The Rise by Ian Rankin Summary, Characters and Themes
The Rise by Ian Rankin is a taut, noir-inspired short story by acclaimed crime writer Ian Rankin. It is set entirely within the gleaming confines of an upscale London apartment complex.
A self-contained mystery, the narrative unfolds over a single thread, following the procedural efforts of two detectives. They navigate a labyrinth of affluence, privilege, and deception.
As the detectives peel back layers of the elite’s carefully guarded lives, what begins as an apparent accident spirals into a case involving stolen art, royal entanglements, and police corruption. Rankin explores how ambition, greed, and compromised morality intersect behind the polished façade of wealth and influence.
Summary
Detective Sergeant Gish and Detective Inspector Milton are called to investigate the sudden death of Dwayne Hogarth. Hogarth is the night concierge at The Rise, a luxury apartment tower in London.
From the outset, the scene feels wrong. The CCTV is inactive, a building key fob is missing, and Hogarth’s body suggests more than just a tragic fall.
The Rise is home to an eclectic and secretive mix of residents. These include a royal, a fading actress, an art dealer, the wife of a known gangster, and a Russian billionaire.
Each appears to harbor secrets, and none are eager to cooperate. Initial suspicion falls on Jessica Forrester, a former celebrity trying to make a comeback.
The missing key fob appears to be linked to her apartment. This implies someone either broke in or attempted to, around the time of Hogarth’s death.
Forrester insists nothing happened and her home shows no signs of forced entry. The clue seems too convenient—planted to divert attention.
The detectives begin to suspect someone wants the investigation to stall or follow a false lead. The case escalates when a second body is discovered in the underground car park.
A decomposing man is found in the backseat of a Bentley owned by Lev Godunov. The man is eventually believed to be one of Princess Aisha’s bodyguards.
His murder points toward her sudden and unexplained departure from the building. The princess had been living in quiet seclusion with her entourage.
Now she’s vanished without a trace, just as her security detail turns up dead. Her motives and potential involvement raise even more questions.
These become especially troubling considering her diplomatic status. Meanwhile, art dealer Joe Spalding, another resident, has recently been hospitalized in New York.
His injury comes after what seems like a suspicious hit-and-run. Gish learns that Spalding had been entrusted with two extremely rare Leonardo da Vinci drawings.
These pieces had been gifted to him for safekeeping or sale by none other than Princess Aisha. Rumors suggest the drawings were intended to be discreetly sold.
They may have been meant to fund her escape or finance an uncertain future abroad. The real story behind Hogarth’s death begins to emerge.
A pair of former police officers, now operating in the shadows, had infiltrated The Rise. Their intent was to steal the valuable drawings.
They gained access with the help of Hogarth. But when he attempted to intervene or change the plan, they killed him to keep their operation intact.
The connection between these ex-cops and the crime scene team investigating the case becomes disturbingly clear. They are the same individuals.
Gish unearths the disturbing revelation that her own partner, DI Milton, had orchestrated the theft. Milton had learned about the drawings through his daughter, Phoebe, an art auctioneer.
Seeing an opportunity for personal gain, he covertly hired the two ex-cops to execute the theft. He did this under the guise of law enforcement.
Milton ensured the investigation stayed confused. He manipulated evidence and steered Gish in misleading directions.
Despite piecing everything together, Gish finds herself in a moral quandary. Princess Aisha is unreachable, shielded by her royal connections.
The body in the Bentley remains officially unidentified. The stolen art is likely already changing hands in underground markets.
Milton cannot be easily prosecuted without more direct evidence. The web of diplomatic and bureaucratic protections makes formal justice unlikely.
In the final confrontation, Gish visits Milton at his home and lays out the entire truth. She makes it clear that she knows what he did and how he did it.
Whether he will face consequences is left uncertain. Gish walks away with her integrity intact, having uncovered the truth.
The story closes on a note of unresolved tension. Corruption is left unpunished but exposed, and there’s a haunting sense that justice is often a matter of who holds the leverage.
