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Hide And Seek

The number one bestselling series that inspired BBC One’s REBUS

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Hide And Seek

By: Ian Rankin
Narrated by: James Macpherson
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A junkie lies dead in an Edinburgh squat, spreadeagled, cross-like on the floor, between two burned-down candles, a five-pointed star daubed on the wall above.

Just another dead addict - until John Rebus begins to chip away at the indifference, treachery, deceit and sleaze that lurks behind the facade of the Edinburgh familiar to tourists.

Only Rebus seems to care about a death which looks more like a murder every day, about a seductive danger he can almost taste, appealing to the darkest corners of his mind...

Read by James Macpherson

(p) 2011 Orion Publishing Group©1991 John Rebus Ltd Crime Thrillers Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Thriller Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Crime Detective Suspense
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Critic reviews

There cannot be a better crime novelist writing
Rebus is a masterful creation
Ian Rankin is widely, and rightly, regarded as the leading male crime writer in Britain
Ian Rankin is a genius (Lee Child)
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If you have read not read Rebus, you must give them a try. The characters are great, interesting, funny and real. The story lines are interesting and enjoyable.

Fantastic Characters, Fun Story, Great Read/Listen

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I love the Rebus books but I haven't had time to read since having my babies. What a tremendous way to enjoy a good book.

A damn good listen.

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Hide and Seek, full of references to Jekyll and Hyde, pre-dates Trainspotting. But it’s in the same territory, kicking off with a dead drug addict in a squat. It’s grim, at times nauseating, stuff: spare and brutal. Later the story takes us into a more rarefied realm, the Edinburgh of lawyers and businessmen. Rebus is fleshed out a little more. He falls asleep in his armchair listening to old records, after drinking whisky or wine. There’s less about his sex life than in the first novel in the series, Knots and Crosses (this is the second book). That’s probably a good thing. Rebus isn’t quite so much the wise-cracking maverick that he becomes in subsequent titles. He’s even lined up, improbably, to lead a public information campaign against drugs. At times I felt my attention drifting, and didn’t much care about the fate of any of the characters beyond Rebus (and it’s fairly clear he’ll survive, and indeed crack the case). The final couple of chapters were well done and there’s some good descriptive writing about Edinburgh. It’s not the strongest Rebus - nowhere close. But it’s worth a listen for the completist, setting out Rankin’s stall for the rest of the series: the ‘doubleness’ of Edinburgh, the contrast between the affluence and the poverty, the powerful and the powerless. And we get to know a bit more about Rebus: the lonely, driven man trying to unravel the city’s darkest mysteries.

Rebus goes Trainspotting

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I am listening to all the Rebus novels anew, after reading them when they first came out. This novel adds layers to the characterization of Rebus. The plot deals with corruption in high places and shows Rebus negotiating subordinates and superiors as well as civilians with guile. Fabulously narrated by James McPherson. He is the voice of Rebus.

Powerful novel told with the authentic voice of Rebus!

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Beautifully read, beautiful writing, telling a twisting tale of the perils of pulling at loose ends. Grim crimes, appalling villains, downtrodden antiheroes, complex plot to keep you guessing and wanting more. Everything I want from an Audible novel. This is great stuff. Did I mention I enjoyed it?

For the listener, a smorgasbord of criminal delights

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