John's Reviews > Mortal Causes

Another enjoyable read. Gallows humor, Big Ger Cafferty makes an appearance. The story is set during the Edinburgh Festival and is built around sectarian violence. Imported from Northern Ireland to Scotland. The Catholic versus the Protestant.

A young man is found brutally tortured and murdered beneath the High Street of Edinburgh in St Marys Close an underground complex of houses, shops and streets. Rebus investigation leads him to the Gar-B estate a slum area of Edinburgh.

The Special Branch becomes involved as guns may be being smuggled. More murders, a country and western bar, links to the past, a gangland boss after revenge and Rebus even had time to meet a Glen Close wannabe who causes him problems.

I think Rankin maybe could have left out the crazy admirer. The sectarian troubles was a good theme and the continuing complex relationship with Cafferty is a head scratcher.

Interesting that Mortal is a Scottish euphemism for drunkenness and better explains the title.