, dark streets and even lively cafes of Edinburgh. ( )
  CarolKub | Oct 7, 2019 |
Showing 1-5 of 40 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (25 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Ian Rankinprimary authorall editionscalculated
Macpherson, JamesNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
It is to Scotland that we look for our idea of civilisation.
(Voltaire)
The climate of Edinburgh is such that the weak succumb young...and the strong envy them.
(Dr Johnson to Boswell)
Dedication
In memory of two friends, Fiona and Annie, much missed.
First words
"I'm not supposed to be here," Detective Inspector John Rebus said.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (1)

Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. An illegal immigrant is found murdered in an Edinburgh housing scheme. Rebus is drawn into the case, but has other problems: his old police station has closed for business, and his masters would rather he retire than stick around. But as Rebus investigates, he must deal with the sleazy Edinburgh underworld, and maybe even fall in love.

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Haiku summary
Gang protects its own
Jack's caught at a bordello
Wife's dead - who to blame?
(hardboiled)

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Hachette Book Group

3 editions of this book were published by Hachette Book Group.

Editions: 0316010405, 0316095656, 0316099252

 

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