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The Black Book cover art

The Black Book

By: Ian Rankin
Narrated by: James Macpherson
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Summary

When a close colleague is brutally attacked, Inspector John Rebus is drawn into a case involving a hotel fire, an unidentified body, and a long forgotten night of terror and murder. Pursued by dangerous ghosts and tormented by the coded secrets of his colleague's notebook, Rebus must piece together the most complex and confusing of jigsaws. But not everyone wants the puzzle solved - perhaps not even Rebus himself.

©2011 Orion Publishing Group Limited (P)2008 Ian Rankin

What listeners say about The Black Book

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Not his best

Not the best Rebus. Long and complicated story with too many coincidences. But an enjoyable listen thanks to excellent narrator.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Well worth a listen

As always excellent, really enjoy the Rebus books. Well read and great to run to! Can get lost in the story whilst the miles go by!

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2 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Not great

The weakest in the series until this point, the book struggled to draw the reader in.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The best Rebus book so far.

I'm working my way through all the Rebus books, so my statement might change haha

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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loved it

The best Reubus book so far in my opinion. Another great read, very much enjoyed it.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining after a slow start

I enjoyed this overall. Top class narration and well-written. Story was slow to crank up with a lot of similar characters I found hard to keep track of at times. It may not be your favourite listen of all time, but you will have enjoyed it while it lasted. 8/10

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great build up, silly ending

Ive enjoyed all the Rebus books to date and this one had the makings of a cracker but it was not to be. It seemed like Rankin didn't know how to finish it so just dreamed a up a preposterous scenario. Very disappointing

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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One of my favourites so far

Rebus is a great character who is supported by other interesting and enjoyable characters. Super story with good plot lines and a few twists.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Classic Rebus

A great listen. This book has all my favourite characters: Big Ger, Farmer Watson, Holmes and Clarke. McPherson as always great with the interpretation. If you known Edinburgh then you'll be looking out for all the haunts.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My Favourite Rebus Story So Far

I have really enjoyed this latest Rebus story, so much so that I have to say it’s my favourite Rebus story so far.

It’s a complex storyline in which we meet new characters as well as what have now become regulars.

The twists and turns alongside the complexity of the story make for a great entertainment. It certainly keeps the listener on their toes.

As with the previous audiobooks, Ian Rankin’s excellent writing is brought to life by the exceptional narrator, James Macpherson.

It’s another audiobook that I just didn’t want to stop listening to. I’ve found myself on more than one occasion having to force myself to get some sleep. I can’t wait for the next instalment.

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