The Falls by Ian Rankin (Orion,£6.99 in UK)

This thriller is Rankin's 12th novel in the Inspector Rebus series. A privileged student is missing in Edinburgh

This thriller is Rankin's 12th novel in the Inspector Rebus series. A privileged student is missing in Edinburgh. Rebus is assigned to the case. Meanwhile, his colleague is following the victim's involvement in an Internet role-playing game controlled by the Quizmaster. Rebus begins to suspect that the case may be linked to the disappearance of other women. Rankin paints a vivid portrait of an aimless malcontent, but the novel, too, is aimless. As Rebus lurches from suspect to saloon, the reader is dragged through Edinburgh's property market. Rankin seems divided between genres and the narrative suffers. But it's a useful guide if you intend relocating.