Product Description

They call him the Wolfman - because he takes a bite out of his victims and because they found the first victim in the East End's lonely Wolf Street. Scotland Yard are anxious to find the killer and Inspector Rebus is drafted in to help. But his Scotland Yard opposite number, George Flight, isn't happy at yet more interference, and Rebus finds himself dealing with racial prejudice as well as the predations of a violent maniac. When Rebus is offered a serial killer profile of the Wolfman by an attractive female psychologist, it's too good an opportunity to miss. But in finding an ally, he may have given his enemies an easy means of attack.

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4162 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Because the first body was found in Wolf Street, because the murderer takes a bite from each body, the press have found a new terror, the Wolfman...

Drafted down to the Big Smoke thanks to his expertise in the modus operandi of serial killers, Inspector John Rebus is on a train south from Edinburgh. His Scotland Yard opposite number, George Flight, isn't too happy at yet more interference. It's bad enough having several Chief Inspectors on your back without being hounded at every turn by an upstart Jock. Rebus is going to have to deal with racial prejudice as well as the predations of a violent maniac. When he's offered a serial killer profile of the Wolfman by an attractive lady psychologist, it's too good an opportunity to turn down. But in finding an ally, he may have given his enemies an easy means of attack.

About the Author
Ian Rankin is a No.1 bestseller, and has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Diamond Dagger. He lives in Edinburgh, and in 2003 received an OBE for his services to literature.

---

Customer Reviews

The third in the series must surely hook any Rebus follower.
All the expected ingredients of the Rebus series are to be found here: the dour inspector himself, grisly murders, a grim sense of humour, throw-away, almost James Bond-style one-liners. If you like crime fiction it ought to be pretty well impossible not to be entertained by any of these brilliant books.

In Tooth and Nail the Scottish cop is on his usual form - upsetting his superiors, his ex-wife and his daughter, while still managing to help Scotland Yard with their pursuit of a serial killer. With a stunning climax set in Central London, this should convince anyone who has read the first two Rebus books to stick with this complex, somewhat haunted, character. Most of the action in this story takes place in London, and the scope for Edinburgh itself to become, as it usually does in the series, virtually a character in the plot itself is therefore limited. However, this does not detract from the book because the action moves at a cracking place, the plot is well constructed and there is always a feeling of not wanting to put it down.

I have tried to read the series in order as far as possible, and I believe that this helps to enhance one's enjoyment of the world which Ian Rankin has created for Rebus. Whilst each book is self-contained, various characters seem to crop up regularly throughout the series and there are numerous references back to incidents which have taken place in earlier stories - all of which helps the whole concept to hang together very well.

Both this book and the entire series are highly recommended.

A bit of an oddity
This is the third book Ian Rankin's inspector Rebus series. I am a big fan of the whole series of books (which now runs to over a dozen books) and this is a good book, if something of an oddity as it is set in London rather than Edinburgh.

The series...
...each of the books in the Rebus series is self-contained (in the sense that it deals with a case or group of cases) but there is significant character development through the series and it is best to read them in order. Ian Rankin is much better writer than the average crime writer. He has a number of strengths that make the Rebus series the most enjoyable contemporary crime series. Rankin's strengths include strong story telling, the ability to conjure up imagery very quickly and effectively, strong characterisation and an excellent sense of place (he is particularly interested in exposing the seedy underbelly of Edinburgh). He writes well and does not rely on local patois or dialect (unlike Irvine Welch for example) - this has the advantage of making the books easier to read but it does lead to the sense of place occasionally faltering. For me, he is the best British crime writer, almost in the same league as Thomas Harris and James Ellroy. One of the strengths of the series is the central character, John Rebus. He is an interesting, flawed man - with a failed marriage behind him, a rather distant teenage daughter he barely knows, a traumatic military career (ultimately in the SAS) and something of a drinking problem. He is a curmudgeon - he has problems with dealing with authority but also expects absolute respect from the people below him in the hierarchy. He is not a team player, he likes to work alone and keep secrets. Despite all these flaws his passion, drive and humanity make him a sympathetic character.

The book...
...as noted above, the third book in the Inspector Rebus series is a bit of an oddity. Rankin transfers Rebus to London to try to catch a serial killer. This takes Rankin away from one of his strengths as he clearly knows London a lot less well than he knows Edinburgh and his usually faultless sense of place sometimes goes a little awry. He compensates for this with a strong story although he does flirt with cliché about the psychology of serial killers together with a rather incongruous and not entirely believable relationship for Rebus. This is a good book even if it is not entirely successful. It is one of the weaker books in the series but it is still well worth reading.

Note that there is an omnibus version, "Rebus: The Early Years", incorporating the first three novels (Knots & Crosses, Hide & Seek and Tooth & Nail) available.

Third Rebus novel
This is the third Rebus novel and is set in London. Because of this it seems a little strange if you are used to the Rebus of Edinburgh but it is still a great book. If it were in Edinburgh I'm sure it would have been more in line with the other Rebus books and felt even better.

In the introduction that the author, Ian Rankin, has helpfully added it says that this is the only Rebus set in London and he did that because he was living in London at that time. It also talks about the Scottish words that are used in the book that put up a language barrier between Rebus and his London colleagues. However in the book they get their own back with the use of Cockney rhyming slang.

The book follows Rebus as he is requested to investigate a serial murder case in London from his native Scotland. It follows the case through to completion with a thrilling car chase which ends in Trafalgar Square. And as usual there are a few laughs along the way and the various thought processes of the characters.