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Doors Open
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Review
'It convincingly shows that he can move with aplomb into another crime form, and tell a story that's typically at once gripping and full of subtle effects, without his depressive detective holding it together' (John Dugdale SUNDAY TIMES )
'Doors Open is a lot of fun. It's pacy, witty, full of action, twists and splendid dialogue. And Rebus does make a subtle appearance when an officer describes his police station as "a damn sight quieter since you-know-who retired" ' (THE TIMES )
'Because Rankin is a master story-teller, that means the reader is quickly swept up and carried along. I read this in one sitting, on a swelteringly hot beach in Greece; I kept meaning to do other things - find a beer, fetch a sunhat, check the BlackBerry - but somehow had to keep putting them off until I finished this chapter; and then the next; until I'd reached the end' (Andrew Marr GUARDIAN )
'An immensely satisfying, bloody and constantly surprising story of middle-class amateurs mixing it with the big boys. And, as usual, Edinburgh - "a village masquerading as a city" - is a character in itself. So much so that "you-know-who" is hardly missed' (EVENING STANDARD )
'Rankin has taken a holiday from Rebus before, notably in the Jack Harvey thrillers. Here he is trying something new, a "caper" that is also a publishing experiment. Doors Open was serialised in the New York Times so it should reach even more readers than Rebus did' (TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT )
'It's different - and it's good' (Carla McKay DAILY MAIL )
'Rankin is having fun here, name-checking Ocean's Eleven and Banksy, inverting the Rebus idea and writing a heist thriller from the criminals' point of view' (METRO )
'Ian Rankin can pull off an audacious criminal caper even without his trademark detective' (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY )
'a superbly-plotted, light-hearted romp which owes a debt to Ocean's Eleven, but has plenty of charm of its own too' (BIG ISSUE IN SCOTLAND )
'Rankin is enjoying himself here examining the flipside of Rebus' world: the mindset of the criminal attempting the perfect crime. The plotting and suspense are as impeccable as ever, and his ear for dialogue and insight into his home city remain perfectly honed. Freed from his Rebus back-story, Rankin sets a rattling pace, and Doors Open is an untrammelled joy to read. Consummate in its execution, this is another fine addition to Ian Rankin's career, Rebus or not' (THE LIST )
'As you'd expect from Rankin, a good plot and an interesting collection of Edinburgh characters' (CHOICE )
'You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough' (RED )
'The king of crime returns with another rip-roaring thriller' (WOMAN )
'Rebus might be resting but Rankin has lost none of his skill in creating a pacy plot set in Edinburgh. It's a compelling story with some great characters, at least one of whom I wouldn't be surprised to see in a future book. Recommended' (THE BOOK BAG )
'There is acute psychology and social commentary in Doors Open' (STANDPOINT )
'This comic crime caper is a real treat, with Scotland's superlative author masterfully delivery thrill-a-minute plot twists on every page. Rankin fans, and even Rankin amateurs, will be crying with laughter, as well as crying out for more' (NHS MAGAZINE )
'Rankin has produced another stunningly clever plot, and peopled it with convincingly intriguing characters. Can this man do no wrong?' (DAILY MIRROR )
'Perhaps Rankin's most entertaining book yet, an old-school caper with a sting in the tail' (John Connolly IRISH TIMES )
'Fans of Rankin's successful Inspector Rebus series can stop crying into their whiskies. The publication last year of Exit Music, the final novel featuring the hard-drinking detective, has not stopped its author writing some excellent new tartan noir. Doors Open is Rankin's first stand-alone thriller for a decade. A fast-paced, intriguingly plotted tale of a heist in Edinburgh's art world, it also features the city's shadier side - where Rebus so often hung out' (Melissa McClements FINANCIAL TIMES )
'This is exhilarating stuff, markedly different in tone from the kind of book we are used to from Rankin, but welcome proof that he has much more than one string to his bow' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
'Rankin's superlative prose and well-crafted plot twists make this a must-read, especially for those still in mourning for the grumpy guy with a bus pass' (Shari Low DAILY RECORD )
'Now Rankin has retired Rebus he can use his considerable talents to create standalone titles like this' (THE INDEPENDENT )
'Having retired Rebus, Rankin concocts a sharp, cleverly plotted, smartly paced criminal novel, throwing amateur crooks plannng an art theft to the professional sharks of Edinburgh's underworld' (SAGA )
'a compelling new departure for Scotland's king of crime' (THE INDEPENDENT )
'An amusing bloody tale of middle-class amateurs mixing it with the big boys to pull off an audacious art heist' (EVENING STANDARD )
