What are you reading this week of January 24, 2016?

[scarletwoman]

17. I stayed up all night reading it all the way through to the end. I just couldn't set it down!

It was totally insane, I kept looking at the time, thinking "This is ridiculous, I've GOT to go to bed!" but every time I turned a page, I just couldn't stop reading. "Just a little more, and then I'll stop..." "Okay, NOW just a little more and then I'll stop..." "Oh what the hell, if I just read a little more, then for sure I'll stop!" "Damn, I can't stop - I'm going to have to call in sick to work today."

And so I did. Finished around 4 in the morning, laid in bed with all the scenes from the book running through my head non-stop for the next hour and a half, then got up and called in sick. I am a very bad person.

Anyway, if it's not already apparent, I think the book is absolutely brilliant, wonderful, fantastic, exquisite, awesome! Definitely one of the best of the Rebus series, if not THE best - bearing in mind that I first started reading the series at least 13-14 years ago, so my memories of the earliest books are necessarily vague. What has carried over in my mind are mainly the love of the character Rebus, the love of Rankin's writing, and love of the Edinburgh settings.

Even Dogs in the Wild is definitely Ian Rankin in top form. You can tell that his heart and soul went into the writing of this book - unlike his previous 2 Rebus books. I think he really meant to be done with Rebus in his 2007 Exit Music, but his fans wouldn't have it.

So, he managed a Rebus comeback in the 2012 Standing in Another Man's Grave, which wasn't bad but seemed just slightly strained (imo). And then came the 2013 Saints of the Shadow Bible which I found quite disappointing - it just seemed sort of phoned in, with no sense of the heart and fire of the earlier Rebus books. I had to read it, of course, and I'm not sorry I did, but I was left with a feeling of "meh" at the end.

But this new one! Oh yes, Rankin definitely got his mojo back!

After I finally got a few hours of sleep, once I got up I started re-reading it all over again. I can't help myself, it's just so delicous! Like diving into the most wonderful meal you've ever had, complete with dessert and drinks!

If you really don't think your library can get it, and if you really want to read it as soon as possible, and if you don't mind spending the money, then I think, as a "Rebus addict", you'll definitely find it worth it.