Mike's verdict: Rankin has done better

My brother Mike, whose unstated mission in life is to read every mystery and thriller ever written, has this to say on Ian Rankin's latest, "The Naming of the Dead."

"I have to admit I was just a little disappointed. It seemed somewhat disjointed. There were some great lines there, though, some real laugh-out-loud ones. It seems to be setting the stage for a battle royale between Siobhan and Mo Cafferty at some point. In fact, I would not be surprised to see something with Rebus as a secondary character, or not in it at all ... It was a good read, but the bar is so high for Rankin that anything less than superb seems a letdown."

Which seems in line with some of the other reviews I've seen. I'll still pick it up myself, of course, but as I mentioned earlier, I may just wait until the paperback -- or until the library acquires a copy.