A Good Hanging

A Good Hanging (1992) Ian Rankin

A Good Hanging is a collection of Inspector Rebus short stories.

I read Knots and Crosses a couple years ago, and although I enjoyed it, found it very dark, so I’ve been hesitant to continue in the series because I haven’t been in the mood for that much darkness. So when I came across A Good Hanging I realized this was the perfect way to read some more about Inspector Rebus (who I quite liked) but in smaller parcels, the darkness isn’t quite so overwhelming.

Plus, I interspersed other books while reading this, which helped as well.

Ian Rankin writes very well in a shorter format–some authors are good at it, some aren’t. He is very good at it. Actually, I hope to come across another collection, but then I do love short stories.

And of course, since I enjoyed this collection so much I’ve added a Rebus mystery (full length) to my to-be-read pile. We’ll see when I get to it.

If you have not read an Inspector Rebus mystery, this is a perfect place to start. You can get a feel for Rebus and for the city where he works, through a variety of different stories.
Rating: 8/10

• Browse the archives:
  
• The Poisoner’s Handbook » »
• « « Magic Bleeds