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Rankin is one of the masters of crime fiction and Knots and Crosses is where it all began. Here, we are introduced to John Rebus, SAS paratrooper turned Detective Sergeant. When young girls start disappearing around Edinburgh he is called in to investigate, but the case becomes far more personal than he could ever have imagined as he is sent clues in form of knoted string and matchsticks. Brilliantly plotted and the backdrop of Edinburgh plays as big a part in the novel as any of the characters. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended. This title is also available as an Audiobook in CD format.
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Synopsis
Knots & Crosses by Ian Rankin
The very first Rebus novel from Ian Rankin.
'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.
Reviews
'The Rebus series has been uniformly first rate... His is a superbly drawn character; matched by the edgy authenticity of the Scottish locale and dialogue' The Times
About the Author
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Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh and has since been employed as grape-picker, swineherd, taxman, alcohol researcher, hi-fi journalist and punk musician.
His first Rebus novel, Knots & Crosses, was published in 1987 and the Rebus books have now been translated into 22 languages and are increasingly popular in the USA.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and is a past winner of the prestigious Chandler-Fulbright Award, as well two CWA short-story 'Daggers' and the 1997 CWA Macallan Gold Dagger for Fiction for Black & Blue, which was also shortlisted for the Mystery Writers of America 'Edgar' award for best novel. Dead Souls, the tenth novel in the series, was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger in 1999. Black & Blue, The Hanging Garden, Dead Souls and Mortal Causes have been televised on ITV, starring John Hannah as Inspector Rebus. His 3-part documentary series on the subject of evil was broadcast on Channel 4 in December 2002. An Alumnus of the Year at Edinburgh University, he has also been awarded two honorary doctorates, one from the University of Abertay Dundee and one, more recently, from the University of St Andrews.
He was awarded the OBE in the Queen's Golden Jubilee Birthday Honours List in June 2002 and is now the UK's number one best-selling crime writer. Ian Rankin lives in Edinburgh with his wife and two sons.
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Categories
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Categories
Mystery / Thriller
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