3.0 out of 5 stars
Serviceable Thriller, Jan 8 2012
Ian Rankin is one genre author whose work tracks his obvious development as a writer, climaxing in his later Rebus novels and early post-Rebus novels. This is one of his earlier efforts (originally published under the pseudonym Jack Harvey, a name that practically screams mid-20th century American crime genre), and is interesting in that his protagonist is not entirely easy to identify with, perhaps paving the way for the abrasive Rebus (except "right" is not on his side). Rebus in turn is rather like Jane Tennison in the British TV series, Prime Suspect. Overall the work is a little flat, but quite readable. But Rankin's style, voice and authority increase with each book, so if you liked this book, you will certainly like his later work. If you have not read Ian Rankin, I'd start with his Rebus novels, not the Jack Harvey books.
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