Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels make up one of the most successful and admired series of detective stories ever written. It has been many years since I last read one and I was intrigued to catch up on the canny and curmudgeonly John Rebus, now in declining health and officially retired from the Edinburgh police force. I say officially retired because Rebus seems as busy as ever here. The story begins with him agreeing to investigate for his old adversary, Ger Cafferty, the apparent re-appearance of a man thought long dead. What should be a routine assignment turns into much more as Rebus gets drawn in to a corruption inquiry that focuses on many of his former colleagues and threatens to uncover secrets long buried.

The story has all the ingredients that have enticed Rankin’s fans for decades. The plot is just intricate enough to keep the mind buzzing about who did what and why, but the special sauce in this series has always been the characterization. Rebus himself, his sidekick Clarke, and Rebus’s old nemesis Cafferty are the reasons why millions buy and devour these books. In A Heart Full of Headstones we meet Rebus and Cafferty when their powers are waning and at a time of growing infirmity for both men. A new generation of villains and police officers has taken control. But there is still life in the old dogs, and they can still growl and bite when occasion demands.