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Midnight and Blue
2024 novel by Ian Rankin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Midnight and Blue (also Midnight & Blue) is the 25th novel in the Inspector Rebus series by Scottish author Ian Rankin. It also exists as an audiobook, narrated by James MacPherson.
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Plot
The novel carries on directly from A Heart Full of Headstones, which culminated in Rebus' conviction for the attempted murder of his old nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty.[1] Now, Rebus himself is behind bars. Two parallel investigations follow: one set in Saughton Prison (HMP Edinburgh), in which a prisoner is found murdered in a locked cell, a case which is taken over by Christine Esson, with Rebus as a possible suspect. The second follows DI Siobhan Clarke, as her investigation into the disappearance of a schoolgirl leads her into a world of 'online pornography, pseudo-celebrities and exploitation.'[1] Meanwhile, Edinburgh's underworld struggles to fill the vacuum left by the death of Ger Cafferty, and we see the return of DCI Malcolm Fox, first introduced in The Complaints, as well as a number of other returning characters, including the psychopathic drug lord Darryl Christie, who seems to offer unlikely support for Rebus in his new environment.
Themes
Like A Heart Full of Headstones, Midnight & Blue deals with the themes of the past, the grey areas between good and evil,[2] past mistakes and taking responsibility for them, as well as those of ageing and mortality.[3] Ian Rankin has described Rebus, ageing alongside him in real time, as a kind of proxy, saying: 'He takes on all the aches and pains... that are waiting around the corner for me. I give all that stuff to him so I don’t have to worry about it so much.'[4]
Reception
The novel was enthusiastically received, with Kirkus Reviews praising the 'vividly detailed portrait of the labyrinthine corridors of power in the prison,'[5] and The Guardian calling it 'An expertly plotted... addition to a standout series.'[6]
References
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