# Rather Be the Devil > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rather_Be_the_Devil > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rather_Be_the_Devil.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rather_Be_the_Devil > Source revision: 1197984571 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Rather Be the Devil Author Ian Rankin Language English Series Inspector Rebus Genre Detective fiction Publisher Orion Books Publication date 3 November 2016 Publication place Scotland Media type Print Pages 310 ISBN 978-1-4091-5940-7 Preceded by Even Dogs in the Wild Followed by In a House of Lies Website Author's webpage ***Rather Be the Devil*** is the 21st instalment in the [Inspector Rebus](/source/Inspector_Rebus) series of [crime novels](/source/Crime_novel), published in November 2016.[1] *Rather Be the Devil* topped the bestseller charts for hardback fiction.[2] The title was inspired by a [John Martyn](/source/John_Martyn) song from his 1973 album *[Solid Air](/source/Solid_Air)*.[3] ## Plot summary The novel opens and closes with Rebus and his girlfriend, [Deborah Quant](/source/List_of_Inspector_Rebus_characters#Deborah_Quant) (a forensic pathologist) dining in a restaurant which is part of the Waldorf [Caledonian Hotel](/source/Caledonian_Hotel). Rebus is reminded of the 1978 murder at this hotel of Maria Turquand, an unsolved case in which Edinburgh bankers and pop stars were suspects. Rebus revisits the case, which becomes intertwined with others more actively pursued by the police in the coming week. DI [Malcolm Fox](/source/Malcolm_Fox_(detective)) has been promoted to [Gartcosh](/source/Gartcosh) where [Police Scotland](/source/Police_Scotland) have the Scottish Crime Campus.[4] Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, DI [Siobhan Clarke](/source/Siobhan_Clarke) is investigating the mugging of Darryl Christie, a young gangster who, in *[Standing in Another Man's Grave](/source/Standing_in_Another_Man's_Grave)* (2012), stepped into the void created by ['Big Ger' Cafferty](/source/'Big_Ger'_Cafferty)'s withdrawal from power in Edinburgh. Because [HM Revenue and Customs](/source/HM_Revenue_and_Customs) are interested in a shell companies scheme involving Christie and banking scion Anthony Brough, Fox is sent back to Edinburgh to join Clarke's investigation.[5] Then a retired policeman dies, drowned with his hands bound, shortly after talking to Rebus about the Turquand case. This brings a Gartcosh Murder Inquiry Team to Edinburgh, and Fox is asked to join this team as well. Rebus manages to follow both enquiries, and Fox sees to it that Siobhan Clarke comes to the attention of the Gartcosh MIT group, and so the three are again working together. Meanwhile, 'Big Ger' Cafferty is ready to make a comeback.[6] Against this backdrop is Rebus's diagnosis of [COPD](/source/COPD), and his wait for word about from the doctors about a shadow on his lung (which he has named [Hank Marvin](/source/Hank_Marvin)). This leads to him quitting cigarettes and moderating his alcohol intake. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Rather Be the Devil - Ian Rankin"](https://www.orionbooks.co.uk/books/detail.page?isbn=9781409159407). *orionbooks*. Retrieved 13 November 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** "Bestsellers". *The Times*. No. 72072. Saturday Review. 19 November 2016. p. 27. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0140-0460](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0140-0460). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Miller, Phil (17 March 2016). ["Ian Rankin reveals new Rebus novel, to be published in November"](http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14351975.Ian_Rankin_reveals_new_Rebus_novel__to_be_published_in_November/). *Herald Scotland*. Retrieved 13 November 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Unsworth, Cathi (2 November 2015). ["Rather Be the Devil by Ian Rankin review – Rebus is on the case and off the cigarettes"](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/nov/02/rather-be-the-devil-by-ian-rankin-review). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 13 November 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Rather be the Devil"](http://www.ianrankin.net/book/rather-be-the-devil/). *ianrankin.net*. Retrieved 13 November 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Christie, Janet (22 October 2016). ["Ian Rankin Interview: 'I don't know if I'll write about Rebus again'"](http://www.scotsman.com/news/ian-rankin-interview-i-don-t-know-if-i-ll-write-about-rebus-again-1-4265336). *The Scotsman*. Retrieved 13 November 2016. v t e Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series Novels Knots and Crosses Hide and Seek Tooth and Nail Strip Jack The Black Book Mortal Causes Let it Bleed Black & Blue The Hanging Garden Dead Souls Set in Darkness The Falls Resurrection Men A Question of Blood Fleshmarket Close The Naming of the Dead Exit Music Standing in Another Man's Grave Saints of the Shadow Bible Even Dogs in the Wild Rather Be the Devil In a House of Lies A Song for the Dark Times A Heart Full of Headstones Midnight and Blue Short story collections A Good Hanging and Other Stories The Beat Goes On Characters John Rebus Television Rebus (2000–07) "Strip Jack" "Resurrection Men" "The First Stone" "The Naming of the Dead" Rebus (2024–present) Stage Long Shadows v t e Works by Ian Rankin Novels The Flood (1986) Knots and Crosses (1987) Watchman (1988) Westwind (1990) Hide and Seek (1991) Tooth and Nail (1992) Strip Jack (1992) The Black Book (1993) Witch Hunt (1993) Mortal Causes (1994) Bleeding Hearts (1994) Let It Bleed (1995) Blood Hunt (1995) Black & Blue (1997) The Hanging Garden (1998) Dead Souls (1999) Set in Darkness (2000) The Falls (2001) Resurrection Men (2002) A Question of Blood (2003) Fleshmarket Close (2004) The Naming of the Dead (2006) Exit Music (2007) Doors Open (2008) A Cool Head (2009, Quick Reads) The Complaints (2009) The Impossible Dead (2011) Standing in Another Man's Grave (2012) Saints of the Shadow Bible (2013) Even Dogs in the Wild (2015) Rather Be the Devil (2016) In a House of Lies (2018) A Song for the Dark Times (2020) The Dark Remains (2021; with William McIlvanney) A Heart Full of Headstones (2022) Midnight and Blue (2024) Short story collections A Good Hanging and Other Stories (1992) Beggars Banquet (2002) The Beat Goes On (2014) Plays Dark Road (2013) Long Shadows (2018) Short stories Death is Not the End (1998) Related articles Inspector Rebus Authority control databases MusicBrainz work --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rather Be the Devil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rather_Be_the_Devil) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rather_Be_the_Devil?action=history)). 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