Book Review: Death is Not the End

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Death is Not the End     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon UK HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Ian Rankin
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural
Series: John Rebus # 10
St. Martin’s, Jun 2000, $11.95, 80 pp.

Scotland-based Detective Inspector John Rebus works two cases. One involves the disappearance of the twenty-three year old son of a woman John once loved. John’s boss Chief Superintendent Watson assigns him the task of providing a special birthday present: evidence to send Topper Hamilton to jail. John considers both cases personal for different reasons.

DEATH IS NOT THE END is a compelling dark police drama that keeps reader interest from the first page to the last. The story line contains a complex plot and deep characterizations than normally found in a novella, but not at the level found in Ian Rankin’s novels. Although a short work, it retains a powerful punch, leaving fans with the dilemma of considering the price tag.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner