COPD now makes climbing stairs an increasing problem, so he and his dog Brillo are in the throes of moving to a downstairs flat. An absent father while she was growing up, to say their relationship is strained is putting it mildly. A Song For The Dark Times is a very good novel, but the inevitable seems ever closer for John Rebus.

During which not only are old crimes unearthed, and new ones needing to be solved, but Rebus has to dig deep to get to know his daughter again.Though Fox plays along, Cafferty’s attempt to control him and his Police Scotland boss ultimately fails. There is nothing that Rebus will not do for Sammy, despite their rocky relationship and her young daughter, Carrie, setting off in his rickety old Saab, listening to a CD music compilation put together for him by Siobhan, under the title of 'Songs for the Dark Times'. I loved the way in which Ian Rankin has explored the internal conflict of Rebus the father verses Rebus the Detective. I like all the characters, cannot fault the writing style, and always enjoy the humour and the police work.

Ultimately, and unbelievably, there may be a remote connection between the two investigations which, frankly, beggars the imagination. Much like Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series, Ian Rankin allows John Rebus to age from book to book.

I have been craving a really good read with a great plot and strong characters and certainly got it with this book. Thus Rebus disappears on a regular basis throughout the novel as the story focuses on the investigation into the murder of the Saudi student.

He’s retired now from his role as a senior Edinburgh detective but he stays close to DI Siobhan Clarke – who is actually at this point helping him with the logistics of the move. It still warms my heart that this mite is playing on Rebus’ “human” side, as while a fulltime copper, he didn’t have time to love another, whether family, lover, or other.This new, older Rebus is a shadow of himself and to add insult to injury he has to give up too many pages to the uptight Clarke and the dull (VERY dull) Fox. Rankin is also very good at class disparity, and although there are some testy exchanges between Clarke and the entitled students, the highlight is Fox musing – I won’t say to whom – about “a wall between you and them that you can’t seem to scale, and Christ knows you’ve tried”.