Book Lists

New Releases by Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin is the author of A Heart Full of Headstones (2022), John Rebus (2022), A Song for the Dark Times (2020), FaceOff (2015), Tooth and Nail (2014).

23 results found

A Heart Full of Headstones

release date: Oct 18, 2022
A Heart Full of Headstones
New York Times bestselling author Ian Rankin returns to his legendary detective—it’s not the first time Rebus has taken the law into his own hands, though it may be the last. John Rebus stands accused: on trial for a crime that could put him behind bars for the rest of his life. But what drove a good man to cross the line? Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke may well find out. Clarke is tasked with the city’s most explosive case in years, an infamous cop, at the center of decades of misconduct, has gone missing. Finding him will expose not only her superiors, but her mentor John Rebus. And Rebus himself may not have her own interests at heart, as the repayment of a past debt places him in the crosshairs of both crime lords and his police brethren. One way or another, a reckoning is coming – and John Rebus may be hearing the call for last orders…

John Rebus

release date: May 24, 2022
John Rebus
The New York Times–bestselling author tells the story behind Inspector Rebus, the hard-edged Edinburgh cop and "superbly drawn character" ( The Times, London). In this short work, Edgar and Diamond Dagger Award winner Ian Rankin delves into DI John Rebus's origins as a character, as well as his own origins as a writer. While author and character share a love of literature and a deep affection for Scotland's capital city, they differ in other ways, as Rankin entertainingly testifies, while revealing how this "compelling figure" has developed over the course of his long-running series of gritty crime novels ( Kirkus Reviews). "[A] hard-drinking, chain-smoking, terminally melancholic hero . . . trapped in a world where mavericks are an endangered species." — Booklist "Rebus is without doubt one of the funniest among the classical fictional detectives." — The Guardian "With his stubborn insistence on tying up the frayed ends of every knotty clue, and iconoclastic refusal to be a team player . . . Rebus is a bane to his superiors but a blessing to readers." — Publishers Weekly

A Song for the Dark Times

release date: Oct 13, 2020
A Song for the Dark Times
"He’s gone…" When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it’s not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days. Rebus fears the worst – and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect. He wasn’t the best father – the job always came first – but now his daughter needs him more than ever. But is he going as a father or a detective? As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast – and a small town with big secrets – he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn’t want to find… A thrilling new Rebus novel about crime, punishment, and redemption, from the Edgar Award-winning "genius" of the genre (Lee Child, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series)

FaceOff

release date: Apr 28, 2015
FaceOff
An unprecedented collective features pairings by 23 best-selling and critically acclaimed suspense writers, who in short high-action stories pit their most popular characters against one another.

Tooth and Nail

release date: Oct 21, 2014
Tooth and Nail
"Rankin is a master storyteller, and his Rebus novels are a national treasure." — The Guardian Tooth and Nail is another outstanding entry in the internationally acclaimed, award winning, bestselling Inspector Rebus series of novels. Scottish homicide detective John Rebus has been sent from "North of the Border" to help London police catch a serial killer, thanks to a supposed expertise in the modus operandi of serial killers. 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 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. Teamed with a London cop he wants to trust but can't, Rebus gets a break when a beautiful psychologist develops a bizarre but surprisingly portrait of the killer. Now it's only a question of who is going to get busted first: the cop with the accent who breaks all the rules—or the psychopath painting London with blood . . . Praise for Ian Rankin and the Detective Rebus novels "Ian Rankin is a genius" —Lee Child "Ian Rankin is up there among the best crime novelists at work today." —Michael Connelly "A beautifully written series." — New York Times Book Review "Crime fiction at its best." — Washington Post Book World "Ian Rankin is a novelist of great scope, depth, and power." — The New York Times "A superior series of novels—addictive, brilliantly written, and altogether rewarding." — The Washington Post "John Rebus is one of the great creations in modern crime fiction." — The Daily Telegraph "The Rebus series stands as one of the great achievements in modern mystery writing." — The Globe and Mail "The Rebus books are a masterclass in plotting, character, and atmosphere." — The Scotsman "Ian Rankin's Edinburgh is a modern noir masterpiece of place, character, and atmosphere." — Los Angeles Times "Rebus remains one of the most distinctive characters in crime fiction." — The Times Literary Supplement "[Rebus] is probably the most interesting man in detective fiction." — Kirkus Reviews

10 Great Rebus Novels

release date: Sep 12, 2013
10 Great Rebus Novels
A brilliant box set of the first ten Rebus novels. Collection comprises of: Knots & Crosses; Hide & Seek; Tooth & Nail; Strip Jack; The Black Book; Mortal Causes; Let it Bleed; Black & Blue; The Hanging Garden; Dead Souls.

