Midnight and Blue - by Ian Rankin

Book Synopsis

John Rebus spent his life as a cop putting Edinburgh's most deadly criminals behind bars. Now having been convicted of a homicide, he's joined them...

A convict is brutally murdered in his locked cell deep in the heart of Scotland's most infamous prison. Sleeping in a cell across the floor lies John Rebus, the equally notorious detective. Stripped of his badge and estranged from his police family, he is now fighting for his own life - protected by an old nemesis but always one wrong move away from the shank. As new allies and old enemies circle, and the days and nights bleed into each other, even this legendary figure struggles to keep his head.

They say old habits die hard, though. The death stirs Rebus's deductive - and manipulative - impulses, setting off a domino-chain of scheming criminals, corrupt prison guards and perhaps only one or two good souls who may see it all through.

But how do you find a killer in a place full of them?

Review Quotes

"[Rebus] remains Scotland's gift to the world of crime fiction, and readers won't ever let Ian Rankin forget it."--Michael McCann, New York Journal of Books

"An ingenious double locked-room mystery . . . There's maximum suspense as Rebus tries to solve a murder that might be followed by his own. A terrific addition to the Rebus series."--Booklist (starred review)

"Ian Rankin has become not just a master of the crime/mystery genre but one of the best in the world at what he does. His long-running and immensely popular series featuring Inspector John Rebus is legendary . . . MIDNIGHT AND BLUE is yet another classic from this iconic author."--Ray Palen, BookReporter

"Rankin is in top form as he reinvents his flawed hero by having him navigate an equally flawed milieu . . . [Midnight and Blue] must be one of the most original locked-room mysteries ever."--Bruce Tierney, BookPage

"The special appeal of the entry in this celebrated series is its vividly detailed portrait of the labyrinthine corridors of power in the prison, where everything is available for a price, and its unsettling connections to the corridors of power outside. It's inspiring to see that prison, along with the rotten system it represents, hasn't gotten Rankin's battered hero down."--Kirkus Reviews, Editor's Pick

About the Author

Ian Rankin is a #1 international bestselling author. Winner of an Edgar Award and the recipient of a Gold Dagger for fiction and the Chandler-Fulbright Award, he lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife and their two sons.