Friday, December 30, 2011

A Good Hanging, by Ian Rankin

I know, I know, I just read a Rankin. But this was a Christmas gift, and perfect plane reading.

It consists of twelve short stories featuring Rankin's Inspector Rebus. I was intrigued to see how the short story format worked for Rebus, as his novels are very convoluted and intricate. Alas, I am forced to conclude that that remains his strength, and consequently these stories, while fun, were a bit fluffy.

Rankin does have quite a sense of humor, and that was on show here, particularly in the final story. But I felt unsatisfied at the end of each tale, because I had mentally settled myself in for grit and grief and a prolonged journey.

Conclusion: enjoyable, light, and made me glad that I have several of his novels still on my to-read shelf.

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