Also on the team, DC Christine Essen, a couple of detectives from previous MIT investigations, a couple of fresh faces, plus DCI Malcolm Fox. Through the novel, Rankin brings in previously introduced characters and continues to prove he is not afraid to "age" his characters. The title and plot of the next Rebus thriller however are being kept top secret for now, with people urged to "keep an eye out" over the next coming months. William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw books changed the face of crime fiction. When he died in 2015, he left half a handwritten manuscript of Laidlaw’s first case. Ian Rankin has finished what McIlvanney started. Here, in The Dark Remains, these two iconic authors bring to life the criminal world of 1970s Glasgow, and Laidlaw’s relentless quest for truth. Recent novels in the series have seen Rebus increasingly struggle as he battled the impacts of an incurable lung disease.

I’ve enjoyed the recent crime fiction coming from Australia: books by Jane Harper, Chris Hammer and Hayley Scrivenor. My favourite of their detectives is Hammer’s Nell Buchanan. She first appears in Opal Country as an inexperienced young investigator supporting homicide detective Ivan Lucic in the remote mining badlands. She comes into her own in Dead Man’s Creek, a richly textured novel in which events of the past play out in the present in the place where Nell grew up. A couple of my recent fiction reads have included the effect of COVID at the time. Rebus has a lanyard that excuses him from wearing a mask. I wonder how long it will be before a writer centres a crime around the conditions that COVID created?

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John Rebus, long retired from the force, is enjoying a quiet pint at his local, with faithful dog Brillo asleep at his feet. I love that this is the third book this little buddy has appeared in. The world has just reopened after the Covid pandemic, and Rebus is avoiding going to the doctor about his deteriorating health, prefering to pretend it’s just heartburn. A ping on his mobile is an invitation of sorts, from Big Ger, to drop by his flat after taking Brillo home. Rebus can't refuse even if he wanted to, as the two have been part of each other’s lives for longer than they care to remember. Curiosity has definitely gotten hold of Rebus. Ian Rankin σε αυτή την τελευταία περιπέτεια του Ρέμπους - του επιθεωρητή που κανείς δεν μπορεί να καταλάβει πως δουλεύει το μυαλό του και πως παρόλες τις αντισυμβατικές μεθόδους του, πάντα βρίσκει τη λύση. Since finishing the last Rebus book, Rankin has worked on The Dark Remains, an unfinished story by the late William McIlvanney, which was published in the autumn, as well as taking part in a murder mystery TV series for Channel 4. Book 24. Will there be a Book 25? I really don’t know. This book didn’t finish at all how I thought it would, even though I did catch my breath - literally - at a particularly pivotal moment (no spoilers!). I thought that was it, but it seems there is still enough bluster and doggedness in John Rebus for the series to continue. I’d like to think so anyway. Fingers crossed. I’ve been anxious when reading the last few books, wondering how they would end, as this series has been such an important part of my reading life. Huge. I even had a friend take a foto of the infamous Oxford Bar when they were in Edinburgh. Wherever Ian Rankin, and John Rebus end up taking me, I’m now ok with that. Cheers to them both. And a scratch and belly rub for Brillo.

There is one scene where Rebus leaves Siobhan Clarke and as he walks away, she observes a weathered stooped, old man. She reflects on how once he was a figure of strength, feared by many. It was a sad poignant point in the story. I plan to decompress in 2023, which means you might not be hearing much from me. Meantime, here are some of my favourites of the year in books, albums and films. Rankin is always great with a big cast of characters and the snarky, sarcastic banter that strikes me as very Scottish, but he is also coming off as thoughtful and poetic in this noir-ish world. Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin has signed a new publishing deal for two new John Rebus novels to come out this year.

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Rebus, now retired, has been summoned by crime lord Big Ger Cafferty in his request to find a man long disappeared and one many thought killed by Cafferty. Cafferty explains to Rebus he would like to make amends with the missing man and while Rebus agrees to do so, he is greatly suspicious of Cafferty's stated purpose.