Why has the body of a private investigator, Stuart Bloom, missing for years, finally turned up in the trunk of a car in an area that had already been searched by police? And why is Bloom handcuffed with what appear to be police-issue cuffs? None of this bodes well for the Edinburgh police, or for John Rebus, now retired from the force but who was actively involved in the original investigation of the PI's disappearance. Rankin once again finds a clever and believable way of getting Rebus back in the game. Here the still-crotchety but ever-so-slightly mellowed copper launches what amounts to his own investigation, in concert with former colleague Siobhan Clarke, into finding Bloom's murderer and seeing which of his fellow cops, including himself, may be implicated in a cover-up. Rankin expertly juggles multiple story lines while gradually giving more screen time to Clarke, who has emerged as a worthy series lead. Still, it's the presence of Rebus, in fine fighting form, that gives this tale its pop, especially in a concluding scene in which he uses some of his old tricks to extract a confession. Sometimes the old ways are still the best.--Bill Ott Copyright 2018 Booklist

The discovery of the body of Stuart Bloom, who went missing in 2008, in his car trunk in an isolated wooded area drives Edgar finalist Rankin's intricate 24th Rebus novel (after 2017's Rather Be the Devil). Bloom's ankles being secured with police handcuffs raises questions about the original, possibly corrupt police investigation into the man's disappearance. Semiretired copper John Rebus isn't afraid to step on official toes as he assists Det. Insp. Siobhan Clarke, Det. Insp. Malcolm Fox, and the other members of Police Scotland's Major Crime Division in their efforts to find Bloom's killer. Their attention focuses on low-budget film producer Jackie Ness, who shot a movie called Zombies v Bravehearts in 2008 on the land where the car was found and in which Bloom served as an extra. Meanwhile, Rebus reopens the case of 17-year-old Ellis Meilke, who was sent to prison for the stabbing murder of his girlfriend. In both cases, the path to justice involves making some hard ethical choices. Rankin remains a master of the contemporary police procedural. Author tour. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.