The Scottish novelist Ian Rankin is one of my favorite guests. I'm a huge fan of his series that features retired Edinburgh police Detective Inspector John Rebus. This is the fourth Rebus book to come out since he retired from the police force. Rankin brought Rebus back to work some cold cases and I am sure happy that he did.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Rebus series in the US and the author came through the states on book tour. We tracked him down by phone at a Florida hotel that was out in the middle of nowhere. "In a House of Lies" features a truly cold case. Skeletal remains have been found in a car that has been hidden away in a forest. The unfortunate person's identity is determined and that's a bit of a surprise. He was a private investigator who vanished years ago. Rebus was still a cop then and he had been involved in that case. They had searched that same area at the time and there was no car there then and certainly no missing person concealed in the trunk. The car has been moved there recently.
How did the car get there? Who killed the man inside it? Rebus is consulted because he was involved in the original investigation. The police would rather have John Rebus stay away. After all, he is retired. But anybody who knows John Rebus knows that he might be slowing down but when he gets on the trail of a criminal it is difficult for him to act like he doesn't want to solve the crime and apprehend the villains. That's just the way he is. Thank heaven.
The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, Wright Memorial Public Library, and Microsun Lamps.
