Andrew Taylor

Older and grumpier: A Song for the Dark Times, by Ian Rankin, reviewed

Rebus now has difficulty climbing the stairs — and a murder on the north coast leads to clashes with his daughter

Ian Rankin in 2018. Credit: Getty Images 
issue 17 October 2020

By my reckoning, this is the 24th outing for John Rebus, Scotland’s best known retired police officer. One of the many pleasures of the series is that Rebus ages in real time. COPD now makes climbing stairs an increasing problem, so he and his dog Brillo are in the throes of moving to a downstairs flat.

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