Out of the blue ... one from Rankin's hand ... oooooh ... I'm over the moon ...

When Inspector Rebus retired in Exit Music, I was a bit sad.  I had enjoyed reading the Rebus novels and now there would be no more new Rebus novels to look out for.  Of course, there were quite a few in-between Rebus novels that I hadn’t read, but as I was reading them as I got them, I was not too worried.  But this ‘exit’ sort of put a screen over Rebus.  Rankin also appeared categorical when he more or less said that he was done with Rebus.  So that looked final then. 

While the Rebus series ended in 2007, Rankin started the Malcolm Fox series with The Complaints in 2009.  The setting was roughly the same as was in the Rebus novels, except that the Complaints and Conduct Department, where Malcolm Fox works, looks into complaints against police officers and the department (and the police officers who work there) is, understandably, hated by regular police officers.  I was not so enthused about this series and left it alone. 

Then in 2012, Rebus came back!  Rankin felt that he hadn’t done yet with Rebus and brought him back to work on cold cases in the department.  And very cleverly, Rankin merged this Rebus re-entry novel with the Fox series.  So, Standing in Another Man’s Grave became Rebus’ ‘comeback’ novel, the 18^th in the Rebus series and also the third in the Malcolm Fox series.  And thus, Fox and Rebus merged.  Rankin has written three more Rebus-Fox novels, the most-recent being Rather be the Devil this year (2016).  I was, of course, happy with this development and managed to read them all one by one.  And now am waiting to read the recent one...

After The Complaints, there was another standalone Malcolm Fox novel named The Impossible Dead.  And now that there was this merger, I was curious to see what transpired in the two standalone Malcolm Fox novels before Rebus merged into the Fox stream.  At that time secondhandbooksindia.com was my regular hunting ground and I remember finding The Impossible Dead there.  I had bought the book early this year, but did not find the time or inclination to read it, mainly because I wanted to read The Complaints before I started on this one.  So, the novel lay unread.  I recently found The Complaints on one of the used books portals on Amazon and that gave me the incentive to start the Malcolm Fox series.  And one day, a couple of months ago, I idly picked up The Impossible Dead to just flip through and was shocked and surprised by what I found ... 

Was this real?  This was totally out of nowhere.  An author-signed copy of one of my favourite author’s books falling into my lap just like that??!! ... get outta here ... but I, being the eternal sceptic, decided to make sure and went online to cross-verify ... and the result?  As far as I can see, the many images of Ian Rankin’s signature that I saw on the net are similar to the one on this book ... I think that should do and I am happy ... and there are those curious questions ... who was/were the previous owner/s of this book?  does the website have this information?  where did this 'signature ceremony' occur?  why prompted the owner to sell this book?  and didn't the website chaps notice this?  did the owner have to stand in a queue to get this book signed by Rankin?  was the queue long ....  and so on and so forth ...    

The Unexpected Completion of Ian Rankin's 'Inspector Rebus' Collection ...

One of the spinoffs (though a welcome one!!) of my avariciously rushing through the buying and reading of Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks novels (recounted with great humour and energy through a series of posts earlier) was the entirely unintended filling of gaps in my collection of Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus novels. 

I heard about Ian Rankin for the first time only around six years ago, when he was all over all the newspapers in India.  He was visiting India and there were interviews and articles in all the major English papers.  But what caught my attention was a conversation between Rankin and Prakash Karat, then General Secretary of the CPI (M), and an avid Rankin fan, that appeared in The Hindu (28 January 2010 see here).  Amidst all the discussion about Rankin’s Rebus novels and crime fiction in general, Karat and Rankin also talk about politics, economics, the working class, etc.  It was a very perceptive interview.  It not only gave me the motivation to start reading Rankin’s Rebus novels, but also told me in an elliptical manner the ‘how’ and the ‘what’ of reading crime fiction, especially of the police procedural variety. 

I remember (through my old posts) buying my first Rankin novel, Knots and Crosses, in July 2010.  I had a tough time getting into the world of Rebus.  It was my first experience with a police procedural novel after reading a lot of ‘detective fiction.’  I bought other Rebus novels and read them and sometimes bought more than one at a time.    

