Black & Blue by Ian Rankin. Did not you read YET?

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In 1971, Psychology professor Philip Zimbardo of stanford university conducting a controversial experiment with students who were engaged in role playing as prisoners and prison guards.The result raised some pretty loaded questions about human nature.What happens when you put some good people in an evil place?Does humanity win over evil,or does evil triumph? You find yourself asking the same question when reading BLACK & BLUE.The eighth novel in an rankin critically acclaimed Detective Inspector Rebus seris.The time arround the opens in the middle of four cases at once.Police all over scotland are investigating a serial killer nicknamed Johnny bible because his MO is eerilly reminiscent of Bible john,another serial killer from 1960's.Rebus find himself obsessing about Bible john,even as sets out to solve a case assigned to him,one involving the bizarre death of an Edinburgh yuppie Alan Mitchinson.On top of all that,former flame and current chief Inspector Gill Templer seeks him out regurding a drug bust she wants to solve.In trying to help her,Rebus complicates his life further as press interest in one of his old cases causes the power-that-be to reopen the case and investigate. Rankin explores the seamy underbelly of Scotland criminal world,a world populated with shadowy characters with twisted minds and dark desires.The perspective switches from rebus own,while he goes sniffing on one or the other of the trails,to that of Bible John himself,as he tries to seek out the copycat.Deeming Rebus as a threat to his safety,he also tries to take the Inspector out of the game,and thus begins a cat and mouse game,and rebus must solve all four cases to stay alive. Rankin uses an actual case (Bible John)in his story and take Rebus out of his home town Edinburgh to chase his crooks,which makes for an interesting backdrop for the book itself.He has also done an admirable job of weaving the desparate threads into one story,and as always the Rebus books come with their own soundtrack.Where He flubs,strangely enough,is in characterization,which is usally Rankin's strength.The Rebus we see in Black and Blue lacks his usally intensity and 'bite'for lack of better word.Nevertheless,the plot alone is enough to keep one hooked on the book,so this is one you want to look out for.