Some novelists have decided to end a successful series of books by killing off their main characters. Other novelists have kept their main characters alive forever by never allowing them to age. This becomes even more preposterous when a writer passes on to that great library in the sky and their literary endeavors are imitated by others. One case in point; we keep seeing new books featuring that intrepid detective Sherlock Holmes. And I say balderdash!
Then there's Ian Rankin. In 2009 this Scottish crime writer retired his Chief Inspector John Rebus from the Edinburgh Police. Rebus had reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 so Rankin ended his popular series. Some of his fans begged for mercy. Now four years later the author has relented and put out another book featuring Rebus. In "Standing in Another Man's Grave" our crusty sleuth is still retired but he is now working some cold cases on an advisory basis. And for those of us who know Rebus we can expect that it is only a matter of time before he begins to ruffle some feathers while he plunges into a very active crime investigation.
After all, that's why we love John Rebus.