Inspector Rebus, the hero of this long running series, has been sent to a "police college" for rehab after an incident of insubordination. With four other detectives, he's assigned to work an old unsolved murder - ostensibly to relearn the value of teammwork. Meanwhile back in Edinburgh, Rebus' partner and friend Sibohan is working on a high profile investigation of her own. Of course, all is not as it seems...
John Rebus is a brooding, driven cop who relieves stress by listening to rock n roll and of course drinking. I think he's a close spiritual Scottish cousin to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, and I recommend Rankin to all Connelly fans. Rebus family life, his ability to trust, and his personal relationships are all affected by his job , yet he does it anyway. He's one of those fictional homicide cops who "speak for the dead", like Bosch or Frank Pembleton. All fans of police novels with atmosphere should like this series. An interesting subplot involves Sibohan, who worries she may be headed down the same road as Rebus. I highly recommend RESURRECTION MEN and this series.