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Set in Darkness Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,432 listener ratings
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For the first time in 300 years, Scotland has its own Parliament, and to go with it, its own newly developed Parliament buildings. Detective Inspector John Rebus views the whole thing through a rather jaundiced eye, given that he's been chosen to liaise with the restructuring of the whole building. At first he thinks that the building's murky past may just be a break from the tedium--not every building has stories of a mad earl roasting a servant to death, after all--but when he is shown the legendary site, it's to discover a rather more recent body occupying the same place. As if that's not enough, a prospective Member of Parliament is found dead a few days later on the same site. As always, it's up to Rebus to find out what's going on ...
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"The title says it all, this is a very 'dark' novel, not only dark in terms of the predominant night setting but also themes. This is the first Rebus I read, I was delighted to find that a modern detective novel can not only be gripping but literary too. Have since read several more of Rankin's oeuvre but, like so many things in life, I haven't forgotten the first."
— Para (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Rankin’s ability to keep finding new dimensions in Rebus, handle intricate plot details brilliantly, and evoke the gloom and darkness of his settling keep winning him new admirers, with just cause.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“Like the best of Rankin’s earlier novels, Set in Darkness works as a cleverly constructed account of crime and its consequences, as a vivid evocation of contemporary Edinburgh, a city ‘defined by its past as much as by its present,’ as a richly nuanced portrait of its hard-edged hero, John Rebus…The result is one of Rankin’s most fully realized creations, a hypnotically involving novel that reinforces his position as one of Europe’s leading practitioners of literate, intelligent suspense.”
— Barnes & Noble, editorial review -
“Rankin has woven a plot grittier and tighter than ever…Topical Scottish nationalism and the new parliament, along with Rankin’s consistently fascinating view of Edinburgh’s seedy side, give the novel interest beyond its plot. And the plot is worthy of the series: raging and racing and teetering on the edge of falling apart, before Rankin slams the reader with a final masterful twist.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“The Rebus series has leapfrogged to the top of the procedural heap; it’s now the standard against which the hard-boiled cop novel must be measured. Nobody writes darker than Rankin; nobody confronts the ravages of the human heart with a sharper or more unflinching eye; and nobody probes quite as deeply into the inner lives of today’s browbeaten coppers.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Rankin…adds another bracing Scotch sour to his fine Rebus series, concentrating this time on mordant family relationships, professional infighting, and the near-lethal mistakes of a good man.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“DI John Rebus, of the drinking problem and the surly attitude, is back in a bigger and darker tale that indicts most of Scottish life from its new politics to its old-boy network…[Rankin is] one of the very best practitioners of police procedurals around today. Recommended.”
— Library Journal
Set in Darkness Listener Reviews
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James D Wilde, 7/10/2018
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William, 5/22/2015
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" So this is my first time reading Ian Rankin and so far I really enjoy him. He is reminiscent of Nelson Demille for me. "
— Wendy, 2/20/2014 -
" This is my first Rebus novel by Ian Rankin, and it was very satisfying. Quite long, but without any sense of padding a plot that could easily have been a short story. Complex both in detail and emotion; real characters, vivid descriptions, sometimes lyrical, sometimes gritty. A surprising ending in which rough justice works itself out and a sequel is prepared for. And I learned what haar is. And I also learned that in spite of being "corrected" by some whisky snobs, I'm not a useless numpty for preferring a wee drop of water with my single malt. "
— Jon, 1/19/2014 -
" Return to form for the master of Tartan Noir. "
— Nathanielk, 1/17/2014 -
" Another great addition to this series. "
— Debbie, 1/17/2014 -
" Another self destructing police officer who everyone is against but his unorthodox methods pay off. "
— RollingT, 1/10/2014 -
