Author: Ian Rankin
Genre: Crime Fiction
Recommended to: People
who like to read crime fiction and those who love Rebus and Rankin's
style of writing.
Recommended age group:
18+
Rating: 8/10
Publisher's write-up:
'MP Gregor Jack is caught in an Edinburgh brothel with a
prostitute only too keen to show off her considerable assets. When
the media horde begins baying for political blood Jack's friends
rally round to protect him. But some of those friends –
particularly his wife's associates – are not so squeaky clean
themselves.
Initially Detective Inspector Rebus is sympathetic to the MP's
dilemma – who hasn't occasionally succumbed to temptation? - but
with the the disappearance of Jack's wife the glamour surrounding the
popular young man begins to tarnish. Someone wants to strip Jack
naked and Rebus wants to know why . . . '
Strip Jack, named after the card game Strip Jack Naked (Beggar my
neighbour) is the fourth novel featuring Detective Inspector John
Rebus and after solving a case at London in Tooth & Nail, he
is back in Scotland. A significant change has taken place in Rebus'
personal life, that is, he has regained a woman's support, with Rebus having
started a relationship with Dr. Patience Aitken (but neither Rhona nor Sammy appear in this novel).
Review
The story begins with a police operation; raiding a brothel in a
relatively high-class neighbourhood but, they happen to find the
Right Honourable Gregor Jack MP, North and South Esk constituency
(fictitious) inside, who, so far in the public eye, had been a 'Mr.
Clean'. However, Rebus was convinced that there was something strange
about it, considering the horde of reporters who were waiting outside
the brothel during the raid, something which only the police had
known. Jack's wife is missing and is eventually found in the river,
murdered. MP Gregor Jack is bereaved and at the same time, is going
through a bad time because of the brothel incident and John Rebus, is
keen to uncover the mystery surrounding this incident.
There is a variation in pace, compared to that of the predecessors
(review(s) available, check the List of Reviews). The story doesn't
begin with the murder and it happens in due course of the plot and
till then, you only had Rebus wandering, casually talking to the MP
who caught, was investigating in a case regarding stolen books and
all these also gave time for the author to bring out the character of
Patience Aitken. Rebus was as brilliant as ever (and so was Rankin's style of writing), much more
interesting than what he was in the other novels, with his ingenious
puns and cynicism. In my opinion, Rebus has become a much better
detective now, maybe because Rankin too, has become a much better
crime novelist.
The plot was amazing, moving across several places in Scotland,
several characters with different occupation, different background
and personality but somehow all of them were connected to the case in
some way or the other but at the same time I felt that the number of
characters were too many which made me lose track of it, at times. It
had nearly everything in it, an enthusiastic, slave-driving police
detective with dull superiors and a troubled relationship, a
politician in trouble with his associates trying their best to
protect him and of course, a very good mystery supported with
interesting investigations carried out by the police.
I've always felt that a crime / thriller novel without an apposite
end is meaningless, like in the case of the predecessors of the
Inspector Rebus series but finally, the author has managed to deliver
a fitting end to a good plot.
Thankfully, there are 14 more novels in the Inspector Rebus series
and I hope the upcoming novels are even better than Strip Jack.
Summary
I was always told that the initial works of Ian Rankin weren't all
that impressive but I was more than satisfied with Strip Jack. After
reading the publisher's write-up, I initially didn't like the idea of
a story based on an incident that takes place at a brothel, of all
places but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be although, I
would have preferred some other location but the aforementioned
location probably suits the plot best. After a slow start, the plot
maintained a good pace which kept me gripped to the novel, to the
extent that someone as slow as I am, could complete a 278 page novel
within a week.
Considering the plot, the twists and turns and the presence of John
Rebus, I shall happily give this book a rating of 8/10 and to all
those who quit reading the Inspector Rebus novels, reconsider your
decision and read Strip Jack.
Have a nice day,
Andy
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