'a gripping crime novel that gradually enmeshes the reader in its dark world of wrong choices and deception' (DEADLY PLEASURES )
'We love the thought that went into this Rankin release. He's a legend, and books like this prove why' (U MAGAZINE )
'Rankin has a seemingly effortless ability to tell a good and suspenseful yarn' (Barbara Fister MYSTERY SCENE ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
'Doors Open is a lot of fun. It's pacy, witty, full of action, twists and splendid dialogue. And Rebus does make a subtle appearance when an officer describes his police station as "a damn sight quieter since you-know-who retired" ' (THE TIMES )
'Because Rankin is a master story-teller, that means the reader is quickly swept up and carried along. I read this in one sitting, on a swelteringly hot beach in Greece; I kept meaning to do other things - find a beer, fetch a sunhat, check the BlackBerry - but somehow had to keep putting them off until I finished this chapter; and then the next; until I'd reached the end' (Andrew Marr GUARDIAN )
'An immensely satisfying, bloody and constantly surprising story of middle-class amateurs mixing it with the big boys. And, as usual, Edinburgh - "a village masquerading as a city" - is a character in itself. So much so that "you-know-who" is hardly missed' (EVENING STANDARD )
'Rankin has taken a holiday from Rebus before, notably in the Jack Harvey thrillers. Here he is trying something new, a "caper" that is also a publishing experiment. Doors Open was serialised in the New York Times so it should reach even more readers than Rebus did' (TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT )
'It's different - and it's good' (Carla McKay DAILY MAIL )
'Rankin is having fun here, name-checking Ocean's Eleven and Banksy, inverting the Rebus idea and writing a heist thriller from the criminals' point of view' (METRO )
'Ian Rankin can pull off an audacious criminal caper even without his trademark detective' (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY )
'a superbly-plotted, light-hearted romp which owes a debt to Ocean's Eleven, but has plenty of charm of its own too' (BIG ISSUE IN SCOTLAND )
'Rankin is enjoying himself here examining the flipside of Rebus' world: the mindset of the criminal attempting the perfect crime. The plotting and suspense are as impeccable as ever, and his ear for dialogue and insight into his home city remain perfectly honed. Freed from his Rebus back-story, Rankin sets a rattling pace, and Doors Open is an untrammelled joy to read. Consummate in its execution, this is another fine addition to Ian Rankin's career, Rebus or not' (THE LIST )
'As you'd expect from Rankin, a good plot and an interesting collection of Edinburgh characters' (CHOICE )
'You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough' (RED )
'The king of crime returns with another rip-roaring thriller' (WOMAN )
'Rebus might be resting but Rankin has lost none of his skill in creating a pacy plot set in Edinburgh. It's a compelling story with some great characters, at least one of whom I wouldn't be surprised to see in a future book. Recommended' (THE BOOK BAG )
'There is acute psychology and social commentary in Doors Open' (STANDPOINT )
'This comic crime caper is a real treat, with Scotland's superlative author masterfully delivery thrill-a-minute plot twists on every page. Rankin fans, and even Rankin amateurs, will be crying with laughter, as well as crying out for more' (NHS MAGAZINE )
'Rankin has produced another stunningly clever plot, and peopled it with convincingly intriguing characters. Can this man do no wrong?' (DAILY MIRROR )
'Perhaps Rankin's most entertaining book yet, an old-school caper with a sting in the tail' (John Connolly IRISH TIMES )
'Fans of Rankin's successful Inspector Rebus series can stop crying into their whiskies. The publication last year of Exit Music, the final novel featuring the hard-drinking detective, has not stopped its author writing some excellent new tartan noir. Doors Open is Rankin's first stand-alone thriller for a decade. A fast-paced, intriguingly plotted tale of a heist in Edinburgh's art world, it also features the city's shadier side - where Rebus so often hung out' (Melissa McClements FINANCIAL TIMES )
'This is exhilarating stuff, markedly different in tone from the kind of book we are used to from Rankin, but welcome proof that he has much more than one string to his bow' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
'Rankin's superlative prose and well-crafted plot twists make this a must-read, especially for those still in mourning for the grumpy guy with a bus pass' (Shari Low DAILY RECORD )
'Now Rankin has retired Rebus he can use his considerable talents to create standalone titles like this' (THE INDEPENDENT )
'Having retired Rebus, Rankin concocts a sharp, cleverly plotted, smartly paced criminal novel, throwing amateur crooks plannng an art theft to the professional sharks of Edinburgh's underworld' (SAGA )
'a compelling new departure for Scotland's king of crime' (THE INDEPENDENT )
'An amusing bloody tale of middle-class amateurs mixing it with the big boys to pull off an audacious art heist' (EVENING STANDARD )
