A QUESTION OF BLOOD

When a two-bit criminal is found burned to death and Inspector John Rebus, last to see him alive, appears the next day with severely burned hands and a lame excuse for his injuries, Rebus suddenly becomes a prime suspect. Hoping to avoid an official inquiry, he begins work on an apparently open-and-shut case, a fatal shooting at a private school. James Macpherson's Scot's brogue is one of the best reasons for listening. His characterizations are entertaining, and his handling of convoluted plot points is gratifying. In his fourteenth John Rebus novel, Ian Rankin presents another intriguing police procedural, this one with fascinating forensics, some pithy reflections on gun control, and a number of startling revelations. Sadly, the abridgment is thin, leaving the listener wondering what's missing. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 04]