Hide and Seek (Ian Rankin) “Saturday” – Conclusion

Sure enough, many of the “side issues” come into play in the culmination of this story.  The plot is structured in a rather complex knot after all, though we couldn’t really see most of it coming.  The relationship between John’s ex-girlfriend, Gill, and her new boyfriend, Calum McCallum, the DJ comes into play as a major clue about “Mr. Hyde” comes to light from Calum through Gill.  Some space is given to John’s drive to the police station in Dumfermline, even naming the streets along the route from Marchmont  (south of Edinburgh castle) through the old town area and north to the major road connecting to the amazing bridge that crosses the Firth of Forth and connects Mid-Lothian to Fife.  A nice description of the drive, which ends with John meeting Gill, then walking up to the police station.  Then … segue to Tracy and Nell in the hospital.

This plot device prevents the reader from learning what John learns, so that the ensuing action loses all predictability; a reliable old mystery plot device used very adroitly in this case.  More photos of boxing matches come to light, like the ones found in the offal bathtub, with our heroes still apparently not aware of why they’re important.  And, yes, Tracy is finally nabbed by the bad guys and carted off, only to be discovered by John much later during the climax of the story.

Rebus rents a tux to go make his appearance at the club owned by Finlay, one of the wealthy contributors to the planned anti-drug campaign.  Not knowing what Rebus knows, we are unaware that this is where the fan gets hit until well into the action.  The disturbance caused at the door to the club’s bar is curious until we learn, much later, that it was planned by John himself to create a diversion so that he can leave unobserved to find the incriminating evidence in another part of the complex.

And now, the obligatory scene where the hero gets into a jam that it looks like there’s no way out of.  Locked into a small room with a large mirror in one wall, he realizes too late that he has been duped; followed into a trap and sealed away.  It’s actually rather far-fetched that he ends up putting his fist through the mirror – a one-way mirror – and damaging his tormentor enough to then grab him by the throat … but mystery writers can’t seem to avoid stretching our credulity at this point in the plot, in my experience, at least.  He then gets the drop on Lanyon, a further stretch of artistic license; and the wealthy man’s henchmen - sensing that their employment situation is about to deteriorate – simply run away … the most dubious stretch of all.  Mystery writers seem to get in a hurry at the end to get the climax over with, and seem to cut corners a bit regarding what is believable and what isn’t.  For me, these events could have been fleshed out quite a bit without losing the climax’s punch.  Or maybe I’m wrong about that, maybe there is a protocol to this that great writers are aware of and I’m not.  It just seems to me that the fireworks at the end of a story like this are always too brief, too hurried. 

There isn’t much of a “wrap-up” to be done at the end; once we find out what has been taking place and where and why, the questions are pretty much all answered.  We’re never told what kind of deal John had to make with McCallum for the information he got, but we can assume it resulted in a lighter sentence or something along those lines.   Certainly Gill has washed her hands of McCallum at this point. It’s a nice parting gift to the reader when Gill shows up at John’s flat:  “There was a knock at the door.  He had hope in his heart as he opened it.  Gill Templer stood there, smiling.”






Join us next time (March 7) for March’s book of the month: “Hammerfall,” by C. J. Cherryh.  (The first segment will cover Chapters 1-7.)

One of the most renowned figures in science fiction, C.J. Cherryh has been enthralling audiences for nearly thirty years with rich and complex novels. Now at the peak of her career, this three-time Hugo Award winner launches her most ambitious work in decades, Hammerfall, part of a far-ranging series, The Gene Wars, set in an entirely new universe scarred by the most vicious of future weaponry, nanotechnology. In this brilliant novel -- possibly Cherryh's masterwork -- the fate of billions has come down to a confrontation between two profoundly alien cultures on a single desert planet.

Hide and Seek (Ian Rankin) “Thursday" and "Friday”

This story is not told in first person narrative, but it is so oriented to the mind of Inspector Rebus that it almost feels like first person.  Some authors write from a perspective that shows very little of what the characters are thinking, and others include quite a bit of what’s going on in the characters minds.  Frank Herbert, the sci-fi writer, sometimes incorporated entire paragraphs of internal dialog in italics, which made for some very interesting psychological play.  Here, Rankin is allowing us inside Rebus’ mind in subtle but effective ways, and the character of Rebus becomes very lifelike, with a personality that we begin to feel that we know very well.

