Customer Rating: Summary: Extremely enjoyable Comment: Despite the very mixed reviews this has received, I very much enjoyed reading it - Rankin's literary skill is as evident as in any of the Rebus novel, painting vivid pictures of Edinburgh, richly describing the action and characters and holding your attention throughout. The plot is, in comparison to the Rebus novels, a little far-fetched and perhaps lightweight, but that seems to be the point, I think; it's a light-hearted novel, in the vein of some of Michael Dibdin's ironic novels. This isn't a novel to be taken too seriously, but to be enjoyed as a good story in its own right. Not quite up there with the best of Rebus, but still a great read from a top-class writer. Customer Rating: Summary: Not worth buying Comment: As one who discovered Ian Rankin by accident as I was browsing in a bookshop one day, I came to love and have read every one of his Rebus books. As a lover all my life - now retired - of dective novels as a recreation from the stresses of life, I found that relaxation in the Rebus books and like many felt sad when he was retired.
I looked forward to the next Rankin book and when I saw "Doors Open" I bought it with alacrity. How disappointed I am. Yet I hoped for an improvement, but by the time I had reached p50, in spite of my great regard for Rankin, I just had to give it up as it had become burdonsome.
Mr Rankin is too good a writer to have produced this and although this is a very harsh criticism, I still believe that, as he has shown so expertly in the Rebus books, that he has mastered the genre but in this his first post Rebus book, he does not do himself justice and I look forward to him finding his feet again, not necessarily in resurrecting Rebus, but in finding a better outlet for his proven talent. Customer Rating: Summary: Back to journalism Comment: What a come-down Open Doors is! The characters are stereotypes, their motivation is incredible, the plot is thoroughly predictable, and the book in no way is satisfying. It's as though Rankin has used up all his peraonal experiences, sayings, insights, etc., and is simply going through the motions of writing a novel. I can't believe Ian Rankin actually wrote it. He needs to go back to journalism. Customer Rating: Summary: Not as bad as some say but still probably Rankin's weakest effort Comment: Positives - the characters are reasonably amusing if a tad stereotypical. The Edinburgh locations are as vivid as ever.
Negatives - Plot too too obvious. Ending too obviously contrived.
All in all I think Rankin has to leave Edinburgh to Rebus and if his next book isn't to concentrate on Rebus and/or his successors, move the action elsewhere. Customer Rating: Summary: Meh Comment: It's not a bad book, it's just not that great, and it being Rankin, you do expect something far more than half-decent. And that's all this book is really, half-decent. Compared to most of the Rebus books, it's very thin on the ground plot-wise. Most of the characters are fairly forgettable; though the premise of the heist is not without interest. It's still the page turner we have come to expect from Rankin, but you get the feeling you know what is coming on the next page. To some extent this is true of any author you get used to reading - you get to know the style and way they tell a story. You knew with the Rebus novels that the loose ends would tie up at the end somehow, but not much of an idea how. In this book, the only suspense at the end is over who will be screwing who.
My take on this is it is just an overlong Fredrick Forsyth short story - it should be 200 words shorter, sold in a volume.
And is it just me, or is anyone else really bored of reading about Edinburgh yet?
