Inspector Rebus #17 : Exit Music (P)

It's late autumn in Edinburgh, and Detective Inspector John Rebus is counting down the days to his retirement. But loose ends have a way of unraveling, and when a dissident Russian poet is found dead in an apparent mugging gone wrong, Rebus's quiet exit is interrupted.

The timing seems suspicious, coinciding with a visit from a delegation of Russian businessmen. Pressures from above demand the case be resolved quickly, but Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke suspect there's more to the story. Their suspicions deepen when a second, far more gruesome killing shakes the city.

At the same time, Rebus finds himself under scrutiny after a violent attack on a local gangster casts a shadow over his reputation. Has Rebus crossed the line in his pursuit of justice, or is he being set up to take the fall?

With just days left in his career, Rebus faces his toughest challenge yet: uncovering the truth while navigating dangerous political undercurrents—and ensuring he makes it to retirement alive. Exit Music is a gripping, atmospheric farewell to Ian Rankin's iconic detective, filled with tension, intrigue, and the inescapable reckoning of a career spent bending the rules.