- Hardcover: 416 pages
- Publisher: Orion; First American Edition edition (Mar 23 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312206100
- ISBN-13: 978-0312206109
- Product Dimensions: 24.3 x 16.5 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 694 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
Edinburgh police detective John Rebus, Ian Rankin's popular series detective, is a brilliantly realized character, as moody, dark, and melancholy as Edinburgh itself. In The Falls, he's almost certain that missing university student Philippa Balfour is dead, but he's less sure how she died or what her misadventure has to do with the tiny doll in a hand-sized coffin that turns up near a waterfall on the Balfour family estate. It's not the first coffin found near the scene of a crime; could Philippa be the victim of a serial killer? The only other lead the police have is a cryptic e-mail from someone called Quiz Master, inviting Philippa--and then constable Siobhan Clarke, who responds using Philippa's screen name--to join him in a bizarre scavenger hunt that might lead Clarke to Philippa's body, her killer, or her own death.
This time out Rebus has a new boss, who's no happier with his unorthodox style or impolitic attitude toward the Edinburgh establishment than his last one was. But even under department suspension, Rebus manages to tie a number of seemingly disparate and unconnected clues together and deliver a killer in a scene that even the most discerning reader may not see coming until it jumps off the page. A bestseller in the U.K., The Falls is Rankin's best yet. --Jane Adams
From Publishers Weekly
A number one U.K. bestseller, Rankin's 13th novel featuring Scottish Det. Insp. John Rebus may be his breakout book in the U.S. Rankin's brilliant evocation of a moody Edinburgh, deeply human characters and labyrinthine plot give dimension to this always absorbing series. With his stubborn insistence on tying up the frayed ends of every knotty clue, and iconoclastic refusal to be a team player, hard-drinking Rebus is a bane to his superiors but a blessing to readers. University student Philippa Balfour, daughter of the powerful head of a private bank, disappears; the few clues are incongruous a puzzling Internet role-playing game she participated in and a doll in a tiny wooden coffin found near her discordant family's home. Rebus's assistant, Det. Constable Siobhan Clarke, tackles the mysterious Internet game; Rebus ignores his superiors by obsessively following the coffin's obscure historical implications, aided by museum curator Jean Burchill, a friend of newly appointed Det. Chief Supt. Gill Templer and a promising anodyne to Rebus's lonely personal life. Readers won't be able to skim this dark, densely written novel, but they won't want to. Artfully placed red herrings, a large cast of multifaceted characters and a gripping pace will keep them engrossed. And Rebus is a character whose devils and idiosyncrasies will leave them eager for more. (Nov. 8)Forecast: A bestseller in Ireland, Australia and Canada as well, this novel may achieve similar heights here, spurred by a tour by the Edinburgh author, winner of Britain's Gold Dagger Award.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing plot,
By
This review is from: Falls (Paperback)
The Product Description above summarizes this intricate thriller well, with Detective Inspector Rebus following two different leads in connection with the disappearance of a student in Edinburgh.
This was the first book I read by Mr. Rankin and all I want to say is, it was truly captivating. An edge-of-the-seat book, gripping from page one. I'm looking forward to read some more of his work.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Can't go wrong with Rankin,
By
This review is from: The Falls (Mass Market Paperback)
One of the great things about the Rebus novels is the subdued character conflicts at play underneath the plots and subplots. Not only does one come away from Rankin's work, particularly the later Rebus books, with a wonderful sense of place and atmosphere, but the characterization is so strong that even the second and third level characters are developed enough to stand on their own. The downside of this, which is unavoidable, is that the book tends to grow long in spots. That notwithstanding, the Rebus series is an excellent one. DS Siobhan Clarke has become more prominent in these books as well, and I can't help but wonder if she isn't being lined up for a series of her own.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A complex mystery combined with atmosphere & characters,
By M. C. Crammer (Decatur, GA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Falls (Mass Market Paperback)
I love Ian Rankin's Rebus series, even though I am constantly amazed at the extent to which Rebus is able to drink and hold down a job -- I think the Scots are more tolerant of heavy drinkers than American employers would be. That having been said, reading this mystery was like a trip to Edinburgh as someone who lives and works there sees the city -- a city with very deep roots in history, still influenced by events that occurred hundreds of years ago, living under the shadow of a castle and with history in every building. The plot involves the disappearance of a wealthy young college student, who was supposed to be meeting friends for drinks and never shows up. Because of who she is, all the stops are pulled out to find her, and Rebus finds himself one of many working on this case. He believes from the start that she has been killed and he is investigating a homicide. He also thinks there's some connection between her death and some miniature coffins that have been found from time to time, and there's a possibility that her death is connected to a puzzle-solving computer game she's been playing. If you like mysteries that make you think, that really challenge your intelligence and are written with literary skill that will make them timeless classics, Rankin is an author for you. This is my fourth book by him and I'm relishing reading more in the series.
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