#BookReview: IN A HOUSE OF LIES by Ian Rankin @Beathhigh @orionbooks @Leanne_Oliver1

Publication: 4th October 2018 – Orion

IN A HOUSE OF LIES…

Everyone has something to hide
A missing private investigator is found, locked in a car hidden deep in the woods. Worse still – both for his family and the police – is that his body was in an area that had already been searched.

Everyone has secrets
Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke is part of a new inquiry, combing through the mistakes of the original case. There were always suspicions over how the investigation was handled and now – after a decade without answers – it’s time for the truth.

Nobody is innocent
Every officer involved must be questioned, and it seems everyone on the case has something to hide, and everything to lose. But there is one man who knows where the trail may lead – and that it could be the end of him: John Rebus.

I’d like to start by thanking Orion and Leanne Oliver for providing me with an early copy of the book and I really like Ian Rankin’s books, especially the character of John Rebus. After twenty-two books he is still going strong. His sharp mind, his witticism, and the twisty plot kept me glued to the pages.

When private detective Stuart Bloom disappeared in 2006, the detectives in charge of the investigation were too lazy and too busy trying to protect the son of another detective, gangsters, and drug dealers to find out the truth. Now that the body has finally turned up, DI Shiobhan Clarke not only has to resolve a murder but she has to figure out if someone can be blamed for the mistakes of the first investigation, including her mentor John Rebus. Also, a couple of corrupted detectives are trying to smear her reputation and, in the last few days, she has been receiving strange silent calls.

John Rebus is a complex and flawed character that I couldn’t help but like. Now he is a retired detective but that doesn’t mean he is going to stay out of the investigation. Somehow, he always manages to sneak his way in. Even though he has trouble climbing up stairs, mentally he is still sharp and smart and his instinct is still that good. I enjoyed reading about his close relationship with his protegé Shiobhan Clarke, who is another character I really liked. Even though an internal investigation has cleared her of any wrongdoing, she still has to deal with the suspicious of colleagues who thinks she is corrupted.

Once again, Ian Rankin wrote a thriller that not only keeps you on edge, but also gives you a real feel of the police. Leaving aside corrupted detectives and power games, it was fascinating reading about how they work, the close relationship between partners, and the bond between the members of a team. Despite knowing that her mentor made mistakes, Shiobhan Clarkes is torn between her loyalty to John Rebus and finding out the truth about the murder of Stuart Bloom.

Gangsters, film producers, and drug dealers fill the pages while the beautiful and atmospheric setting of Edinburgh frames an unpredictable, gripping, and addictive story that kept me guessing until the end.