Anyway, all this happened and more happened.  Rankin’s novels eased the path towards other novelists and their ‘Inspector’ protagonists … Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo’s Inspector Beck, Henning Mankell’s Inspector Wallander, Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks, Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse (just started …).  I used to read these novels as and when I got them, usually at secondhand books shops or stalls at Abids.  But the used-books store at Amazon changed everything for me … and the rest is hystery … ha ha ha … it was as if I had discovered a gold mine and went on a buying and binge reading spree, specifically Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks novels.  One thing led to another and only two more Banks novels were left to buy, but either was with two different sellers.  In the ensuing confusion (recounted here ‘with great hilarity and wit’), I ended up buying all the Rebus novels that were not in my collection so far.  So, that’s how my Rebus collection saw completion … except for the most recent one Even Dogs in the Wild … 

The Rankin raid experience … from Butterfly Books on Amazon Used Books

In the final analysis, it was rather touching or amusing, depending on the type of person you are.  Not that I didn’t want to buy novels by Ian Rankin, but the buy didn’t set out to be a raid on Rankin as it appears now.  After buying 12 Peter Robinson novels in ‘two fell swoops,’ I saw that there were two novels yet to be highlighted in yellow on my ‘Peter Robinson’ list.  I found one of them going very cheap with Butterfly Books, another used books’ seller on Amazon.  But I was loath to pay Rs.65 for shipping when the book itself was priced lesser.  I had to fill the cart with books worth at least Rs.399 for the shipping charges to be waived off.  

I scanned my memory bank for titles I was missing.  Eventually, I decided to search for those titles missing in my Ian Rankin list.  The prices were tempting and I went berserk.  I forgot about ‘the Rs.399’ limit and the lone Robinson novel for which I was now filling the cart with Rankin novels.  I crossed all limits and the raid ended only when I saw that I had filled all the gaps in my Rankin list.  The shopping cart now had seven Rankins and one Robinson.  ‘The 399 limit’ was breached long ago.  All that remained was to click the ‘checkout’ button. 

For some reason I postponed the ‘checkout’ and a few hours later the ‘buyout’ frenzy became a hazy memory.  The next day, I remembered the books waiting in the cart and decided to ‘checkout.’ 

I went to my ‘shopping cart’ and you know what … somebody had pulled the rug from underneath the carefully planned purchase.  The entire rationale for which I ‘carted’ the seven Rankin novels had collapsed.  Of all the books available with Butterfly Books, somebody had to go ahead and buy that one Robinson novel I had in my cart!!!  I felt like Rick Blaine ... huh ... !  

I cursed myself.  I searched again and again across all the used books sellers’ portals on Amazon.  Absolutely no luck.  The seven Rankin novels in my cart stared back at me.  Should I cut my losses and wait for another opportunity for that Robinson novel to turn up?  Would that opportunity come sooner or later?  I had put together the Rankin novels with a great deal of fondness, no doubt.  I didn’t want to lose out on these too.  So, after a raging debate in my mind, the dust finally settled and I pressed ‘checkout’ for a cartful of Rankin novels.  Not that the package, when it arrived, compensated for the laxity on my part for not being hungry enough, but the sight of each Rankin novel separately shrink wrapped and each looking as good as new, went a long way in consoling my bruised soul for some time. 

That Robinson novel that I had pined for and lost and another one, which too is not on my list, are both available under used books on Amazon, but unfortunately with two different booksellers and each would charge Rs.65 separately for shipping.  And that Robinson novel now costs almost three times more with this used books’ seller than it used to with Butterfly Books.  Sometimes I feel like kicking myself, and sometimes I smile, amused at how it all turned out in the end.

‘After all, it is only a book.  Why get all het up about that.’ 

Yeah, yeah … 

Hyderabad Book Fair 2012 haul - Six Rankins

This time's visit to the Hyderabad Book Fair was almost after a 5-year break...I regularly visit second hand book stalls in Hyderabad and purchase books and as for new books, I have my trusted online bookshops where substantial discounts are offered...and even I used to visit the Book Fair, I always was interested in second hand book stalls...and once long back Shruti had gifted me a gorgeous book on Salvador Dali's paintings which she bought on instalment from a Kolkata-based book distributor who had a stall there...and anyway, this time, I hadn't planned the visit...Shruti and Mamoon were in Shimoga at that time, and I was to leave for Shimoga the next day to join them...I wanted to buy some books as gifts for my gurus in Shimoga and remembered that the Book Fair was still on and thought I'd go there first...and since I decided to buy these books almost at the last minute, I didn't have any time to order books online...and so I went to the People's Plaza on Necklace Road where the Fair was on...since I reached there at 2.00 in the afternoon, the crowd was sparse and I enjoyed the early emptiness of the stalls...but I couldn't find anything refreshing at the stalls selling new books and concentrated on second hand book stalls...and soon ran out of patience...I was looking for Robert Parker books and couldn't locate any...my friend Vinod is a patient and diligent book hunter and had found some Parkers in the Fair...lucky chap...I was drifting around aimlessly just looking at the stalls and found a stall which had suitably and enticingly shabby looking books...why not go in?  I went in and was totally and happily surprised to see a shelf full of second-hand Ian Rankin books, and the best part was, each one was priced only Rs.50/-...this was a bonanza actually...at that point I regretted not making a list of Rankins and carrying a copy with me the same way I did with my Parker books...but nothing could be done and I relied on memory, hoping I would make no double purchases...and carefully started selecting titles...I was able to put together 6 titles...Watchman, The Naming of the Dead, Set in Darkness, Resurrection Men, Flesh Market Close, Let it Bleed...Watchman turned out to be 'a re-issue of Ian Rankin's Classic Hard-to-Find early spy novel'...and so I started reading it first...it is not a Rebus novel though...a police detective called Miles Flint holds fort here...I have reached page 70 now, and am eager to complete it, but am not finding time...and I also discovered that through some luck, four of the remaining five novels are in sequence...Resurrection Men (No. 13), Set in Darkness (No. 14), Flesh Market Close (No. 15), The Naming of the Dead (No. 16)...Let it Bleed comes early in at No. 7...

