This is the first book I've read by Ian Rankin. He is very popular in the U.K. I always like a good mystery...especially this one because it is set in Edinburgh, Scotland. I enjoyed reading it and appreciated that it wasn't too graphic.

This was my first foray into the Rebus series, one which I had been eying for a long timenot least due to its Edinburgh setting. Funny then that the one I picked to start with didn't actually take place in Edinburgh at all. No matter, though: A Question of Blood was a nice introduction to the character and his backstory, I think, even though it is a rather late entry as far as I can tell. I finished the novel pretty snappily, without finding myself bored or distracted and wanting to jump over to other plots and books (a common problem for me). The interwoven plotting and snappy pacing are both work well, the characters and relationships clearly drawn, and the various intrigues all reasonably twisty. Good news all around. Personally, I thought the main subplot related to Rebus' suspicious injury (suspicious because his hands have been severely burned and a man he'd had altercations with died in an arson fire) was resolved a bit too easily, as was the internal inquiry into his possible role in a murder. Additionally, while it does draw out the suspense and the reader's uncertainty, the fact that he knows whether or not he's telling the truth about his involvement in the event but *we* don't know is kind of a cheat. It feels artificial, given that we are inside his thoughts for much of the rest of the book, but it's not written first person so I suppose Rankin can get away with it. There were also times throughout the novel that I found Rebus' outsider status as your prototypical "loose canon" copcomplete with the wise-cracking, the disregarding authority, the inadvisable outbursts, etc.a little forced. We get it alreadyhe's a lone wolf (except he's not). No need to overdo it. As a last side note, I loved the author intro on the bookthe stories about the characters that Rankin wrote in after auctioning character rights and the anecdote about being pranked by a member of Belle and Sebastian. Good way to get a feel for Rankin's sense of humor and also nice to see how he incorporated a character that he didn't himself dream up from scratch, but rather had to work in as a sort of exercise.

This is a complex novel, filled with regret and desire for vengeance. Harrowing to read, but rewarding too.

I'm sure if I had read this entire series I would love this book. I picked it up for its subject matter: An aging detective and his younger female partner, Siobhan, are helping investigate a school shooting. A former military member (set in Scotland so an SAS member) opens fire at a private school killing two boys and injuring another. They do this while being investigated for the death of a troublesome man in Siobhan's past. For the first few chapters, I truly enjoyed the story. Then, for multiple chapters the main plot is ignored in place of interactions with a multitude of characters from previous books with whom I was unfamiliar. I didn't care about the main characters as much as I needed to in order to enjoy this part. This isn't a bad book/mystery. I just would have enjoyed it better if I'd read the previous 13 books in the series first.

Edinburghs infamous D.I. John Rebus must find out why an ex-army loner walks into a private school and shoots three people dead, including himself.Scotland wants new gun control laws. The police believe the crime to be a post-traumatic, stress-related shooting. Rebus has a military past and he doesn't agree. He believes the killer was after the victims as he identifies links between them. Two military investigators in plain clothes arrive and convince Rebus hes on the right track.However, he is investigated as a suspect in the murder of a petty criminal who stalked Siobhan Clark, his sidekick. The sexual tension between the two is there, as always. He dodges Internal Affairs, bucking the system. He puts his superiors noses out of joint as well as those of local politicians. His love life is in its usual shambles, he fails to make his doctors appointments and he takes his usual beating with stoicism.