The five-hour drive takes Rebus through wilderness scenery: “Steep peaks, glossy lochs, bracken and birdsong.” By his daughter’s bungalow, there’s “a view of rising hills. The inspector sets to investigating Keith’s disappearance with the same brute vigor that made him notorious as a cop. Mr. Rankin has been writing Rebus novels since 1987, and in this 23rd series entry, the author’s curmudgeonly hero proves as resolute as ever. But as the local inspector reminds the retiree, “You need to be a father now, leave everything else to us. Might there be some way for an aging Rebus to allow more introspection and compassion into his life?

Source: Wall Street Journal October 16, 2020 14:55 UTC