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Mortal Causes
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Plot Summary of Mortal Causes
"It is August during the Edinburgh Festival when Inspector John Rebus is called to investigate a brutally tortured body found hanging in the medieval subterranean streets of Edinburgh. The death looks like an execution which causes Rebus to start investigating radical activists. Even worse, he discovers the victim is the son of one of Edinburgh's most notorious criminal gang leaders, Gerald McCafferty.

Rebus' investigations take him into the slums of Edinburgh and the clubs where white supremicists gather. He begins to suspect a terrorist plot right during the height of tourist season.

This is book 6 in the Inspector Rebus series which follows an investigation which contrasts Edinburgh's tourist locations with the gang areas and slums of the city never seen by the typical tourist."

L. Watson, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Mortal Causes
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%




Tone of story - Dry-cynical
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 50%
Kind of investigator - police procedural, British
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - British
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - quite fatty

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths? - 3-4
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to Mortal Causes
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Ian Rankin Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
L. Watson  

SCHOLARS:
Wendy Taylor  


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