His relationship with Tracy - a standard cop/witness relationship on the surface – continues to get more complex, until her animosity for him explodes into a rather lowdown double-fisted assault on his privates.  She doesn’t seem to understand the danger she’s in, and we half expect to encounter her later in the book in corpse form.  Conversely, his latest encounter with Charles is unexpectedly fruitful and civilized, occurring in his occultist blind uncle’s stately sitting room.  We also can sense the later reappearance of Uncle Vanderhyde, probably in a way which is very important to the solution of the case.  Or will he??  It’s often a surprise in mysteries how unimportant a sinister-seeming character turns out to be…

The peripheral issues in the story, (and every mystery seems to have them!) such as the raid on the dog fight, the recent love interest of Rebus and her current DJ boyfriend getting arrested, the assignment to the drug awareness program that Rebus is resisting, the suicide of one of the big-money players in said program … but wait, there’s more! … are deftly woven into the texture of the main plot; better than most mystery writers seem able to do.  Rankin writes with such calm self-assurance that it seems he can do no wrong.  (Other books of his that I have read slip a little in this regard, but not much.)

The name Hyde keeps blindsiding Rebus, but he can’t put his finger on it.  Is it connected to Vanderhyde, the occultist uncle?  The name seems to be connected with whoever is behind the apparent overdose-murder – someone who also knows Rebus is getting to close to solving the case.  The clearest example of this is the young, apparent-male-prostitute that Rebus had an encounter with earlier.  He winds up in the interrogation room at police headquarters with a story accusing Rebus of police brutality.  It’s clear he wouldn’t have involved himself with the police in this way unless he was being handsomely paid or blackmailed into it.  This is one of the loose ends that will surely play a major role at the climax of the story.

A very memorable scene occurs which has such a high disgust factor that it might win an award for Most Revolting Passage in some literary contest.  At the abandoned flat where the corpse was found, the bathroom, not having had water service in recent history, had been used anyway and had filled up slowly over time by every transient who ever frequented the “dump.”  (Sorry!)  When our Inspector realizes that the bathtub full of waste would be the perfect hiding place for the photos he’s looking for, he grabs a shovel and some gloves and starts “mining.”  The descriptions of the sight, sounds and SMELLS of this project have the reader gagging along with Rebus’ assistant, Holmes!




Next week: “Conclusion”



And join us next month for March’s book of the month: “Hammerfall,” by C. J. Cherryh.

One of the most renowned figures in science fiction, C.J. Cherryh has been enthralling audiences for nearly thirty years with rich and complex novels. Now at the peak of her career, this three-time Hugo Award winner launches her most ambitious work in decades, Hammerfall, part of a far-ranging series, The Gene Wars, set in an entirely new universe scarred by the most vicious of future weaponry, nanotechnology. In this brilliant novel -- possibly Cherryh's masterwork -- the fate of billions has come down to a confrontation between two profoundly alien cultures on a single desert planet.

Hide and Seek (Ian Rankin) “Wednesday”

The deliciously dark tone continues:  “Midday Edinburgh seemed darker than ever, reflecting his mood perhaps.  The Castle appeared to be casting a shadow across the expanse of New Town…”  For those not familiar, Edinburgh is one of Europe’s most scenic cities, modern by European standards, but surrounding a gigantic rock topped by a huge medieval castle which can be seen for many miles around.  Imagine something like that in the middle of Dallas…  The darkness even creeps into Rebus’ reflections on religion:  “He might not attend church often, detesting all the hymn-singing and the bald sermonizing, but that didn’t mean he didn’t believe in that small, dark personal God of his.  Everyone had a God tagging along with them.  And the God of the Scots was as ominous as He came.”

The theme of this story is “religious” in a sense – as long as we include witchcraft or Satanism as “religious.”  Rebus is still struggling with that aspect of the case, resisting the idea of considering it a religious crime.  Yes, the body was found lying in a crucifixion pose between two burned out candles with a pentagram and other symbols on the wall.  But forensics determined it a drug overdose, and Rebus is much more comfortable with that kind of “darkness.”

Rankin continues to include Edinburgh place names in the narrative, including them as an integral part of the story.  On leaving a pub:  ‘”Where’ll it be’ said Rebus.  ‘I hope you didn’t drive here, Tony.’  ‘Got a patrol car to drop me off.’  ‘Fine. We’ll take my car then.’  ‘We could drive down to Leith [the shipyards area on the south coast of the Firth of Forth, just a mile or two north of Edinburgh’s famous castle].’  ‘No, I fancy something more central [The area around the castle]. There are a few good pubs in Regent Road.’  ‘By Calton Hill?’  McCall was amazed.  ‘Christ, John, I can think of better places to go for a drink.’   ‘I can’t,’ said Rebus.  ‘Come on.’”  Rebus wants to do some “research” into his case.  The Calton Hill area features Calton Cemetery [See https://www.google.com/search?q=calton+hill+edinburgh&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=7--CUqaYCYirkAfs_4CoBg&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=1301&bih=641#q=calton+hill+cemetery&tbm=isch “Calton Hill Cemetery” for some intriguing images!] where certain things go on at night, apparently things that the police feel compelled to turn a blind eye to, such as prostitution of the standard and not-so-standard varieties.

