You know that a book is a good read when you find yourself slowing down as the denouement approaches. Part of me wished to race to the end of this super tome, whilst another part ached with disappointment as the number of pages remaining was gradually reducing.
For me, Rankin gets his books right: the stories are far fetched, the coincidences too numerous and tenuous for words but, the characters are eminently believable. This far into the series, I know John Rebus, Siobhan Clarke et al. Just like real people, they can surprise me, but when you think about their character, everything they do is consistent. Rankin is amongst the best authors that I have discovered in respect of character growth. Each figure evolves at their own rate through the series.
In this book, we see Siobhan newly promoted to DS and beginning to question the role of Watson to Rebus' Holmes. So many authors would have handled this in a cack handed style with stand up fights and the two becoming deadly enemies. Rankin simply lets them grow; still admiring each other, but particularly in Clarke's case, growing into an individual.
The story gets last place in this review because, whilst it never seems strained whilst in the reading, I know that my précis will sound unrealistic. The resurrection Men, of the title, are last chancers - sent to a retraining course to try to make them 'team players'. Rebus, always a lost cause in this respect, is sent there for throwing a cup of tea at DCS Gill Templer but, he has been asked to do so by the Chief Constable who suspects police corruption: but, is it the group of officers with whom Rebus is retraining, or himself that is under investigation? ( )

I had been wanting to read something by Ian Rankin for some time, as he seems to be one of Scotland's leading writers of mysteries. This book is said to be one of the best in his Inspector Rebus series, but I found it a bit of a slog. There doesn't seem to be much joy among Scottish police and detectives -- a life of work and drink.
The atmosphere is urban and gritty, and very little fun. ( )

An excellent book with plot twists and turns and two investigations merging into one another. While Rebus is at the training school for 're-training' Siobhan is running things very well in his absence. ( )

Good. Nicely tied up at the end, but this book did not motivate me to find more of Rankin's Rebus books.

I've enjoyed nearly all of Rankin's books, and this one was no exception. It's been a few years, so I have a hard time remembering which was which now from the titels, but Rebus is a fantastic character, and the action in and around Edinburgh (one of my favorite cities; I lived near there when I read this) is always interesting. ( )