Book Log 2021 #55: In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin

A private detective missing for a decade turns up in a car trunk - located in an area that had been searched during the initial investigation into his disappearance. John Rebus was involved in the case originally, and acknowledges its deficiencies - some intentional, some perhaps related to his attempt to tie things to Big Ger Cafferty. He gets back into the case through the side door, as both Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox are brought in as part of the new investigation.

Clarke has her own problems to deal with, between a pair of internal affairs cops investigating her for misconduct and an unknown person harrassing her over another investigation that appeared to go well. 

It's impressive that the Rebus stories continue to feel fresh given how long the series has gone on. I also like how these later books have depicted Rebus in his retirement, fleshing out the comments from earlier books about cops who kept a hand in after leaving the force. Including his health struggles - most notably his COPD - also give a fuller picture of how he's paying for his younger lifestyle. It reminds me a bit of how Inspector Morse's love for a pint (or several) played into his ultimate demise.

Anyway, keep reading these and start if you haven't.

 Book Log 2021 #54: The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Lady Astronaut series shifts a bit, spending more time with Nicole Wargin as Elma York is part of the first staffed mission to Mars. As the impending climate disaster on Earth starts to take clearer focus, the plan to get as many people off Earth as possible runs into problems with saboteurs. Wargin has to figure out who is behind incidents on the Moon while coping with her husband's political ambitions back on Earth.

York, meanwhile, has to keep her mixed crew together through personal conflicts and the dangers of space travel while also managing trouble at home involving her husband. Both astronauts also have to address their own personal medical issues, which they've not been able to share due to the double standard applied to female astronauts.

As with the other books in the series, there's a core of hard science fiction here that carries other plot lines that aren't quite so focused on rockets and impending ecological catastrophe, and does so well. I'll be curious to see if this series continues along these lines or if it takes more of a Seveneves turn towards setting up the remnant of humanity that will permanently inhabit space. 

 Book Log 2021 #53: A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

This sequel to A Memory Called Empire sees the Teixcalaan empire threatened by an alien armada, with which they cannot communicate. The empire sends Three Seagrass, now a high-ranking official, to see if she can make a connection. Along the way she recruits her former charge, the nominal Lsel ambassador to the empire, to help her. The ambassador, however, is given her own orders, putting her personal and professional loyalties in conflict. 

Most of this book takes place on board spaceships and stations, which may be a little disappointing if you wanted to spend more time on Teixcalaan's fascinating homeworld, but it's an excellent story that explores themes such as identity, personhood, and loyalty.  Both books are highly recommended, and I'll admit to being a little impatient for a third.

 Book Log 2021 #52: The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville

Gerry Fagan is a former paramilitary assassin, who finds himself haunted by the ghosts of those he killed. Their demand of him: seek vengance against those who ordered their deaths. He is willing to give them this, but has to do so in a new Northern Ireland, where the peace process and new government are trying to put the lid on violence. Not to mention, some of these new leaders stand to lose if the public are reminded of past events.

Complicating matters is Fagan's growing interest in the daughter of a man whom the ghosts want revenge against. She's not only well connected in the world Fagan inhabits, but she also has a daughter by a cop. Balancing his personal desires with spectral demands may wind up being too much.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book, I mostly like it but find the supernatural tinge a little woo-woo for my taste. I also went into it with Goodreads calling it the first book in the Jack Lennon series, even though he barely appears in the book. I may have been distracted by waiting for him to take on a larger role in the story. In any case, it was good enough that I'm likely going to read on.