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The Beat Goes On by Ian Rankin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Even though this book took me one month to finish, it doesn't mean it was boring. It was a conscious decision to read this book of short stories one story at a time. My initial impression of this book was that these are tales of a less impressive Sherlock Holmes but I eventually understood that not every detective has to be compared with Holmes because Holmes, though a lamppost in crime fiction, isn't the sole approach for detective work.
Ian Rankin introduced me to DI John Rebus, brilliant, irascible and endlessly frustrating to both his friends and his long-suffering bosses (according to back-cover info). Rebus is a character which eventually grows on you and is much more relatable than hot shots like Holmes. A particular short story 'Sunday' tells us more about private life of Rebus which is dark, dull in a cool way and very unhealthy. His drinking is legendary according to Indian standards or even global standards for that matter. He has no problems gulping down a pint or two while he's on duty. He's also an habitual smoker and thinks about quitting many times without any success.
I like how Rankin keeps Rebus grounded. His cases are not extraordinary but which give us an impression of respectable genius of his case solving techniques. This book is a leisure read with no extra strain on the brain. I like that once in a while. It makes for a great bedside read.
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