Characters
Detective Sergeant Gish
Detective Sergeant Gish is the moral and intellectual center of the narrative. Her role is not just procedural; it is deeply investigative and driven by a sense of justice untainted by status or influence.
Gish is presented as astute, skeptical, and methodical, with a natural instinct for probing inconsistencies. While others in the force may be distracted by appearances or diverted by high-profile connections, Gish demonstrates a tenacious curiosity that refuses to be swayed.
Her ability to notice the subtle discrepancies — such as the irregularities in the building’s key fob records and the deactivated CCTV — shows her sharp attention to detail and analytical prowess. Gish is also emotionally intelligent; she navigates the charged interviews with residents of The Rise with a calm, non-confrontational manner that disarms their defensiveness.
As the plot unfolds, her moral compass becomes increasingly vital, especially when she realizes that her own superior, DI Milton, is orchestrating a cover-up. Instead of backing down, she pieces together the conspiracy, quietly exposing Milton and preserving the integrity of the investigation.
Gish’s resolve underlines the story’s larger theme of individual morality versus institutional decay. She ends the story not as a triumphant enforcer of justice in the legal sense, but as a symbol of ethical clarity in a morally ambiguous world.
Detective Inspector Milton
DI Milton is a fascinating study in duplicity and institutional rot. Outwardly, he presents the composed, authoritative figure typical of a senior detective, someone trusted to oversee high-profile cases involving London’s elite.
However, beneath this veneer lies a man corrupted by opportunity and blinded by entitlement. His motivations are layered; he is not driven by sheer greed, but by a sense of access — the belief that power entitles him to manipulate outcomes.
Milton learns about the hidden Leonardo da Vinci drawings through his daughter, Phoebe, and sees in them a chance to orchestrate a theft that could be lucrative and clean, thanks to his insider knowledge and connections. His choice to employ two disgraced ex-cops for the heist shows a careful, if cynical, understanding of plausible deniability.
Even as the investigation progresses, Milton keeps up the performance of concern and leadership, guiding Gish with subtle diversions. His undoing lies in underestimating her.
When she confronts him, the revelation is quiet but damning — not through violence or arrest, but through the simple exposure of truth. Milton embodies the central tension of the story: those meant to uphold justice are often complicit in undermining it.
Dwayne Hogarth
Dwayne Hogarth, the night concierge, is the story’s tragic figure — an unassuming man caught in the crossfire of schemes far beyond his control. Hogarth represents the working-class individual who serves the elite but remains invisible to them until he becomes an obstacle.
His death is initially staged to look like an accident, but as Gish digs deeper, it’s clear he was collateral damage. Hogarth’s presence in the narrative is almost ghostlike: we know him primarily through others’ recollections and the physical evidence left behind.
His relationship with his girlfriend Rosa adds a humanizing touch, indicating that he had a life and love beyond the cold marble of the lobby. Hogarth’s death is pivotal because it transforms the story from a straightforward investigation into a layered conspiracy.
The fact that such an ordinary man becomes the hinge point of a high-stakes art theft suggests the expendability of those outside elite circles. This reinforces the story’s commentary on inequality and power.
Princess Aisha
Princess Aisha is the enigma at the heart of The Rise. A reclusive royal, her life in the luxury tower is cloaked in secrecy, her movements tracked only by her security detail.
Yet she is not merely a shadowy background figure. Aisha’s actions — particularly entrusting rare Leonardo da Vinci drawings to art dealer Joe Spalding — indicate a woman trying to navigate a private crisis.
It’s implied that she may have used the art as a form of financial escape, possibly to support a forbidden romantic relationship with her bodyguard. When the second body is found in the Bentley, and Aisha vanishes, it strengthens the suggestion that her departure was an urgent flight from both political and personal fallout.
Though her royal status protects her from prosecution, it also renders her untouchable, a symbol of the impunity enjoyed by the powerful. Aisha’s role emphasizes how even figures under the strictest surveillance can manipulate systems and vanish when needed.