Reading Rankin...doggedly finding my way into Rebus' world...

I finished reading Tooth and Nail yesterday.  Of all the Rankins I have read so far, I finished this the quickest.  My first tryst with Rankin was fortuitously his first Rebus novel, Knots and Crosses, and it took me a lot of time to get into the mood of the novel and I stopped once every ten pages or so and picked it up after two or three days.  I must say I managed to complete it, but was not a satisfied reader.  I couldn't get a grip on the atmosphere and on Rebus.  I left it at that.  I wanted to read more and picked up some more Rebus novels at a book sale.  I read Strip Jack, which I finished slightly quicker than Knots and Crosses, and still no grip on Rebus.  I kept the other Rankins aside and went back to reading private detective Spenser's exploits in Robert B. Parker's novels.  Rebus kept haunting me and I went back to Rankin and started Black and Blue.  I was back to square one with Black and Blue.  I plodded through the initial pages and didn't enjoy the feeling of forced reading.  I kept it aside, but temptation took me back to it again and again and I would sadly close the book after three or four pages.  Will I ever get into Rebus' world?

Thank God for the regular Best Books Sale at Hyderabad, where I found Rankin's short stories...both volumes in one book (The Complete Short Stories - A Good Hanging & Beggars Banquet).  This book contained many Rebus stories.  I practically devoured it.  It is a voluminous book and each Rebus story is a small gem.  I was now comfortable in Rebus' world and began to slowly understand his world and his methods.  But, I didn't want to hurry back to Black and Blue.  In the meantime, Spenser provided many moments of unalloyed sleuthing pleasure, and I also discovered Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks.

Somewhere along the way, I picked up Rankin's Exit Music along with some Parkers at Frankfurt Foreign Book Sale.  Exit Music was not an intended purchase, but then I found it and thought, 'why not.'  It was vacation time for me and I was alone at home.  It was unbearably hot in Hyderabad this summer.  I read the blurb on Exit Music and discovered that it was the last in the Inspector Rebus series.  'Let me see how Rebus' career ends,' I thought and picked up Exit Music hesitantly.  I got slowly sucked into Rebus' world and towards the end, I even sacrificed my sleep and read till 4.00 in the morning and completed it in a rush.  Phew...a difficult job completed in one reading...I was happy...not that I managed to crack Rebus' mind, but I managed to enter the world and stay there for a long enough period of time at a stretch.  Of course, I could see how it all ended for Rebus...who was almost taken kicking and screaming out of his beloved police station on retirement...it was solid dogged reading...like Dravid's batting...

I now had the confidence to try and finish Black and Blue.  I went back to the novel and hung on...I discovered I was enjoying reading it and was able to relate to some extent to Rebus.  When I finished Black and Blue, it was as if I had crossed a psychological barrier...a weight lifted off my chest. 

I had also picked up a Rankin omnibus edition at the Best Books Sale.  This edition contained two Rebus novels - The Black Book & Mortal Causes.  I could now start with one of these.

On my way to Begumpet one day recently, I took a chance and went into Frankfurt Foreign Book Sale and found four Rebus novels.  Of these, Tooth and Nail caught my attention and I started with that instead of the omnibus edition.  Rebus goes to London on request in Tooth and Nail, uprooted from his familiar Edinburgh.

Why Tooth and Nail?  I don't know.  But when I looked at the chronological list of Rebus novels, I realised that Tooth and Nail follows Hide and Seek...I didn't know this.  The first Rebus novel, Knots and Crosses, was the first Rebus novel that I read.  Strip Jack comes after Tooth and Nail.  Strip Jack was the second Rebus novel I had read...

I am now reading The Black Book...

Rankin-ed at Frankfurt...

Went to Frankfurt looking for Parkers

got Rankin-ed instead

fought tooth and nail

had a great fall

dead souls asking a question of blood

and one Robinson...asking for a piece of my heart...