'a gripping crime novel that gradually enmeshes the reader in its dark world of wrong choices and deception' (DEADLY PLEASURES )
'We love the thought that went into this Rankin release. He's a legend, and books like this prove why' (U MAGAZINE )
'Rankin has a seemingly effortless ability to tell a good and suspenseful yarn' (Barbara Fister MYSTERY SCENE ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'Fast, slick and exciting' -- William Leith EVENING STANDARD 'Inspector Rebus is absent from Ian Rankin's latest thriller but Edinburgh is as important a character as ever. Rankin expertly portrays the gang's different personalities as the plot thickens and darkens' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'The unravelling of the plan shows the author at his best: while the trio's motives for risking jail sometimes stretch credulity, the inexorable growth of mistrust within the gang is expertly and convincingly traced' -- John Dugdale SUNDAY TIMES 'This is Rankin's first stand-alone thriller for more than a decade. When two friends devise a plan to steal some of the world's most valuable artwork, their only option is to make it look like no crime has been committed' EDINBURGH EVE NEWS 'Fast, slick and exciting' LONDON LITE 'This is not Rebus, but it's fast, slick and exciting' THE SCOTSMAN
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
84 of 87 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
You're a celebrated crime author and you've just retired your most famous character - DI John Rebus, as if you didn't know - so what do you do next? Answer, you write an old-fashioned heist caper.
You'll have read the plot synopsis so I'll not summarise it again, I'll simply confine myself to making a few general points about the book:
First of all, this originally ran as a serial in the same publication that first printed Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch-lite `The Overlook' before it was published as a novel last year. I don't know if Ian has padded out `Doors Open' prior to publication, but it doesn't read like a novella stretched beyond its natural length.
I found `Doors Open' to be a satisfying read, even if it doesn't come close to approaching the quality of the best of the Rebus novels. For anyone else it would be decent little book, but Rankin has set his own standards so high, that you're perhaps looking for a bit more. I personally suspect that he wrote this as a bit of light relief after creating the increasingly complex plots of the `you know who' series for the past twenty years. That and the large wad of cash he was apparently paid for writing it.
His policeman here, DI Ransome could not be less like John Rebus if he tried. For a start, he doesn't rush bull-headed into things with no care for insulting his betters - or anyone, else for that matter. Ransome has a facility for diplomacy when among his peers (his counterpart from another station is the one officially investigating the art theft) and has subtle plans for his own advancement. He's no less effective than Rebus, but like I say, his methods are totally different. However, in local Edinburgh gangster Chib Calloway he's created a baddie cut from the same cloth, or perhaps that should be, hewn from the same block of granite, as 'Big Ger' Cafferty from the Rebus novels.
There are a few times in this novel where Rankin has his characters spit things out... as in "`Blah, blah, blah', he spat". This despite the fact that the sentences often contain no sibilants. This is a bit lazy, and proves to me that Ian himself regards this as no more than a frippery; a break from the real day job. Having said that, it's still a professional effort and contains a good number of decent twists.
In summary, this is an effective and efficient little thriller. It's Ian Rankin writing in a much lighter vein - but it's no less enjoyable for that. If I'm going to be picky, there are writers around like Christopher Brookmyre who, frankly, do this kind of thing much better. Still it's a nice enough stab at something different, and it's never less than entertaining. But it isn't major league Rankin and anyone approaching it with that expectation is going to be disappointed.
You'll have read the plot synopsis so I'll not summarise it again, I'll simply confine myself to making a few general points about the book:
First of all, this originally ran as a serial in the same publication that first printed Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch-lite `The Overlook' before it was published as a novel last year. I don't know if Ian has padded out `Doors Open' prior to publication, but it doesn't read like a novella stretched beyond its natural length.
I found `Doors Open' to be a satisfying read, even if it doesn't come close to approaching the quality of the best of the Rebus novels. For anyone else it would be decent little book, but Rankin has set his own standards so high, that you're perhaps looking for a bit more. I personally suspect that he wrote this as a bit of light relief after creating the increasingly complex plots of the `you know who' series for the past twenty years. That and the large wad of cash he was apparently paid for writing it.