This is a sharp contrast to the fate of Dwayne Hogarth, who dies precisely because he couldn’t escape.
Jessica Forrester
Jessica Forrester is an actress living in The Rise, initially suspected due to the planted key fob that seemingly implicates her flat. Her presence in the story acts as a deliberate red herring.
Rankin uses her to examine how public personas can influence investigations. Forrester plays her part well — she’s charismatic, poised, but also defensive, aware that her fame makes her both vulnerable and protected.
She is quick to protest her innocence and insists on her detachment from the situation. Yet her behavior carries undertones of fear — not just of guilt, but of association, scandal, or exposure.
Through Forrester, Rankin critiques the superficial investigations that rely on easy targets. She is a foil for Gish, who refuses to accept surface-level answers.
Her eventual clearance from suspicion only reinforces Gish’s instinctual reading of human behavior.
Joe Spalding
Joe Spalding, the art dealer hospitalized after a hit-and-run, is the story’s silent catalyst. Though physically absent for most of the narrative, his dealings trigger the events that lead to Hogarth’s death and Milton’s exposure.
Spalding is the keeper of the secret — the two da Vinci drawings given to him by Princess Aisha for clandestine sale. His background as a dealer suggests someone accustomed to high-stakes transactions and the ethical gray areas of art brokerage.
The hit-and-run incident that leaves him in a coma in New York hints at an international web of danger, possibly tied to those who didn’t want the drawings sold or the truth discovered. Despite his silence, Spalding’s character reveals the power of art — not just as cultural capital but as a dangerous commodity.
This art is capable of motivating betrayal, violence, and death.
Roisin Gallacher
Roisin Gallacher, the wife of notorious gangster Eddie Gallacher, lives at The Rise as a symbol of wealth laundering and strategic domesticity. Her character is intriguing not for direct involvement in the crime, but for the subtext she brings.
She exists within a protected bubble, cushioned by her husband’s criminal empire. Gish’s interactions with her expose the overlaps between organized crime and the seemingly lawful elite.
Roisin is curt, evasive, and aware of how much her name — or rather, her husband’s name — can suppress inquiry. She contributes to the story’s thematic current that in The Rise, wealth can cleanse reputation, obscure truth, and shield individuals from accountability.
Lev Godunov
Lev Godunov is another background resident, but one whose presence adds layers to the setting’s elite profile. His Bentley becomes the scene of the second body’s discovery, making him indirectly entangled in the narrative.
A Russian oligarch, Godunov’s role echoes the post-Soviet wave of money that flooded into London’s luxury property market. While he may not be directly responsible for the crime, his inclusion points to the geopolitical undertones of the story.
Money from murky sources mingles freely in a city that thrives on secrecy and exclusivity. He is emblematic of how the setting itself — The Rise — is less a home and more a citadel for the rich, where danger can fester unseen.
Themes
Corruption and Moral Decay Among the Elite
The Rise deals with the presence of corruption among the wealthy and powerful, including those entrusted with upholding the law. The story presents a world inside The Rise—a luxury building—that appears to embody success and exclusivity but is actually riddled with deceit.
Detective Sergeant Gish discovers that behind the glossy exterior lies a culture of criminality and compromised ethics. Inspector Milton, her own superior, emerges as a central figure in the conspiracy.
Milton uses his position and connections to hire two former police officers to steal priceless artwork. His plan leads to the murder of concierge Dwayne Hogarth, who becomes an unintended casualty.
The Rise symbolizes a social hierarchy in which power and wealth insulate individuals from consequences. Its security systems, restricted access, and elite residents illustrate both physical and moral barriers.
Residents like Princess Aisha escape accountability through diplomatic immunity. Others hide behind fame or influence, protected by silence or bureaucracy.
Rankin critiques how these protections enable the perpetuation of unethical behavior. Milton’s betrayal serves as a stark reminder that corruption is not just external—it can be institutional and intimate.
