My thoughts: At last, a good old fashioned serial killer story. 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. Scotland Yard are anxious to find the killer and Inspector Rebus is drafted in to help. 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. Edinburgh is its own character and the distance between London and Scotland is more than geographical. I enjoyed Rebus’ co-workers in this novel, particularly Holmes as he brought some wry humour to the plot. Maybe not as social issues (as with property prices) don’t change. My thoughts: The content of drugs and associated vices is still a contemporary issue so I wondered if this novel caused some controversy upon publication. 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. Overall: I really enjoyed this novel and thought it was a fantastic debut and it didn’t seem dated.Ī 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. Maybe to someone mid-twenties this is how a 40 year old would act! Secondly, one of Rebus’ co-workers comments on hanging in until retirement – he’s only 35! He just wrote a cracking story! There were only two things that gave away the fact Rankin was quite young when he wrote this book: firstly Rebus seems a lot older than his 40-odd years. I barely noticed the lack of police-specific information that he alluded to in the introduction. For a first novel it is easy to see what a great writer Rankin is. My thoughts: I enjoyed all the extra information for readers in this novel and Rankin is right when he says that Knots and Crosses is more of a historical text now.

And then the messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses – taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve. Detective Sergeant John Rebus, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer.

After a brutal abduction and murder of two young girls a third is missing, presumably gone to the same sad end.

Tooth and nail rebus