His policeman here, DI Ransome could not be less like John Rebus if he tried. For a start, he doesn't rush bull-headed into things with no care for insulting his betters - or anyone, else for that matter. Ransome has a facility for diplomacy when among his peers (his counterpart from another station is the one officially investigating the art theft) and has subtle plans for his own advancement. He's no less effective than Rebus, but like I say, his methods are totally different. However, in local Edinburgh gangster Chib Calloway he's created a baddie cut from the same cloth, or perhaps that should be, hewn from the same block of granite, as 'Big Ger' Cafferty from the Rebus novels.
There are a few times in this novel where Rankin has his characters spit things out... as in "`Blah, blah, blah', he spat". This despite the fact that the sentences often contain no sibilants. This is a bit lazy, and proves to me that Ian himself regards this as no more than a frippery; a break from the real day job. Having said that, it's still a professional effort and contains a good number of decent twists.
In summary, this is an effective and efficient little thriller. It's Ian Rankin writing in a much lighter vein - but it's no less enjoyable for that. If I'm going to be picky, there are writers around like Christopher Brookmyre who, frankly, do this kind of thing much better. Still it's a nice enough stab at something different, and it's never less than entertaining. But it isn't major league Rankin and anyone approaching it with that expectation is going to be disappointed.
42 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I'm a great Ian Rankin fan. At least, I thought I was. I realise now that I'm a great Rebus fan. I came to this book desperately wanting to like it and I couldn't. How can any press reviewer say it shows Rankin's ability to move beyond Rebus? What it shows is the exact opposite. The exposition is overdone, heavy, leaden. The characterisation is hopeless (Big 'Ger Cafferty was always a questionable gangster -- risible, in fact -- but one accepted him because Rankin wrote him. But Chib Calloway -- Chib Calloway is the most unbelievable gangster in the history of crime fiction). This book is terrible. It's awful. Until now, when Rankin published a book I bought it. I may never buy another.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
What a come-down Open Doors is! The characters are stereotypes, their motivation is incredible, the plot is thoroughly predictable, and the book in no way is satisfying. It's as though Rankin has used up all his peraonal experiences, sayings, insights, etc., and is simply going through the motions of writing a novel. I can't believe Ian Rankin actually wrote it. He needs to go back to journalism.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Worst Rankin book ever
I bought this book expecting the same or similar quality to earlier Rebus based books. Boy, how I was disappointed. This book was far from being "fast" as described. Read more
Published 4 months ago by G. Lindsay
Lighten Up Folks
"Doors Open" receives a lot of negative reviews here - most it because it is not a "Rebus". I imagine that Mr Rankin fancied a break from all that gloom and doom and rattled off... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Ross Maynard
I wonder how the reviewers minds work
I agree 100% with The Bagster, this is one desperately poor book, and so disappointing after the wonderful Rebus books. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Chris Parsons
Doors open (for Rankin?)
Having read all the Inspector Rebus novels, I was not too disappointed when the author decided to retire the famous detective, at least for the present, because I thought the later... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Brian R. Martin
As One Door Closes ...
This is the first Ian Rankin novel I've ever read. I've been on a bit of a `heist' trip recently (and am trying to find more - suggestions, anyone? Read more
Published 10 months ago by David Jones
A terrible book...
I can only echo the many other readers who were hugely disappointed by this book. If you haven't yet read it and think Ian Rankin can do no wrong, well, you're in for a shock. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Tim
Well I liked it
Picked up this book in the library, I then read the reviews on here and nearly took it back without reading it; I'm glad that I didn't. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Like2Read
Simply terrible
I bought this to read on holiday and it is terrible. The characters and the plot are too far fetched. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Virginian 12
UNBELIEVABLE
WHAT! DID IAN RANKIN WRITE THIS BOOK WHEN HE WAS A TEENAGER, AND HAS HE JUST DUG IT UP?
HE SHOULDN'T HAVE PUT HIS NAME TO SUCH A CRAPPY BOOK. Read more
HE SHOULDN'T HAVE PUT HIS NAME TO SUCH A CRAPPY BOOK. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Lynn Phillips
Considering I didn't buy it, I can afford two stars.
The only reason I own this book it's because I found it abandoned at the airport. The only reason I actually decided to read it, it's because it's set in Edinburgh, where I'd been... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Alessandra F.
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