Discount Price: $7.99
Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN num: 9780312966775
ISBN number: 0312966776
Label: St. Martin's Dead Letter
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Dead Letter
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: February 15, 1999
Publishing house: St. Martin's Dead Letter
Sale Popularity Level: 157751
Studio: St. Martin's Dead Letter
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Bible John killed three women, and took three souvenirs. Johnny Bible killed to steal his namesake's glory. Oilman Allan Mitchelson died for his principles. And convict Lenny Spaven died just to prove a point. 'Bible John' terrorized Glasgow in the sixties and seventies, murdering three women he met in a local ballroom--and he was never caught. Now a copycat is at work. Nicknamed 'Bible Johnny' by the media, he is a new menace with violent ambitions.
The Bible Johnny case would be perfect for Inspector John Rebus, but after a run-in with a crooked senior officer, he's been shunted aside to one of Edinburgh's toughest suburbs, where he investigates the murder of an off-duty oilman. His investigation takes him north to the oil rigs of Aberdeen, where he meets the Bible Johnny media circus head-on. Suddenly caught in the glare of the television cameras and in the middle of more than one investigation, Rebus must proceed wiht caution: One mistake could mean an unpleasant and not particularly speedy death, or, worse still, losing his job.
Written with Ian Rankin's signature wit, style and intricacy, Black and Blue is a novel of uncommon and unforgettable intrigue.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
Taking off from the true case history of a Glasgow killer named Bible John, Rankin spins a complex (but still clear*) pageturner about a copycat murderer, dubbed Johnny Bible by the press and cops, but nicknamed the Upstart by the real Bible John, who is still alive, 30 years older, married, and in business under an assumed identity. Even though we know that Bible John is alive and trailing the Upstart, Rebus does not, although he is obsessed with the old case due to his youthful involvement in the earlier investigation.
Rebus is pulled into the later investigation (in Glasgow and Aberdeen) by the suspicious "suicide" of an oil company employee in Edinburgh which connects to an Aberdeen crime boss and eventually to the Glasgow/Aberdeen murders, old and new. Along the way, bent cops in Aberdeen suspect him of being Johnny Bible. There are hair-raising descriptions of a North Sea oil platform and its operations, as well as the usual "second home" pub meets with gangsters, journalists, suspects, and friends. Jack Morton, Rebus's Glasgow cop connection from Knots and Crosses, returns in this book and his deepening bond with Rebus leads to an unexpected and hopeful turn in Rebus's private life.
*A note on the complexity of this book -- geographically, I had to look back to pin down the cities involved, but I had no trouble remembering the main characters and interwoven plots, even though I took several days to finish the book. The portrait of the returning serial killer and the development of Rebus' character in this book make it one of Rankin's best.
Rated by buyers 
-
It is my very first and last book of Ian Rankin. The book is extremely boring, full of useless subplots, and I could not finish it.
Everything goes around the personality of Detective Rebus, who is a proud alcoholist and an immature, self centered, asocial, negative and depressing character, with deep problems in relating with other people, expecially women. The other (and too many)characters are uninteresting and impossible to remember, because they are not described or analyzed. Everybody acts only and exclusively for interest, without sentiments or positive emotions. I cannot really understand the popularity of Mr Rebus.
Rated by buyers 
-
Plenty of details in other reviews, but if you're wondering about just trying the Rebus line...
I have been VERY happy to find Rankins Rebus series after enjoying Connelly, Crais, White , Corcoran and some others. Great character depth and interplay. Cynical, gritty .......noirish, you'll likely enjoy your time in DI Rebus' world.
I've read 5 of these so far and would give 3 x 5 stars, 1 x 4 stars and this book 3 1/2 stars.
Rated by buyers -
His very first book in the series, Knots + Crosses, was straight-forward and less than 200 pages. This tome is closer to 400 and has more twists, turns, obfuscation, dead ends, cul-de-sacs and out-and-out right lies than a politician's testimony. Rankin also brings back Rebus' partner, Jack Morton, from the very first book, to help Rebus get back on track.
That this story is based on the real 'Bible John' killer, the books antagonist, 'Johnny Bible' is fictitious. How close does Rebus get to the two killers? Read the book.
Rebus is tied to the killings because he happens to have had contact with one of the murdered woman. But, at the same time he is dealing with Brian Holmes break-up with Nell over his being a 'copper', trying to work out a relationship with Gill Templer, and finally coming to grips with his alcoholism.
It's nice to see Rankin address Rebus' problem with addiction (to booze and cigarettes). He is able to deal with it directly without a lot (actually little) preaching. John has a problem, and Jack (who has cleaned up) is the one to point out what has been staring him in the face for the last two books. He is drinking to numb himself to his problems with his lack of personal relationships. Missing though is any mention of Patience, as if she and there relationship never existed.
Guessing that John is now in his middle forties, and has been a heavy smoker and drinker for the last dozen years at least, he doesn't seem to have any physical effects from it. In fact, once again, out galant inspector, gets the snot beaten out of him, and more than once, without any long term effect. This is one of the few things in his (John and Ian's) character, that doesn't ring true. As always, everyone will get credit for solving the myriad of cases in this book, but John.
Rated by buyers -
This was my very first Rebus book and I came away impressed by Rankin's ability to put a new twist on the loner cop. Rebus, with his inability to let things remain status quo, proves to be an excellent protagonist, his interest in music a nice trait and his heavy drinking understandable given his sense of isolation. Scotland as a setting proved to be fascinating for this American reader and the police procedural nature of the book is well-served by Rankin's attention to detail. But I did find there was a bit too much going on , an old case coming back to haunt Rebus, two serial killers, a murder that involves big oil and big crime, and one of those unresolved endings that really could have been resolved without any great difficulty. This was just too many threads to tie together successfully, but in away I like the idea that Rankin feels the need to challenge the reader within the confines of this type of mystery. I'll definitely give Inspector Rebus another look.
Find other books like this one:
