Review: Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a lover of British crime thrillers, I try to read all the big names. I would like to be able to say I have read most of the big ones, yet the reality is that I have read nowhere near as many as I would like to be able to claim. I’ve been trying to amend that, and my journey into Ian Rankin is an example of me trying to better myself when it comes to one of my favourite genres.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been meaning to pick up an Inspector Rebus book. It is such a well-known name – from the television series all the way through to references being made in other crime fiction (points towards Stuart MacBride) – with the books catching my attention on many occasions. Despite how often a Rebus book would grab my attention in book stores, I held off on buying for one important reason – I’ve been trying to read crime series in order. It’s fine to jump in here and there, but so much better if you follow the development of the characters throughout. Thus, I waited until I was able to get my hands on the first Rebus book. It turns out getting my hands on the first Rebus book came about through me getting my hands on the first nine plus an unrelated Ian Rankin book through a boxset – needless to say, I was set and more than willing to dive in.

With so much behind my desire to read the books, and having heard so many great things, I went in with quite high expectations. Unfortunately, I wasn’t crazy about the first book, Knots and Crosses. It was an okay read, but it did not blow my mind in the way I had been hoping it would. Nevertheless, it did leave me interested in finding out more. Thus, as I own a fair few of the books, I decided to dive straight into the second book. I may not have loved Knots and Crosses but there was enough to leave me with the belief Hide and Seek would be more enjoyable.

Although I did enjoy Hide and Seek more than I enjoyed Knots and Crosses, it was still only a three-star read. Admittedly, a stronger three-star rating, but not enough for me to consider giving a four-star rating. The first book had moments where I considered dropping my rating down to two stars, yet this second book remained a consistent three stars throughout.

The reason I enjoyed this one more than the first and the reason why it did not work itself to a higher rating can be pointed towards the same thing – the character of Rebus. I enjoyed this one more as we already knew him as a character, his history was in place, and we knew what to expect from him. I’m not crazy about the series, however, because I don’t particularly like Rebus as a character. There is nothing about him that screams out at me, nothing that leaves me truly invested in his story. He is okay as a means of telling a decent story, but if I’m going to really enjoy a crime series I need to love a character.

I am hopeful that the books will continue to improve, though. Even if it is only by degrees, there is such potential for this series. With how many fans there are, I cannot help but hope I become a fan in the end.

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