- Dead Souls (1999 novel)
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Dead Souls Author(s) Ian Rankin Country Scotland Language English Genre(s) Detective fiction Publisher Orion Press Publication date 1999 Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Pages 496 pages ISBN 0-7528-7716-X OCLC Number 60611208 Preceded by The Hanging Garden Followed by Set in Darkness Dead Souls is a 1999 crime novel by Ian Rankin. It is the tenth of the Inspector Rebus novels. It was the third episode in the Rebus television series starring John Hannah, airing in 2001.
Plot summary
While investigating a poisoner at Edinburgh Zoo, Detective Inspector John Rebus sees a known paedophile photographing children. After a chase ending in the sea lion enclosure, Rebus decides to 'out' the man, in spite of assurances that he is trying to reform. As a campaign against the man starts, Rebus hears that the son of an ex-girlfriend has gone missing and starts investigating his disappearance from a nightclub with a mysterious blonde.
A convicted killer comes back from the U.S. having served his time in prison, with an agenda he wants to pursue. Rankin incorporated the novella Death Is Not the End as the missing person plot-line of this novel.
Title
The title refers to Joy Division's song "Dead Souls" and to the 1842 Nikolai Gogol novel Dead Souls, quotes from which appear at the beginnings of the two parts of the book.
Television adaptation
The television adaptation has significant plot differences from the novel. These concern the fate of the missing person, the nature of the relationship between Rebus and his ex-girlfriend, and the character of her husband.
Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series Novels Knots and Crosses • Hide and Seek • Tooth and Nail • Strip Jack • The Black Book • Mortal Causes • Let it Bleed • Black and Blue • The Hanging Garden • Dead Souls • Set in Darkness • The Falls • Resurrection Men • A Question of Blood • Fleshmarket Close • The Naming of the Dead • Exit Music
Characters Detective Inspector John Rebus • List of characters from the Inspector Rebus series
Novels The Flood (1986) · Knots and Crosses (1987) · Watchman (1988) · Westwind (1990) · Hide and Seek (1991) · Tooth and Nail (1992) · Strip Jack (1992) · The Black Book (1993) · Witch Hunt (1993) · Mortal Causes (1994) · Bleeding Hearts (1994) · Let it Bleed (1995) · Blood Hunt (1995) · Black and Blue (1997) · The Hanging Garden (1998) · Dead Souls (1999) · Set in Darkness (2000) · The Falls (2001) · Resurrection Men (2002) · Fleshmarket Close (2003) · A Question of Blood (2004) · The Naming of the Dead (2006) · Exit Music (2007) · Doors Open (2008) · A Cool Head (2009, Quick Reads) · The Complaints (2009)Short story collections A Good Hanging and Other Stories (1992) · Beggars Banquet (2002)Non-fiction Rebus's Scotland: A Personal Journey (2005) · Jackie Leven Said (2005, With Jackie Leven)Graphic novels Dark Entries (2009)Short stories An Afternoon (1984) · Voyeurism (1985) · Colony (1986) · Trip Trap (1992) · Marked For Death (1992) · Well Shot (1993) · Someone Got to Eddie (1994) · A Deep Hole (1994) · Adventures in Babysitting (1995) · Natural Selection (1996) · Auld Lang Syne (1997) · Principles of Accounts (1997) · Death is Not the End (1998) · The Hanged Man (2000) · Saint Nicked (2003) · Soft Spot (2005) · Not Just Another Saturday (2005) · Sinner: Justified (2006)Related articles Categories:- 1999 novels
- Inspector Rebus novels
- Novels set in Edinburgh
- Crime novel stubs
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