A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES (2020)

A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES
by Ian Rankin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the dark times
Will there also be singing?
Yes, there will be singing.
About the dark times.
– Bertolt Brecht, The Svenborg Poems

Detective Inspector John Rebus has aged over the thirty some years since Knotts and Crosses was published, the stories mostly set in and around Edinburgh. Now retired and forced to move (downstairs) because of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), he is still as sharp and opinionated as ever.

FIRST LINE: "Siobhan Clarke walked through the emptied flat."

THE STORY: The phone call no parent wants to get comes at 5 a.m. His daughter is worried because her partner has been gone for two days. Then she confesses she has been having an affair. Against better judgement, Rebus leaves Edinburgh and heads North to help. On his long drive to Naver, he listens to a CD Siobhan made him called 'Songs for Dark Times'.

 

At the same time DI Siobhan Clarke, Rebus's protegee, and DI Malcolm Fox are beginning a new investigation into a murder in Edinburgh.

 

Unexpectedly there are parallels and connections between the two investigations.

 

WHAT I THOUGHT: I'm embarrassed to be late to the party having heard of Scottish author Ian Rankin but never having read him (or even watched the series). Now I have a glimpse of what I've missed: literate writing, fully drawn characters, interesting locations, a clever plot, a compelling conflict, and a satisfactory conclusion.

 

Alternating narratives have often annoyed me, but Rankin is a master. Refocusing is quick and like a duet, both stories have equal importance. To my mind, there is nothing more fascinating than following along as two intelligent people cleverly solve a puzzle.

 

A couple of other observations: Rankin provides details which make the world come alive for the readers; I began to notice that the end of Rebus' chapters seems to deserve a drum (ba-dum-bum) roll; and as DI Clark gets close to a solution, I could physically feel an increase in urgency in the writing.

 

The information on Camps during World War II, which held both British and then Germans (and others) at one time or another, was interesting especially since some of the German inmates chose to stay behind after the war. 

 

Besides the historical references, allusions to current happenings makes the book timely. My mantra is I want to read something that surprises me and that allows me to grow in understanding. It's all here.  

 

BOTTOM LINE: In Rankin's deft hand, details are filled in so new readers (like me) are not confused and regular series readers are not bored. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 

 

DISCLAIMER: A copy of A Song for the Dark Times was provided to me by Little, Brown and Company /Net Galley for an honest review.

 

Hardcover:  336 pages 

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 13, 2020)
ISBN-10: 031647925X

ISBN-13: 978-0316479257

THE AUTHOR: Ian Rankin is a #1 international bestselling author. Winner of an Edgar Award and the recipient of a Gold Dagger for fiction and the Chandler-Fulbright Award, he lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife and their two sons.