Many strands weave together in this complex story where Rebus must balance multiple cases and also face up to some of his own flaws. Early in the story he encounters a paedophile who has been released from jail and, discovering that he has been housed on an estate in a flat overlooking the children's playground, "outs" him to the neighbourhood, ultimately with tragic consequencies despite Rebus' guilt ridden attempts to help. Meanwhile, a high profile case of historical child abuse is currently on trial with possible connections.

Rebus is asked for help by two old school friends whose son has gone missing in suspicious circumstances, and has to resist the draw of a rekindled attraction to the mother, Janice. He is also troubled by the apparent suicide of a colleague who appeared to 'have it all' with a loving family and a rapid rise in the police career structure, in total contrast to Rebus. And to finally add to his problems, a serial killer and sociopath is released from custody in the USA and heads for Edinburgh to settle old scores - Rebus' role in keeping surveillance on this man leads to his becoming a target for the man's manipulative behaviour and draws into the killer's ambit three women who are significant to Rebus: Janice, Rebus' girlfriend Patience, and his daughter, still recovering from the accident in a previous book which left her unable to walk.

A complex book which manages to keep all the plates spinning and portrays a truly chilling sociopathic character, keeping the suspense level high. The only thing I missed is the relationship with Siobhan, Rebus' colleague, who has only a bit part in this book. So a 4 star rating overall. ( )

DI John Rebus is asked by old school friends to look into the disappearance of their son; unfortunately he is an adult and therefore not eligible to be listed as a missing person, but Rebus agrees to look into the matter. At the same time, he becomes aware of a pedophile living in a housing estate where children abound, and a serial killer has somehow been released from prison in the United States and come “home” to Edinburgh, where he has unfinished business…. As is frequently the case with the Rebus series, there are multiple situations in “Dead Souls” that turn out to be at least tangentially related; I only described three of the half-dozen or so story lines in this book. I find Rebus alternately exasperating and touching; here, he’s a bit more of the former rather than the latter, but Mr. Rankin’s writing is compelling and that keeps me hooked because I always want to find out What Happens Next. By this point in the series (the 10th I think), it is probably best to have read all of the previous books in order to understand the many complex relationships that Rebus has, both with place and with characters; that said, recommended. ( )

Un'altra avvincente indagine di John Rebus ancora ambientata a Edimburgo.
Trama serrata ma finale un po' confuso, con alcuni punti non chiariti (...forse lo saranno nei romanzi successivi?). ( )

Weer een ongelooflijk spannend boek over Rebus, de eigenzinnige politieman in Edinburgh. Deze keer met pedofielen, een seriemoordenaar die na gevangenschap in de USA naar Schotland wordt uitgezet en dank zij een overijverige journalist alles te weten komt wat hij wil over het leven van Rebus, en een vermiste zoon van schoolvrienden van Rebus. Het is gevaarlijk om Rebus te zijn!

I find this one of Rankin's better books, at least it is clear what is the theme he is pursuing i.e. what makes a man? Is it background or genetics? What makes Darren Rough a pedophile, and Cary Oakes a serial-killer? But as usual, there are too many threads to follow, and the one about the disappearance of Billy boy doesn't add to the story. And at one point, I disliked Rebus when he was so dogmatic about Rough, thinking that he will never change his spots. However, he did change his mind and even provided Rough shelter for a night. Overall, I give it 3.5 stars. ( )