Rebus is aging, suffering from COPD and his nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty is in even worse health, being wheelchair bound after being shot. However, Cafferty is still trying to manipulate Rebus and gets him to search for a former employee. Everyone had assumed Cafferty had killed the employee who had been skimming the takings. As is often the way, Rebus' search crosses the path of DIs Clarke and Fox. The latter is keen to nail a notoriously corrupt bunch of police based at Tynecastle station, with whom Rebus had an ambiguous relationship and might get caught in any corruption trial. A complex plot weaves around Rebus until a rather surprising denouement, which might take any future Rebus stories in a very different direction. Recommended. ( )

I'm sitting here in shock although I expected the ending.

Like the inside cover suggested: a reckoning is coming.

I have not been able to read much lately. Chemo/radiation has taken a toll on me. But I saw this at the library and knew if anything could shake me out of my brain fog, Rebus would. And it did.

But "what will the harvest be"? ( )

This felt like hanging out with old friends, which was great.
The opening and closing of the book have Rebus on trial. This frames the story, which has his longtime colleague, Siobhan Clarke (now a Detective Inspector), investigating a missing cop, a bad actor who, if found, might expose years of corruption in the force, possibly even Rebus’s. At the same time, Rebus has taken on a request from his old criminal nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty, to trace an old associate, supposedly dead.
The Rebus of 24 books on is not the brawling, hard drinker of the early years. Now the years of smoking and drinking have taken their toll, but he’s just as determined as ever to get answers, whatever the cost. In this case, the cost may turn out to be dire.
I know many think Rebus should walk off into the sunset gracefully, but true fans know that will never happen. Yes, he's retired, but he just can't help himself when his old squad is working on a case.
Rankin did a good job pulling all the threads together, dropping in a red herring or two, and then BAM! That ending! I didn't see that coming at all and now can't wait until #25 hits the shelves. ( )

If you thought like I did that the Rebus series was over because John retired, you were wrong. All his bad deeds in office are coming to haunt him and one of his archenemies is determined to send him away. There are so many characters appearing that I had to start writing down the relationships. The end leaves things up in the air so I'm assuming yet another title will appear down the line. Still entertaining. ( )

The latest Rebus novel is, as expected, a sufficiently complicated and intelligent crime story with all our familiar characters. I've have loved this series over the years (all 23 other installments), but somehow Rebus as a retiree/outsider with fingers in every pot; good, bad,and otherwise, just did nothing for me. I found myself skimming the last third. I think I have had enough of the series, but see what YOU think.

I gave it 4 stars anyway (because it could just be reader fatigue) ( )