The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Stories: From the iconic #1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

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Even though this is a great big fat doorstopper of a book -- in fact, probably exactly because this is a great big fat doorstopper of a book! -- my notes on it are going to be briefer than they might be. If you have not read any Rebus or Rankin before, this may be a good starting point, just to work out whether you enjoy his storytelling prowess, or just to see if you think Rebus will be worth your time. I can't imagine why he wouldn't be, but, you know, just in case. There is no detective like DI Rebus. Brilliant, irascible and endlessly frustrating to both his friends and his long-suffering bosses, he has made the dark places of Edinburgh his comfort and his home for over two decades. From his beginnings as a young Detective Constable in 'Dead and Buried', right up to his dramatic - but as it turns out, not quite final - retirement in 'The Very Last Drop', we see one of the most compelling, brilliant and mesmeric characters of modern times in his every guise and very much in his element.

They all sort of run together after a while, as usually happens with these things, and the only story that really stands out isn't really a story at all, let alone a mystery. It's the usual boring meditation on the lost spirit of the sixties that Baby Boomers feel a need to write, and we've all read a thousand times over.The first story "Dead and Buried" is set in the mid-1980s when Rebus was learning the ropes at Summerhall Police Station, and "The Very Last Drop" is set during a tour of a brewery immediately after Rebus’s retirement in Exit Music, a retirement present from Siobhan Clarke who goes with him (written to be read aloud at a charity night at Edinburgh’s Caledonian Brewery). "The Very Last Drop" was written to help the work of Royal Blind. [1] Add to that, on this occasion, the fact that the audiobook I listened to was read by the unsurpassable James Macpherson – a voice that embodies everything about the character of John Rebus, with his lilting tone and spot-on phrasing. The 30 plus stories flew by far too fast. It would feel churlish to single out favourites, so I won’t try. The overall quality is very high. The mood of the pieces varies: some stories are light and wryly amusing, others dark and unnerving. Most are of typical short story length but there is one longer tale here too. My feeling is that this collection is best read (or listened to) over an extended period, allowing space for the individual stories to breathe. I think there’s just too much density to the tales to allow constant immersion in this collection. And why spoil it, take your time and make it last. Officers from other cities, people Rebus met from time to time, would remark how cushy he had it in Edinburgh. Such a beautiful place, and prosperous. So little crime. They thought a dangerous city had to look dangerous. But despite it being 21 days, I finally read it all, save for the last chapter which I don’t quite care about - yes I appreciate the short stories but I don’t want to know about your life. It seems mediocre. I prefer fiction.

Now Rebus's life is revealed through this complete collection of stories, from his early days as a young DC in 'Dead and Buried' right up to the dramatic, but not quite final, retirement in 'The Very Last Drop'. The Beat Goes On is a collection of short stories concerning John Rebus-right from his time as DS to DI, with another story concerning him whilst he was retired but still going at it like a good ole Detective. Now Rebus’s life is revealed through this complete collection of stories, from his early days as a young DC in ‘Dead and Buried’ right up to the dramatic, but not quite final, retirement in ‘The Very Last Drop’.

Edinburgh is also a formidable presence and Rankin draws on the history and literature of his adopted city, as well as portraying the lives of its wealthy and destitute. Castle Dangerous focuses on the death of a retired QC who shares a name and knighthood with the Scottish historical novelist Sir Walter Scott. The old lawyer’s body is even found by the Scott Monument. Being Frank is a touching tale about a gentleman of the road. The Passenger, a new story, is inspired by Muriel Spark and is one of the more sinister in this collection.

This collection of short stories was just the tonic, and so easy to get comfortable with. Get snug, put my feet up, and peep over Rebus' shoulder. Richard Prather (I think) once said that every short story featuring a series character should make the reader want to buy the novels. In this, the book was a failure for me, as I'm not moved to go buy a novel.The stories include all kinds of mysteries, from shop-lifting to murder, and the occasional one is really more an observation of a particular aspect of Edinburgh life than a crime story. In total, they left me in no doubt that Rankin is just as much a master of the short story as the novel. I found this a completely satisfying collection, and one that I'm sure to dip in and out of many times again. The detective instinct of John Rebus is quite entertaining, as is with any detective that you come across. The most mundane crime scene and he could smell it like a police dog from a mile away; as if the crime was just playing in front of him. The author does a great job in portraying his innate abilites, while also not making him look like someone possessing supernatural powers. Rather creating a typically normal character who is unusually perceptive and not easily missing out on the tiny details unseen to the common eye. The moments of humour provide a sharp contrast to some of the grittier stories. There's some heavy stuff dealt with here. The detritus and pain of people's lives. The first book gifted to me in my Advent Book Calendar. I’m not quite sure how they work - as I to read a book per day in December? That would have been possible for me before my many commitments. But not any more. Not to mention my intolerable chronic pain that keeps tapping me on the shoulder.