The Impossible Dead

release date: Oct 13, 2011
The Impossible Dead
Malcolm Fox returns in the stunning second novel in Ian Rankin's series... 'Criminally good' WOMAN & HOME From the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES. 'Excitingly gripping storytelling' THE TIMES Malcolm Fox and his team are back, investigating whether fellow cops covered up for Detective Paul Carter. Carter has been found guilty of misconduct, but what should be a simple job is soon complicated by a brutal murder and a weapon that should not even exist. A trail of revelations leads Fox back to 1985, a year of desperate unrest when letter-bombs and poisonous spores were sent to government offices, and kidnappings and murders were plotted. But while the body count rises the clock starts ticking, and a dramatic turn of events sees Fox in mortal danger.

Mortal Causes

release date: Aug 18, 2009
Mortal Causes
In Edinburgh you're never far from a peaceful spot, or from a hellish one either. Now, in the heart of summer, in the midst of a nationalist festival, Inspector John Rebus is on the murder case of a young man left hanging in a spot where his screams would never be heard. To find the victim's identity--and his killer--Rebus searches from Edinburgh's most violent neighborhood to Belfast, Northern Ireland--amongst petty thugs, gunrunners, and heavyweight criminals. But before Rebus can get to the truth, he's bloodied by the dream of society's madmen--and staring into the glint of a killer's eyes. Once again, Ian Rankin has demonstrated his incredible crime writing skills in Mortal Causes.

Hide And Seek

release date: Sep 18, 2008
Hide And Seek
The second Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES. 'Ian Rankin is a genius' Lee Child A junkie lies dead in an Edinburgh squat, spreadeagled, cross-like on the floor, between two burned-down candles, a five-pointed star daubed on the wall above. Just another dead addict - until John Rebus begins to chip away at the indifference, treachery, deceit and sleaze that lurks behind the facade of the Edinburgh familiar to tourists. Only Rebus seems to care about a death which looks more like a murder every day, about a seductive danger he can almost taste, appealing to the darkest corners of his mind... **** Ian Rankin's A HEART FULL OF HEADSTONES was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 10th October 2022 and w/c 1st May 2023

The Naming of the Dead

release date: Sep 18, 2008
The Naming of the Dead
The world is watching. And a killer is waiting... When Detective Inspector John Rebus starts looking into the apparent suicide of an MP, he is abruptly told to drop the case. Why? Because the leaders of the G8 are gathering in Scotland, and Rebus' bosses want him well out of the way. But Rebus never was one to follow orders... With the help of Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke - who has a very personal reason for hunting down a riot cop - both Rebus and Clarke are set on a collision course against their own force. And - with the eyes of the world on them - they soon uncover evidence that a serial killer may be waiting in the wings... 'Staggering ... At the top of his game' Daily Mail 'Masterly ... Rankin's finest novel' Scotsman 'The best crime novel you'll read this year' Sunday Telegraph

Knots And Crosses

release date: Sep 18, 2008
Knots And Crosses
Discover how it all began in the very first Rebus novel from 'Britain's No.1 crime writer' Daily Mirror '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. **** Ian Rankin's A HEART FULL OF HEADSTONES was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 10th October 2022 and w/c 1st May 2023

Blood Hunt

release date: Sep 18, 2008
Blood Hunt
The horror has just begun... A brilliant thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES. 'No one writes more gripping stories than Rankin' TLS It begins with a phone call. Gordon Reeve's brother has been found dead in his car in San Diego. The car was locked from the inside, a gun was in his hand. In the US to identify the body Gordon realises that his brother has been murdered. What's more, it's soon obvious that his own life is in danger. Once back in Scotland he finds out his home has been bugged by professionals. But Reeve is a professional too. Ex-SAS, he was half of a two-man unit with someone he came to fear, then to hate. It looks like his nemesis is back...

Exit Music

release date: Sep 17, 2008
Exit Music
It's late in the fall in Edinburgh and late in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he is simply trying to tie up some loose ends before his retirement, a new case lands on his desk: a dissident Russian poet has been murdered in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. Rebus discovers that an elite delegation of Russian businessmen is in town, looking to expand its interests. And as Rebus's investigation gains ground, someone brutally assaults a local gangster with whom he has a long history. Has Rebus overstepped his bounds for the last time? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, controversial career, will Rebus even make it that far?

