The Beat Goes On (short stories)

Last updated
The Beat Goes On
The Beat Goes on.jpg
First edition
Author Ian Rankin
CountryScotland
LanguageEnglish
Genre Short Stories
Publisher Orion Books
Publication date
2014
Media typePrint
Pages611
ISBN 978-1-4091-5157-9

The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Short Stories is an anthology of all the Inspector Rebus short stories (30) by Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin, plus the novella Death Is Not the End ; though the Rebus short story "Well Shot" published in 2nd Culprit (1993) is not included. It is Rankin's third collection of short stories

Published in 2014, the paperback version published in 2015 includes two stories not in the hardback edition; a new story "Cinders" written for Christmas 2014 and an old story from his files "My Shopping Day" which was first published in "Herbert in Motion and Other Stories" (1997).

The first story "Dead and Buried" is set in the mid-1980s when Rebus was learning the ropes at Summerhall Police Station, and "The Very Last Drop" is set during a tour of a brewery immediately after Rebus’s retirement in Exit Music , a retirement present from Siobhan Clarke who goes with him (written to be read aloud at a charity night at Edinburgh’s Caledonian Brewery). "The Very Last Drop" was written to help the work of Royal Blind. [1]

All the twelve Rebus stories in A Good Hanging and Other Stories are included: they cover a chronological year in Rebus’s life; "Playback" in March, "A Good Hanging" in August during the Festival Fringe and "Auld Lang Syne" in December. [2] Also included are the seven Rebus stories in Beggars Banquet which has fourteen other stories, 21 in total. There are six uncollected stories from magazines and newspapers, often for a Christmas issue so set in the festive season. There are two new stories, "The Passenger" and "A Three-Pint Problem".

In the Preface (page 1) and Rankin on Rebus (pages 595-609) Rankin discusses Rebus and writing him.

Further Copyright Information (pages 610-611) gives the year of first publication as shown below and where published. Up till about 1997 they are ©Ian Rankin, then they are ©John Rebus Limited.

In the notes AGH indicates that the story was first published in A Good Hanging and Other Stories in 1992. BB indicates that the story was included in Beggars Banquet (2002), but these stories had been previously published elsewhere in magazines or newspapers.

Featured Short Stories:

YearTitleNotes
2013Dead and Buried
1990Playback
1992The Dean CurseAGH
1992Being FrankAGH
1992Concrete EvidenceAGH
1992Seeing ThingsAGH
1992A Good HangingAGH
1992Tit For TatAGH
1992Not ProvanAGH
1992SundayAGH
1992Auld Lang SyneAGH
1992The Gentlemen's ClubAGH
1992Monstrous TrumpetAGH
1997My Shopping Day
1991Talk ShowBB
1992Trip TrapBB
1993Castle DangerousBB
1992In The FrameBB
1994Facing The MusicBB
1995Window of OpportunityBB
1998 Death Is Not the End BB
2000No Sanity ClauseBB
2003Tell Me Who to Kill
2002Saint Nicked
2005Atonement
2005Not Just Another Saturday
2010Penalty Clause
2014The Passenger
2014A Three-Pint Problem
2010The Very Last Drop
2014Cinders

Related Research Articles

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Fictional reindeer created by Robert Lewis May

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert Lewis May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. Though he initially receives ridicule for his nose as a fawn, the brightness of his nose is so powerful that it illuminates the team's path through harsh winter weather. Ronald D. Lankford, Jr., described Rudolph's story as "the fantasy story made to order for American children: each child has the need to express and receive approval for his or her individuality and/or special qualities. Rudolph's story embodies the American Dream for the child, written large because of the cultural significance of Christmas."

Detective Inspector John Rebus is the protagonist in the Inspector Rebus series of detective novels by the Scottish writer Ian Rankin, ten of which have so far been televised as Rebus. The novels are mostly set in and around Edinburgh. Rebus has been portrayed by John Hannah and Ken Stott for Television, with Ron Donachie playing the character for the BBC Radio dramatisations.

Ian Rankin

Ian James Rankin is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels.

Sarah Williams was an English poet and novelist, most famous as the author of the poem "The Old Astronomer". She published short works and one collection of poetry during her lifetime under the pseudonyms Sadie and S.A.D.I., the former of which she considered her name rather than a nom de plume. Her posthumously published second poetry collection and novel appeared under her given name.

Nick Wallace is a novelist and short story writer based in Tunbridge Wells, best known for his work in Doctor Who spin-offs.

<i>Inspector Rebus</i>

The Inspector Rebus books are a series of detective novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin. The novels, centred on Detective Inspector John Rebus, are mostly based in and around Edinburgh.

<i>Rebus</i> (TV series)

Rebus is a British television detective drama series based on the Inspector Rebus novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin. The series was produced by STV Studios for the ITV network, and four series were broadcast between 26 April 2000 and 7 December 2007. The first series starred John Hannah as DI John Rebus; and was co-produced by Hannah's own production company, Clerkenwell Films. After Hannah quit the series, the role of Rebus was re-cast, with Ken Stott appearing as Rebus in three subsequent series, which were produced in-house by STV.

<i>Knots and Crosses</i>

Knots and Crosses is a 1987 crime novel by Ian Rankin. It is the first of the Inspector Rebus novels. It was written while Rankin was a postgraduate student at the University of Edinburgh. In the introduction to this novel, Rankin states that Rebus lives directly opposite the window in Marchmont that he looked out of while writing the book.

<i>The Naming of the Dead</i>

The Naming of the Dead is a crime novel by Ian Rankin. It is the sixteenth of the Inspector Rebus novels. It is set in Edinburgh in July 2005, in the week of the G8 summit in Gleneagles.

<i>Watchman</i> (novel)

Watchman is a 1988 novel written by Ian Rankin, and is one of the author's earliest works. Originally published in 1988, it was reissued with a new introduction by Rankin in 2004.

<i>Exit Music</i>

Exit Music is the seventeenth crime novel in the internationally bestselling Inspector Rebus series, written by Ian Rankin. It was published on 6 September 2007. Rankin has mentioned that his character Siobhan Clarke may in some way continue the franchise. The book is named after the Radiohead song "Exit Music ".

<i>Doors Open</i>

Doors Open is a 2008 novel by crime writer Ian Rankin. It was his first stand-alone thriller in over 10 years. The story was originally published as a serial novel in The New York Times Magazine.

<i>A Good Hanging and Other Stories</i>

A Good Hanging and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by crime writer Ian Rankin.

The First Stone is a 2007 episode of STV's Rebus television series. It was the second episode broadcast in the show's fourth season, and starred Ken Stott in the title role. The episode was based on an Ian Rankin short story.

Chris Dolan is an award-winning Scottish novelist, poet, and playwright.

<i>Dark Road</i> (play)

Dark Road is a 2013 play written by Ian Rankin and Mark Thomson. It made its world premiere at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh in September 2013, and is expected to embark on a UK tour in 2014.

<i>Saints of the Shadow Bible</i>

Saints of the Shadow Bible is the nineteenth instalment in the bestselling Inspector Rebus series of crime novels, published in 2013.

<i>Rebus: Long Shadows</i>

Rebus: Long Shadows is a 2018 play written by Ian Rankin and Rona Munro. It is an installment of Rankin's Inspector Rebus series, written for the stage for the first time.

<i>In a House of Lies</i>

In a House of Lies is the 22nd instalment in the Inspector Rebus series written by Ian Rankin. In a House of Lies entered the hardback chart at No. 1 on the first week of its release.

References

  1. Preface, page 1
  2. Preface, page 1