STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN'S GRAVE

There may be no way of passing the time that is more pleasurable than listening to James MacPherson's lovely Scots brogue relate the activities of John Rebus, retired Edinburgh cop now working cold cases as a civilian. Several women have disappeared along Scotland's A9 road over a twelve-year period, and Rebus's cold cases may relate to his former partner Siobhan Clarke's current case. So the two of them drive back and forth from Edinburgh through the Highlands, and MacPherson rolls easily through all those multisyllabic Scottish place names, reminding the listener of the poetic background of the country. He also rolls a few "r's" for a couple of growling Edinburgh mobsters and employs a slightly gruff but bantering tone to remind the listener that Rebus is still a mischievous and alcoholic throwback of a cop. A.B. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2013]