" Another excellent Rankin! How he manages to come up with such convoluted plots...and then tie 'em all together. Too fascinating to put down. "
— Kathy, 12/24/2013 -
" For my tastes, a little too heavy on the socio-politico history of Scotland, but a pretty good book overall. "
— Karen, 12/12/2013 -
" Quite a plot for John Rebus. Rankin weaves a great mystery in Scotland. "
— Diane, 11/15/2013 -
" Dull as dishwater!! "
— Marie, 11/5/2013 -
" This is probably my favorite Rebus book thus far. Since I haven't read them in order, it explained some characters and their relationship to Rebus that I was unclear on. Good story, interesting villians and heroes, complex. A good read! "
— Denise, 9/27/2013 -
" My father-in-law recommended this series to me. I found this volume fun, and the glimpse of modern Edinburgh is interesting, but some aspects of the plot were disappointing. "
— Kellyann, 8/12/2013 -
" I always enjoy reading these books. He's an excellent writer. "
— Cathy, 4/6/2013 -
" Stalled a bit close to the end. Not a bad read overall. "
— Sergey, 12/14/2012 -
" I love the Rebus mysteries, and this one is exceptionally good. Makes me want to go back to Edinburgh! "
— Biancaneve, 9/14/2012 -
" The protagonist, John Rebus, is a Scottish police detective solving the murder of a man stuffed in a fireplace in one of Scotland's historic buildings. He is sarcastic and of course, smarter than everyone else in the book. I just love the Scots and Brits way of solving mysteries! "
— Becky, 9/1/2012 -
" I almost gave this novel a 3 because the first half rambled and the bullying Linford character was very annoying. Once Cafferty was brought back into the plot, things started to pick up. It wasn't bad, but not as good as some of the other Rebus tales. "
— Irene, 3/29/2012 -
" Pretty decent book by Rankin, with a bit more action for the supporting characters of Clark and Cafferty (who returns from jail). However, I found it too long on the philosophizing about Edinburgh and life and death. I know Rankin is known for doing that but I think he overdid it in this book "
— Ricardo, 3/14/2012 -
" Good but not one of the best. "
— David, 12/23/2011 -
" I love Hannah "
— Susan, 12/4/2011 -
" I'm unable to write a long review at the moment but I think this intricate novel is one of the best in the Rebus series. It's a page turner with a philosophical twist. I heartily recommend it to fans of crime fiction. "
— Barbara, 6/16/2011 -
" Yet another episode of Rebus v. Cafferty. This series just doesn't grab me the way, say the Banks series does. Rebus is a damaged character, but I'm not sure just how much insight we really get into his character. The plot was plenty complex and again leaves open room for the next episode. "
— Herzog, 2/20/2011 -
" Another Rebus mystery, which is good. I may have red it before. Don't remember. Lots of Scottish political history. "
— Ange, 2/15/2011 -
" Another self destructing police officer who everyone is against but his unorthodox methods pay off. "
— RollingT, 2/10/2011 -
" Another excellent Rankin! How he manages to come up with such convoluted plots...and then tie 'em all together. Too fascinating to put down. "
— Kathy, 9/12/2010 -
" Rankin's books just get better and better. "
— Heather, 6/27/2010 -
" A good read, but I found the characters at times confusing, especially when I put it down for a few days before returning to it. Many of the characters seemed to have tastes in music, etc from the seventies. I wondered if this was more the author being reflected in his characters. "
— Goldenwattle, 4/27/2010 -
" Good but not one of the best. "
— David, 1/24/2010 -
" For my tastes, a little too heavy on the socio-politico history of Scotland, but a pretty good book overall. "
— Karen, 1/17/2010 -
" I love the Rebus mysteries, and this one is exceptionally good. Makes me want to go back to Edinburgh! "
— Biancaneve, 11/18/2009 -
" My father-in-law recommended this series to me. I found this volume fun, and the glimpse of modern Edinburgh is interesting, but some aspects of the plot were disappointing. "
— Kellyann, 9/21/2009 -
" My first in this series. Set in Edinburgh, Rebus investigates the murder of a man standing for Parliament as well as the identities of two other corpses that tuen up. The bad stuff is based on land development schemes. Good police procedural with tired out, under appreciated lead investigator. "
— Beverly, 7/24/2009 -
" I really enjoyed this Rebus novel, after dwindling returns from teh last couple I read. A slow start segued into a well plotted, character driven story. "
— Godzilla, 6/11/2009
About Ian Rankin
Ian Rankin, a New York Times bestselling author, is the recipient of an Edgar Award, a Gold Dagger for fiction, and a Chandler-Fulbright Fellowship.
About Samuel Gillies
Sam Gillies is an experienced audiobook narrator whose titles include A Fearsome Doubt, Legacy of the Dead, Let It Bleed, Wings of Fire, and others.