Again practicing some rather dodgy policing techniques, Rebus goes to that area after drinks and “picks up” an underage male streetwalker in order to get some answers regarding the junkie whose death he is investigating.  With the help of a little strategic police brutality, as well as a little payola to grease the skids, he gets some clues, if not straight answers.  The name “Hyde” comes up, which trips some wires in Rebus’s brain, something to mull over as he heads home for a badly needed bubble bath. 

“Just for a few hours he wanted to be away from it all, all the sordid tinkering with other people’s lives.  His flat didn’t feel so secure anymore, didn’t feel like the castle it had been only a day or two ago.  And there was internal damage as well as the structural kind: he was feeling soiled in the pit of his gut, as though the city had scraped away a layer of its surface grime and force-fed him the lot.  To hell with it.  He was caught all right.  He was living in the most beautiful, most civilized city in northern Europe, yet every day had to deal with its flipside, with the minor matter of its animus.”




Next week: “Thursday” and “Friday”



And join us next month for March’s book of the month: “Hammerfall,” by C. J. Cherryh.

One of the most renowned figures in science fiction, C.J. Cherryh has been enthralling audiences for nearly thirty years with rich and complex novels. Now at the peak of her career, this three-time Hugo Award winner launches her most ambitious work in decades, Hammerfall, part of a far-ranging series, The Gene Wars, set in an entirely new universe scarred by the most vicious of future weaponry, nanotechnology. In this brilliant novel -- possibly Cherryh's masterwork -- the fate of billions has come down to a confrontation between two profoundly alien cultures on a single desert planet.

Hide and Seek (Ian Rankin) Intro,” Monday” and “Tuesday”

Ian Rankin’s writing style, for me, is hard to analyze for some reason.  It flows very nicely, like riding a bicycle downhill, but it’s hard to see just why.  This story actually begins rather stutteringly, with several disjointed events happening in short order, as if you’re listening to someone saying, “What happened is that – but before that … no, what I really meant was – but then; no, wait the first thing you need to know is…”  but somehow he makes it work and it doesn’t distract at all.  There is a dark aura about the Inspector Rebus novels that I find especially appealing.  “Tartan Noir” is the term I’ve encountered, referring to a tendency of today’s Scottish mystery writers to write dark, dreary stories.  The first book in the series, Knots and Crosses (the British name for tic-tac-toe), is a perfect example.  The later ones I’ve read had the same darkness but to a lesser degree, so I’ve picked up this book – the second in the series – anticipating another very dark story.

Once the storyline does get going, it stays nice and steady, developing the way a good mystery usually does.  It seems to me that there are two main types of mysteries: the kind that features a “professional” of some sort, in which a detective or police inspector is officially or unofficially looking into a crime, using time-tested investigative techniques; and the kind that features an amateur investigator, with or without experience or skills in sleuthing.  John Rebus is, of course, a good example of the former, though he doesn’t always play by the book, being something of a rebel in his profession.

He has a reckless streak in him, which prompts him to actions that might be frowned upon by his superiors or his colleagues.  When “Tracy” shows up at his flat (“How the hell did you find this place?”) and asks for protection from the men who are following her, he not only lets her in, he lets her take a shower in his bathroom and even spend the night on his sofa.  This has to violate all kinds of protocol for a city cop, unless things are extremely different in Edinburgh!

His interrogation techniques are fun to watch.  “Rebus was all calmness.  He exhaled smoke before responding.  ‘There were candles in the living room.’  He was getting close to telling Charlie something Charlie didn’t seem to know.  All during the interview, he had been spiraling inwards towards this moment.”  And, “’He was murdered.’ he said. ‘Or as good as.’  Charlie’s mouth opened.  The blood drained from his face … ‘Christ, man, you’re not going to pin this on me!’  ‘Why not?’ Rebus stubbed out his cigarette.  ‘Because it’s crazy.’  ‘Seems to me it all fits, Charlie.’  String him out, Rebus was thinking.  He’s already stretched to snapping point.  ‘Unless you can convince me otherwise.’”

The dialog is among the best I’ve seen anywhere.  The setting:  well, I have to admit, it’s one of the main reasons I was drawn to this author in the first place.  I have a deep fascination with this city, Edinburgh, and Rankin’s descriptions make it real to me. I have even looked up some of the place names and streets on MapQuest.  At a recent Meet-the-Author event in a local bookstore, one of the attendees brought up the point that Edinburgh is almost like one of the characters in this series, which I thought was a great observation.  Rankin seemed to think so too, and went into some detail about its "role."  Fun meeting!

 

Next week's segment: “Wednesday”