Dead Souls

release date: Jan 01, 2008
Dead Souls
Stalking a poisoner at the local zoo, Inspector John Rebus comes across a paedophile taking pictures of children.

Tooth & Nail

release date: Jan 01, 2008
Tooth & Nail
They call him the Wolfman - because he takes a nip out of his victims and because they found the first victim in the East End's lonely Wolf Street. But there's no urban predator that Rebus fears. When Scotland Yard are anxious to find the last serial killer on their patch they look north and soon Rebus is on his way south from the chill of Edinburgh to the rain of London. A serial killerfrom Dr Liza Frazer is attractive in more ways than one and Rebus is happy to take her up on her offer of help. But in taking on one ally who doesn't think that everyone achilles heel in the fight against the Wolfman.

Knots & crosses

release date: Jan 01, 2007
Knots & crosses
'It was 28th April. Wet, naturally, the grass percolating water as John Rebus walked to the grave of his father, dead five years to the day.' This is our first glimpse of the Scottish policeman with the puzzling name... before Ian Rankin hit the bestseller lists, before Rebus became a national institution... A story of the brutal abduction and murder of young girls, at first it seems that Detective Sergeant John Rebus, smoking and drinking too much, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is just one of many policemen hunting the killer. Then messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses - taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve. So begins the case that introduced the crime world to one of its most compelling characters. Whether you're turning the pages for the first time, or reliving the mystery, KNOTS AND CROSSES is unmissable reading.

Fleshmarket Alley

release date: Feb 02, 2005
Fleshmarket Alley
An illegal immigrant is found murdered in an Edinburgh housing scheme. Rebus is drawn into the case, but has other problems: his old police station has closed for business, and his masters would rather he retire than stick around. But as Rebus investigates, he must deal with the sleazy Edinburgh underworld, and maybe even fall in love.

Fleshmarket Close

release date: Jan 01, 2004
Fleshmarket Close
An illegal immigrant is found murdered in an Edinburgh housing scheme: a racist attack, or something else entirely? Rebus is drawn into the case, but has other problems: his old police station has closed for business, and his masters would rather he retire than stick around. But Rebus is the most stubborn of creatures. As Rebus investigates, he must visit an asylum-seekers' detention centre, deal with the sleazy Edinburgh underworld, and maybe even fall in love...Siobhan meanwhile has problems of her own. A teenager has disappeared from home and Siobhan is drawn into helping the family, which will mean travelling closer than is healthy towards the web of a convicted rapist. Then there's the small matter of the two skeletons - a woman and an infant - found buried beneath a concrete cellar floor in Fleshmarket Close. The scene begins to look like an elaborate stunt - but whose, and for what purpose? And how can it tie to the murder on the unforgiving housing-scheme known as Knoxland?

Resurrection Men

release date: Mar 01, 2003
Resurrection Men
Inspector John Rebus has messed up badly this time, so badly that he's been sent to a kind of reform school for damaged cops. While there among the last-chancers known as "resurrection men," he joins a covert mission to gain evidence of a drug heist orchestrated by three of his classmates. But the group has been assigned an unsolved murder that may have resulted from Rebus's own mistake. Now Rebus can't determine if he's been set up for a fall or if his disgraced classmates are as ruthless as he suspects. When Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke discovers that her investigation of an art dealer's murder is tied to Rebus's inquiry, the two-protege and mentor-join forces. Soon they find themselves in the midst of an even bigger scandal than they had imagined-a plot with conspirators in every corner of Scotland and deadly implications about their colleagues. With the brilliant eye for character and place that earned him the name "the Dickens of Edinburgh," Ian Rankin delivers a page-turning novel of intricate suspense.

A Question of Blood

release date: Jan 01, 2003
A Question of Blood
While investigating the murders of two teenagers at an Edinburgh boarding school by a reclusive former soldier, Inspector Rebus faces possible suspension when the man stalking his partner dies in a fire Rebus is suspected of setting.

The Black Book

release date: Oct 15, 2000
The Black Book
Inspector Rebus of the Edinburgh police investigates a five year old murder case while being reunited with a newly found brother.

Black & Blue

release date: Jan 01, 1998
Black & Blue
Bible John terrorized Glasgow in the sixties and seventies, murdering three women, and was never caught. Now a copycat is at work - nicknamed Bible Johnny by the media - a new menace with violent ambitions. It's a perfect case for Inspector John Rebus.
23 results found


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