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Exit Music
Unavailable
Exit Music
Unavailable
Exit Music
Audiobook (abridged)7 hours

Exit Music

Written by Ian Rankin

Narrated by James Macpherson

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

It's late in the fall in Edinburgh and late in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he is simply trying to tie up some loose ends before his retirement, a new case lands on his desk: a dissident Russian poet has been murdered in what looks like a mugging gone wrong.
Rebus discovers that an elite delegation of Russian businessmen is in town, looking to expand their interests. And as Rebus's investigation gains ground, someone brutally assaults a local gangster with whom he has a long history.
Has Rebus overstepped his bounds for the last time? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, inglorious career, will Rebus even make it that far?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 17, 2008
ISBN9781600244551
Unavailable
Exit Music
Author

Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin is the worldwide #1 bestselling writer of the Inspector Rebus books, including Knots and Crosses, Let It Bleed, Black and Blue, Set in Darkness, Resurrection Men, A Question of Blood, The Falls and Exit Music. He is also the author of The Complaints and Doors Open. He has won an Edgar Award, a Gold Dagger for fiction, a Diamond Dagger for career excellence, and the Chandler-Fulbright Award. He has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to literature. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife and their two sons.

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Reviews for Exit Music

Rating: 3.8648649362162155 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rankin has all the elements: old, heavy drinking, renegade cop hero; trusty sidekick, new faces in the force pushing him out; ex-wife that you never see; vain, politically-minded boss; back-stage manipulations by the rich who usually get away. Rankin carries these off as well as anyone. After 17 tries with his detective Rebus he should be able to.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Synopsis: John Rebus is retiring, but he's got to solve just one more case. In this instance a Russian dissident poet is murdered; Siobhan and Rebus must get to the bottom of the case before the retirement. They both think Cafferty is involved, but they can't prove anything - yet.Review: I hate to see Rebus go! Particularly before he gets Cafferty for some crime.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is the one. This is the one where we see Rebus leaving the police force. The book covers the last ten days of Rebus and his life as a police officer. Does he leave in a quiet, laid-back manner? Not Rebus. He is actually working on two cases in these last days. One is a Russian poet who is found beaten to death in a dark alley, and the other is a British sound tech who is burned in his home. Are they murders, and are they connected? Rebus and Siobhan try to figure it out. The investigation takes them into the murky world of diplomatic and domestic politics. It even brings them back into Big Ger Mcafferty's orbit. That's never good news for Rebus. He and Big Ger have a long and very tumultous history, and Rebus's biggest regret is that he didn't manage to have the gangster placed behind bars for good during his police career. Rebus is his usual "bull in a china shop" self in this book. His doggedness and his constant search for truth land him in trouble with the big wigs both in and out of the police force. I actually delayed reading this book becasue I just didn't want to come to the end of this wonderful series. As it turns out, this book isn't the end of Rebus (thank you Ian Rankin), just his time on the Edinburgh police force. That in itself is a little sad though because I have grown to love this character, and I don't think his retirement is going to be an easy one. There are too many demons at war inside this man. I was happy to see his protege seems to have come into her own and her policing methods are almost the same as her mentor's, but she's more analytical and doesn't seem to have the inner demons that her boss has. Siobhan will do well in her rise up in the force. I think she is Rebus' biggest achievement, and I think that he thinks so too. I am looking forward to post-retirement Rebus. I'm sure there will be lots of delights in store yet with this wonderful character.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have not read the Rebus series in order so I suspect that people who have would like this one even more than I did. An excellent police procedural (though with not a lot of procedure as Rebus isn't a rule-following kind of guy!) and I love the way Rebus (& Rankin) describes Edinburgh.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Not the worst book I've read. Not even the worst police-procedural book I've read. But did not make me want to read any more of Rankin's Inspector Rebus books.

    That's basically the nicest thing I can say about it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's the end of an era. DI Rebus has retired but not before he solves one last murder. And not before he gets suspended one more time. You would think those two events would be mutually exclusive but John Rebus is not one to let a suspension get in the way of solving a crime. Which makes me wonder what awaits him in his retirement. Surely Ian Rankin is not going to give up on John Rebus entirely.The events in this book take place in late November 2006. A young girl finds a dead body as she makes her way down a fairly deserted street in Edinburgh. It's not completely deserted because her screams bring a middle-aged couple to her side. The police are called and since Rebus and Siobhan Clarke are going over some cold cases at the station they take the call. It looks like an ordinary mugging gone bad since all the deceased's valuables are gone. Once the victim is identified as a dissident Russian poet, Todorov, Rebus wonders if it was some revenge by the Russian government. The Scottish parliament and First Albannach Bank (a thinly disguised Royal Bank of Scotland) have been wining and dining a group of Russian businessmen and one in particular, Andropov, has ties to the deceased. When a second death occurs a few days after the first and this victim is the person the poet had a last meal with, it seems too much of a coincidence. Rebus and Clarke, with the help of the other two detectives and a uniformed officer who was at the scene of the first death and impressed both John and Siobhan, start delving into the lives of both men. When Rebus is checking out the story the girl who found the body gave he discomfits the step-daughter of the head of FAB (who was the person the girl said she had been visiting). The head of the bank goes to the chief of police and Rebus gets suspended. With only a few days to go until his official retirement Rebus digs into the case even though he is banned from the police station. Since he hardly seems to need any sleep he also stakes out his arch nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty, and finds out that another police division is also watching Cafferty. Rebus does discover that Cafferty and Andropov are meeting and appear to be doing business together. Does this mean that Cafferty is involved in the two murders? There is nothing Rebus would like better than to end his career by putting Cafferty behind bars. When Cafferty is found badly beaten Rebus is the prime suspect. With the clock ticking down on his career it looks like Rebus might be spending time in a police station but on the other side of the bars.The ending is as much of a surprise as all the other Rebus books that I have read. I won't spoil the surprise for others but I will say that it leaves scope for further adventures of John Rebus. So I won't say farewell, just take care and see you soon I hope.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you have read the rest of the series you will also enjoy this installment. Presumed to be the last of the Rebus novels, but maybe not. Have heard a rumor that Rebus might start doing 'cold cases'.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Russian businessmen are in town with their wallets out and in their wake a Russian dissident poet is murdered and then our beloved rule-bending DI Rebus manages to get himself suspended a mere three days before his retirement. Doesn't stop him from directing the murder investigation, though - it wouldn't be Rebus if it did. I'm not happy that this is the last book in the Rebus series, but he does go out with a bang, which makes me happy. I've got all the parts I adore about the series in this last installment: fantastic dialogue, great characters, and lots of Edinburgh geography, all tinted with a little bit of Rebus' arch-nemesis, "Big Ger" Cafferty. I can only hope that Rankin comes up with a great way to bring Rebus back at some point in time, but if he doesn't, it's still been a really amazing ride!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It seems that Detective Inspector John Rebus, the very popular protagonist of some 20 books by Rankin, is about to retire from the Edinburgh police department in just a little over a week. But he will not be sitting on his laurels in these last days. No, he and his partner, Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke, are called to a crime scene of a man beaten to death in a small street, a man who turns out to be a rather well known Russian poet. Before you know it, Rebus finds himself in the midst of an investigation that includes Russian businessmen, Scottish independence, crime bosses, Scottish bankers, politicians, and drugs. As if that is not enough for one book, things get even more complicated when a second murder takes place, a man tied into the first investigation. To top it all off, one of Rebus's nemesis, the local crime boss Big Ger Cafferty, a man Rebus would love to take down before he retires, may be tied into the whole thing as well. It is going to be a very busy week for Rebus.As I said, this is the the latest of many books in the Rebus series, and I have not read any of the previous books in the series. But happily, it is not necessary to have done so to enjoy this one. Now I will admit, not being familiar with the characters or the setting, it took a little while to get into the swing of the book. And even once you get into the book, I will warn you that it is complicated tale and it takes a bit of effort to keep the ins and outs of the various aspects of the plot all straight. But it is well worth the effort.Rebus is a wonderful character, one that I will most certainly have to go back to the previous books to get to know better. He is a bit of a trouble maker in the force and many in power will not be unhappy to see him gone. He is a loner, enjoys his drink, has an interesting taste in music and a personal life we only get a hint of in this book. Now, there is some question whether Rankin will really retire him totally and the ending leaves open a few possibilities to see him in the future. But if he does, that leaves behind the also quite good character of Siobhan Clarke, someone who, one way or another, I hope we see again in the future as well as a few aspects of this story that could be wrapped up. A very well written, if rather complex, police procedural, with some excellent characters, an interesting setting, strongly recommended for fans of police mysteries.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've read all of this series. One of my favorites. In this one Inspector Rebus retires, though they try to arrest him and put him on suspension first. As usual he's right and the police powers that be are wrong. I was listening to the book and there was a really dramatic (and funny) scene as it was wrapping up. I laughed and wondered if it would end right there without resolving the outcome of that little situation for the reader. It did.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The novel is a reasonably good thriller, but reading Exit Music made me feel like I was reading a tourist guide to Edinburgh, hence the 2 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have a friend that has been urging me to read Ian Rankin for several years now. I've meant to get to this series, and when I had a chance to review this book I jumped on it, even if I had to start at the end.I can see why my friend recommends the series so highly. There were a variety of interesting characters, the mystery was well plotted, and the writing was high quality.On the other hand, I think I was missing some richness because I hadn't read any of the early books. I think having a better understanding of where the characters came from would have made the journey more meaningful.It is a good book on its own, and I recommend it for those that like police procedural mysteries. I'm going to go back and fill in some of the earlier books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was very interested in reading this book because I had heard so much about the author and had never read one of his books before, not realizing that would make it difficult to review this as part of a series, so I will review it as a stand-alone. The final in a long-running series, this book was entertaining, the characters full-fledged and mostly long established. Ian Rankin handles his characters well, the interaction is so natural - fun and serious by turns. There is the bull-headed terrier DI John Rebus, 10 days from retirement, fond of old movies and music who likes to test his young assistant on actors and musicians of decades past; DS Siobhan Clarke, his well-trained assistant who proves herself as both faithful and extremely capable; the straight-up newbie Todd Goodyear, and the two DCs assigned to Rebus, Colin Tibbet and Phyllida Hawes. This comprises the core group under DCI Macrae. Excellent police procedural and team play.Rankin's portrayal of the murdered expatriated but acclaimed Russian poet rings true. With a group of Russian businessmen in town, could this be political? Then one murder becomes two, with a slight connection between the victims. With tenuous connections, many red herrings and lies, the case quickly escalates into a masterful puzzle, pitting Rebus and Clarke first against DCI Macrae and later against each other. His old nemesis "Big Ger" Cafferty may or may not be involved. This interplay of characters engenders an almost family feeling, as though the past is a part of the present. It also makes for a fascinating ride and draws the reader into the "family".When the case is taken over by the SCD (SCDEA, Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency), and then by DI Derek Starr, I felt the anger along with the rest of the original investigators. With Rebus removed from the case, Clarke proves her mettle and capabilities. I was a little disappointed toward the end, probably mostly on behalf of John Rebus, but also touched. A fit end to a long-standing series. But, fear not, fans of Rankin. He will be with us for a long time yet, and he currently has his latest book "Doors Open" released as of this month. Whether this is a stand-alone or the beginning of another series I was unable to find out but I as a new fan will be looking up some of the earlier Rebus books, and following future books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is #17, and possibly the final, in the police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Jon Rebus and his partner Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke. The crime initially involves the murder of a Russian expatriate poet, who has taken up residence in Edinburgh, Scotland. The investigation expands to include another related murder and an attack on a local crime boss. Street criminals as well as high standing financial and government leaders are equal suspects in this fast moving novel. The trail winds masterfully through a wonderfully detailed cast of characters who have motive and opportunity. This is reportedly Rebus's last case before he retires and he is rife to clear the details not only of this case, but of some long standing cases linked to a suspect in the current murder. DI Rebus is certainly worth another go round.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I seem to be reading a lot of European police procedurals - British cops, Irish cops, and now Scottish cops. I'm becoming a mini-expert in how cops in the British Isles investigate things and in all the nuances of their acronyms. I'm sure I really only know enough to be dangerous, but it's cool to read all the different ways people have to get to the same goal.This book represents the exit of John Rebus, an irascible Scottish cop, who has been featured in 16 other books by Ian Rankin. Rankin writes irascible well and the plot here is fun, if bittersweet. I'm thinking at this point that I need to go back to the beginning and read them all through in order, this isn't the best entry into the series. Having said that, it was a fun book to read and if you like P.D. James (and who doesn't), you'll like these. I wonder what his next series will be like?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The time I took to read it says everything (1 day)! Its hard to believe this is it and the fact that Rebus' exit is open-ended leaves the possibility he might yet return from retirement. The quality of the plot, dialogue, characterisation and sense of place are as good as ever and will be sorely missed by Rebus fans everywhere. However, I did rather surprise myself by spotting one of the final (minor) plot twists which perhaps was signalled rather more obviously than usual. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It has taken me a while to work my way through the whole Rebus series but here's the last one. I will really miss Rebus and have thoroughly enjoyed the series. What a wonderful character Rankin has created - he will be sadly missed.Back Cover Blurb:It's late autumn in Edinburgh and late autumn in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he tries to tie up some loose ends before retirement, a murder case intrudes. A dissident Russian poet has been found dead in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. By apparent coincidence, a high-level delegation of Russian businessmen is in town - and everyone is determined that the case should be closed quickly and clinically.But the further they dig, the more Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke become convinced that they are dealing with something more than a random attack - especially after a particularly nasty second killing. Meanwhile, a brutal and premeditated assault on a local gangster sees Rebus in the frame. Has the Inspector taken a step too far in tying up those loose ends? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, inglorious career, will Rebus even make it that far?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A superb 'exit' for Inspector Rebus when Russian diplomats and poet come to Edinburgh. With the brutal murder of the Russian poet and a seemingly unrelated death of a sound recordist Rebus is hard put to get to the bottom of the crime before his retirement. His protege Siobhan Clark is head of the investigation and looks to be on track to become Rebus' successor.Murder, power and money are at the heart of this tale with the dreaded retirement of John Rebus lurking in the background. I hope this is not the 'end' of Rebus adventures, but if it is - how could Mr Rankin end it like that? Aargh!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was actually a bit disappointed with this. Enjoyable, but nothing like the best of the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    With all the crime dramas on TV these days, it's easy to think that cases can be solved in one hour. Exit Music, however, gives us a more realistic view of the time and effort involved in crime-solving. Detective Inspector John Rebus, the star of the novel, is perfectly painted as the veteran detective days from retirement. In addition to the crime, we witness Rebus' misgivings about leaving the force. The injection of this personal unease is humanizing and endearing.This book stands independently of Rebus' previous adventures, which I appreciate as I've never read the other Rebus books. Exit Music is the supposed swan song for Rankin's popular detective, but, without wanting to give anything away, I have a sneaking suspicion that readers will be seeing him again. Perhaps it is just semantics on Rankin's part. After all, it is the last appearance of Detective Inspector John Rebus...future books would see him as a civilian like the rest of us.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is only the second book of Ian Rankin's that I've read (the other was Resurrection Men). DI John Rebus is about to retire from the Scottish police force, but there is one last crime to solve involving Russian poets and businessmen, and of course, Rebus's nemises Big Ger Cafferty. I'm not a big fan of this kind of book -- mostly about the plot, less about the characters. But after only two novels, I already feel I know DI Rebus. It's fast-paced, written in real-time, with enough twists and connections to keep me interested.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    John Rebus is facing his last week in the police force. He will turn 60 in 10 days and is legally required to retire. He has no vision of what he will do in retirement and is determined to work as he's always done, right to the end. Late at night, at the foot of Raeburn Wynd the body of a Russian poet is discovered. So solving this crime will be Rebus' last case. But there is so much more to be resolved. Rebus' biggest unfinished business is with Big Ger Cafferty. He would dearly like to put Cafferty away forever, but is that going to be a legacy he will leave to DS Siobhan Clarke? And Shiv has problems of her own. Will she just move into Rebus' job as Detective Inspector and if she does, who will she choose to be her new partner? In a sense this, their last case together, is an important test for her too, made all the more important when DCI MCCrae decides that DS Clarke will be in charge of the case, with Rebus as a sort of mentor - if a loose cannon can ever be a mentor. Rankin manages to bed this case against the issues of real time Scotland, focussing on Scottish independence, an issue that dominated the Scottish elections of 2006. Not a short read, but certainly an engrossing one. It left me hoping against hope that this isn't the last we see of Rebus!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Just finished this book - good solid Rebus book but surely not the end of him!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An engaging tale with enough twists to give you a thrilling ride!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Best ending of a mystery/police procedural I can remember. Wonderful narration! Two reasons for 4 instead of 5 stars. Abridgement made the plot hard to follow at times. incredibly rich and accurate Scottish accents occasionally made the dialog hard to follow too. Overall highly enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Probably a 3.75. A good solid Rankin/Rebus but without quite the page-turning grip of the later Rebus's.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    very slow to start, characters not very likeable
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Compelling final book in the Rebus series.
    Rebus is winding up his final days as a cop and determined to get his arch nemesis, Cafferty, before he retires.
    As usual, he gets on the outs with authority.
    Great ending.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Like candy. In this novel Rebus retires. But Rankin has a new Edinburgh detective. And in an interview on NPR this morning with Rankin, I learned that Rebus might return. I'll try the young guy in the meantime I'm sure. (Audiobook of course so I can enjoy the accent in the read.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Final book in the Rebus series. Great ending and to the series - but probably not for everyone's taste. A Russian poet is murdered and the cast of likely suspects include politicians in the Scottish Nationalist party, important bankers, and Rebus' perennial nemesis Cafferty. Plenty of twists that don't always go where you expect them - but that is of course part of the enjoyment as a reader.