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jenniferworrell's review against another edition
2.0
I'm obsessed with this author and the whole Rebus series, but this entry didn't quite live up to the novels thus far (I read this after Tooth & Nail). Some seemed underformed, although organized in a way that Rebus seems to deepen as you read along. There are three standouts though: Monstrous Trumpet and Not Provan, which are the most vivid portrayals of Rebus, and Sunday, which I think will stick with me for a long time. It is a very slow, even dull, meander through Rebus' day off, which very slowly and subtly becomes darker and more ominous, until you're left shaken and chilled at the meaning of the day and how a man handles, (or fails to handle), the more sinister elements of his life.
alfykins's review against another edition
4.0
good solid detective stories, a couple of them great. Sunday and Auld Lang Syne were particular stand outs.
tenisonpurple's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
2.0
Not nearly as good as the full length novels.
audreyintheheadphones's review against another edition
4.0
It turns out that one of the many things I like about Inspector Rebus is that he's a book-flinger:
John Rebus threw The Dain Curse up in the air, sending it spinning towards his living-room ceiling. Gravity caught up with it just short of the ceiling and pulled it down hard, so that it landed open against the uncarpeted floor.
--"The Dean Curse"
A well-chosen collection that should appeal to Rebus and non-Rebus readers alike. Standouts: "The Dean Curse", "Tit for Tat" and "Not Provan".
lucyb's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed these. Although the big reveal or "twist" moments of the plots can feel a bit outsized for the stories, the forced economy of the short story form suits Rankin's style well, I think. I find that the novels can border on the sluggish or self-conscious in their detailed evocations of character and atmosphere. These stories have a lapidary charm to them.
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