Product Description

'And in Edinburgh of all places. I mean, you never think of that sort of thing happening in Edinburgh, do you...?' 'That sort of thing' is the brutal abduction and murder of two young girls. And now a third is missing, presumably gone to the same sad end. Detective Sergeant John Rebus, smoking and drinking too much, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer. And then the messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses - taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23518 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-22
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Synopsis
'And in Edinburgh of all places. I mean, you never think of that sort of thing happening in Edinburgh, do you...?' 'That sort of thing' is the brutal abduction and murder of two young girls. And now a third is missing, presumably gone to the same sad end. Detective Sergeant John Rebus, smoking and drinking too much, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer. And then the messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses - taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve.

About the Author
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into twenty-two languages and are bestsellers on several continents. Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award. He is the recipient of four Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards including the prestigious Diamond Dagger in 2005. In 2004, Ian won America's celebrated Edgar Award for 'Resurrection Men'. He has also been shortlisted for the Edgar and Anthony Awards in the USA, and won Denmark's Palle Rosenkrantz Prize, the French Grand Prix du Roman Noir and the Deutscher Krimipreis. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews and Edinburgh. A contributor to BBC2's 'Newsnight Review', he also presented his own TV series, 'Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts'. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, opting to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.

Customer Reviews

You must persevere
Being entirely new to the Crime Fiction genre, I took Ian Rankin as being a good entry point. Plenty of books already on the shelf, recommendations aplenty...what could possibly go wrong?

The debut of Inspector Rebus, though, while far from being a car-crash of a read, was nonetheless disappointing. For the first three-quarters of the book, the plot is lethargic and dull, and Rebus himself, while fairly easy to identify with, soon becomes rather two-dimensional with his constant brooding and melancholy. Rankin seems to be at constant pains to paint a more surly and seedy Edinburgh than we perceive, which initially is fine, but we are reminded at every possible moment of this apparent dark side as though we can't be trusted to remember. The other major thing he antagonises over is the characterisation of Rebus and his (wait for it) dark past. While all this build up and evocation is effective, the fact that it goes on for 138 pages, with little plot advancement, is enough to make most casual readers put the book down long before that moment.
If you can persevere up to that magic moment, however, when the clues snap magically into place, then the pay-off will flow and will pretty much make up for it. The revelations that follow are smart and suitably 'why-didn't-I-realise?'-esque. Seasoned crime novel readers may have worked it all out long beforehand, but for those not as familiar, the twists that are revealed are satisfying and go a long way into connecting you better with Rebus.

If you'd have asked me while I was halfway through this book whether I'd read the next in the series, I'd have flatly refused. Now, though, I'm considering it, thanks in no small part to the ending...

Not a great book, but it works well as a curtain-opener on Rebus' world.

Served its purpose
I had taken the opportunity to read Knots & Crosses upon a lengthy bus journey -- but fell short of the first six chapters by the time I had arrived, largely due to tiredness and distracting mobile phone calls. I picked the rest of the book up a few days later, and never put it down again! Finished the book the same night and thoroughly enjoyed it.

New to Rankin, i had heard numerous recommendations, so I decided to start at the beginning of the Rebus series, completely oblivious to criticism of his earlier works (criticism indeed, which the author levies at himself, in retrospect, as part of the prologue).

The story is set in Edinburgh, in surroundings familiar to Rankin. This, in itself, set the tone for me, being a Scottish native, and fan of the culture. Rankin is quick to use street names, landmarks and famous characters related to the city, accompanied by the occasional anecdote, perhaps sometimes unnecessary to the plot, but interesting nonetheless.

Rankin's significant strength is his ability to build characters, and encourage empathy, particularly with the protagonist, the hardened yet essentially brittle figure of John Rebus, and ex officio temptress Gill Templer.

The plot itself, highly simplistic, is the book's significant weak point - perhaps lacking the essential twists and turns, and climax usually associated with a murder mystery.

As an introductory novel, it served it's purpose. I will read the next Rankin novel in the series, mostly in anticipation that his later installments are indeed filled with a more engaging plot, as reviews would suggest.

An Awesome Introuction to Rankin & Rebus
Knots and Crosses is the first book of the Rebus world. Inspector Rebus is a detective in the Edinburgh police force. Rankin introduces the book wonderfully and gets you turning pages very fast and wanting more.

Rebus, a divorced semi alcoholic old fashioned hard nosed copper is made to work on a case of a missing child. With the crime are many twist, one of them being Rebus's own brother. As soon as he is introduced to you by Rankin, you have a seed of doubt about him.

This is a great book for any crime reader, I am well and truly hooked on Rebus's world now and I want more!!