The Inspector Rebus Series

The Inspector Rebus Series

Rankin, Ian

1987-2007 (17 books)

8.5/10

This series has earned its eternal place on not only my bookshelves, but those of both my parents. It started as my dad's obsession. He stops and starts the various books as he finds them. After ignoring his recommendations for years, I finally picked up the first one, Knots and Crosses, and was asking for the second and third installments within days. I'm only about halfway through the seventeen book series, but when I find the right one I finish it in a couple of days. Unlike my dad, I am physically incapable of reading out of order. The character (and writer) development is well worth the restraint.

The series follows the adventures of Edinburgh police inspector John Rebus. Rebus is an excellent example of the troubled, flawed hero who gets righteous results through questionable means. I often find myself praising and berating him in the same paragraph. Rankin and Rebus explore the dark and seedy neighborhoods of Edinburgh with such intensity and energy that I find myself simultaneously swearing to never step foot in the country and mentally booking my plane ticket.

Rankin is the master of mystery, suspense, and vice. Just remember to bring your Scottish slang lexicon.

Books in the Series:

1. Knots and Crosses (1987)

2. Hide and Seek (1991)

3. Tooth and Nail (original title Wolfman) (1992)

4. Strip Jack (1992)

5. The Black Book (1993)

6. Mortal Causes (1994)

7. Let it Bleed (1996)

8. Black and Blue (1997)

9. The Hanging Garden (1998)

10. Dead Souls (1999)

11. Set in Darkness (2000)

12. The Falls (2001)

13. Resurrection Men (2002)

14. A Question of Blood (2003)

15. Fleshmarket Close (published in the USA as Fleshmarket Alley) (2004)

16. The Naming of the Dead (2006)

17. Exit Music (2007)