The story ends not with justice but with exposure. Gish uncovers the truth but cannot fully prosecute the offenders due to legal limitations.
This unresolved ending reflects a system where accountability depends more on circumstance than principle. The implication is that moral decay thrives in places where power suppresses scrutiny.
Justice Versus Truth
The difference between uncovering the truth and achieving justice is a central theme in The Rise. DS Gish methodically pieces together the events of the crime but is thwarted by the limitations of her authority.
She identifies the perpetrators, connects the dots, and understands the motives. Yet, she cannot legally pursue many of those involved.
The narrative critiques a justice system bound by political complications and diplomatic barriers. Princess Aisha’s immunity and the international aspects of the crime render prosecution nearly impossible.
Even Milton, who orchestrated the crime, escapes formal punishment. His role is exposed only through Gish’s confrontation, not through a court of law.
This leaves Gish in a morally triumphant but legally powerless position. Her efforts restore truth but fail to enact legal consequences.
Rankin uses this gap to examine how systems can recognize wrongdoing but still permit it. Justice becomes a matter of leverage, not law.
The story resists neat closure, reinforcing the idea that truth and justice are not synonymous. The dissonance between them creates tension that lingers long after the final page.
In this world, doing the right thing does not guarantee institutional support. It takes personal conviction, as Gish demonstrates, to preserve ethical integrity.
By showing how truth alone cannot bring justice, the story questions the effectiveness of the legal system in a world shaped by privilege and immunity.
The Fragility of Order and Security
The Rise, despite its high-end amenities and controlled environment, is shown to be a place where order and security are more illusion than reality. The death of Dwayne Hogarth is the first indication that something is deeply wrong.
A place designed to protect its residents fails to prevent a murder within its walls. The building’s surveillance systems are easily disabled, and key fobs are manipulated without detection.
This breakdown in security undermines the idea that wealth can buy safety. It reveals how vulnerable even the most exclusive spaces are to internal threats.
The threat does not come from outsiders but from those meant to uphold safety—ex-cops and a current inspector. The betrayal is not just personal, but systemic.
By highlighting how effortlessly the building’s protections are bypassed, Rankin questions the reliability of institutional security. These systems depend on trust and integrity, both of which are compromised.
The Rise becomes a stage where secrets are hidden rather than protected. Each apartment shields more than luxury—it conceals danger.
The presence of diplomatic figures and known criminals living side by side exposes the complex, precarious social order. Their status enables them to bend or escape rules entirely.
This theme illustrates how fragile the boundary between order and chaos is, even in environments built to control it. The result is a deep unease about the power structures that promise protection but fail to deliver.
Isolation and Detachment in Modern Urban Life
Despite its density and luxury, The Rise is a profoundly isolating environment. Residents live in close proximity but remain emotionally and socially disconnected.
Each person inhabits their own carefully curated world. Interactions are surface-level, shaped by reputation, secrecy, or avoidance.
Princess Aisha lives shielded by diplomatic status, avoiding connection with others. Jessica Forrester maintains the façade of a public life while hiding her vulnerability.
Art dealer Joe Spalding is known for his possessions rather than his personality. The death of the concierge, unnoticed until too late, underscores the community’s lack of awareness.
The detectives’ investigation highlights these fractures. Gish, as an outsider, observes that despite their closeness, the residents exist in isolation.
The architecture of The Rise reinforces this emotional detachment. Each apartment is a sealed environment, and doors are more symbolic of division than privacy.
Even Gish and Milton reflect this dynamic. While they work together, their values and actions diverge drastically.
Rankin uses The Rise to comment on the alienation of modern urban life. In a setting built for comfort, there is a profound absence of connection.
People live above and beside one another but do not truly engage. This creates a hollow form of community, where status replaces solidarity.
The theme captures how wealth and exclusivity can create emotional silos. In the pursuit of prestige, genuine human contact is sacrificed, leaving a void filled by secrecy and suspicion.