Book review: The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Short Stories by Ian Rankin

Published by Orion

Edinburgh cop John Rebus has already been resurrected once by his creator, who brought him out of retirement for a new novel a few years ago and now he is back again in this short story selection.

It collects together previously published work with a handful of new stories tracking Rebus from his first days on the force to the end of his career.

They reveal Rankin as a master of the short story art, with tightly-contained twists and turns and memorable characters fleshed out in just a few pages.

Readers new to Rebus would be better off beginning at the beginning with the novels, but for fans who have read and re-read them already, this is a special treat – like getting an extra pint in long after last orders have been called in the detective’s beloved Oxford Bar.