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Loading... Knots and Crosses (1987)by Ian Rankin
   No current Talk conversations about this book. Ah, your stereotypical detective who drinks too much and has a lousy home life. I actually found the author's note about the origins of this story one of the most interesting bits of the book. Runner up goes to the chase through the underground world of Edinburgh (the literal, physical underworld) which fascinates me a bit with its history. (  ) jennannej | Jul 13, 2017 |  Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin; (2 1/2*); Inspector Rebus, bk 1 In this, the 1st of 21 in the Inspector Rebus series, Rankin seems in a bit of a hurry to get on with it. He is just one of the officers in his department who are on the prowl in the underbelly of Edenborough to find out who is kidnapping and murdering these little girls, aged 8 to 12. Perhaps Rankin already had the series mapped out???????? IDK, but the novel seemed to me to be a series of events occurring rapidly over the course of the book. He neglected to take time to grow his characters; causing both the characters and the story line to fall rather flatly on to the pages. I became increasingly disinterested until the call from the professor. Then my brain perked up a bit. Having heard such good 'stuff' about this series, I will continue on for a few more books, but must say that this first was a disappointment to me. It made me want to go back to the old Lawrence Sanders series with the detective who ate his messy sandwiches over the kitchen sink. Now THERE you had a character you could sink your teeth into, so to speak. (  ) rainpebble | Jul 11, 2017 | This is the first in the Inspector John Rebus mystery series. Edinburgh is plagued by a series of kidnapping/killings of young girls, and Rebus is on the investigative team. When he realizes that the anonymous messages he’s been receiving coincide with the kidnappings, he is forced to consider that he may have a personal connection to this killer. Rankin writes a fast-paced thriller with several twists and turns in the plot. Rebus is a complicated character, turning to alcohol to lessen the pain of his past experiences, including a failed marriage, but still clearly an intelligent and resourceful detective. His former work as a member of Britain’s elite SAS adds a certain mystique to his background. A subplot involving his brother, Michael, and an investigative reporter, Jim Stevens, adds both tension and a distraction from the killings. Makes me wonder if these characters will also appear in later books. I’ll definitely read more of this series. ( ) BookConcierge | Jun 16, 2017 | I really enjoyed this first book of a long 20-book series featuring DS John Rebus. The author hit the right note with his characterizations, locale and especially the storyline, which kept you guessing as secrets were gradually revealed. I look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Rebus of Edinburgh. (  ) Zumbanista | Nov 17, 2016 | A thrilling mystery--or a mysterious thriller--Detective Sargent John Rebus gets involved with a serial murder case in this atmospheric book set in Edinburgh. The author does not quite play fair with the clues, as he withholds the most important ones until the end. This is why the book is a bit more of a thriller than a traditional mystery. ( ) barlow304 | Nov 14, 2016 |
Note from Kirkus' Vintage Review Editor: In 1987 author Ian Rankin introduced Edinburgh, Scotland police detective John Rebus in his first novel, Knots and Crosses. Kirkus awarded the novel a starred review and encouraged our readers to carefully watch this newcomer. For the following 20 years, Rankin treated his loyal readers to a Rebus mystery every year or two until he retired him in 2006 in the excellent novel, Exit Music. As Rankin is bringing Rebus back in his new novel Standing in Another Man’s Grave, we remind you what we thought about Rankin’s first go-round with Rebus. — January 21, 2013 A compelling first novel sent in Edinburgh, where a series of killings of young girls has the city in a panic. Ex-army police detective John Rebus is in the thick of the investigation. Scarred by his elite-corps army training, a nervous breakdown and a divorce, father of teen-age Samantha, Rebus is a dogged but not too sharp investigator. The anonymous letters he starts to receive after the first murder are shrugged off as the work of a crank; he never questions the affluence of his rarely seen hypnotist brother Michael; and he never figures out the one factor common to all the victims. In the meantime, his girlfriend Gill Templet, a press liason policewoman, and hard-bitten, hard-drinking reporter Jim Stevens are smarter. It slowly becomes clear that the killer's focus is Rebus himself, who must finally confront an implacable enemy and hie own long-repressed traumatic memories. Solidly drawn characters, keen psychological insights and an intriguing, well-knit plot--along with a rather florid but individual writing style--make Rankin a newcomer to watch.
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0312956738, Mass Market Paperback)Detective John Rebus: His city is being terrorized by a baffling series of murders...and he's tied to a maniac by an invisible knot of blood. Once John Rebus served in Britain's elite SAS. Now he's an Edinburgh cop who hides from his memories, misses promotions and ignores a series of crank letters. But as the ghoulish killings mount and the tabloid headlines scream, Rebus cannot stop the feverish shrieks from within his own mind. Because he isn't just one cop trying to catch a killer, he's the man who's got all the pieces to the puzzle... Knots and Crosses introduces a gifted mystery novelist, a fascinating locale and the most compellingly complex detective hero at work today. (retrieved from Amazon Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:21:05 -0400) While investigating a series of gory killings of young, innocent girls, Edinburgh police detective John Rebus, a former member of Britain's elite SAS, discovers his own ties to the killer and is brought up against his own memories, which hold the key to unraveling the case.… (more) |
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