Rating: 
Summary: A Great Series
Review: I just found-out about Ian Rankin, and now I'm hooked on the John Rebus series. Very gritty, sort of a TRAINSPOTTING series of crime novels.I generally enjoy U.K. mysteries and Rebus series is not a disappointment.
Rating: 
Summary: A striking blow to librarians everywhere!*
Review: I love Rankin's writing style and vivid depictions of Edinburgh. Of course, as a huge fan of Irvine Welsh, I am not unfamiliar with the seamier side of this city.
Unfortunately, the plot itself was relatively predictable. Maybe because I had just finished Iain Banks' Complicity (masterful and much recommended), also set in Edinburgh and featuring characters who had participated in a brutal military training regimen, I found Rankin's mystery uninspired...
*...That is, except for the bit I mention in my title line. I am a library school student, and I was quite taken aback by this part. It made me love the book more!
I will definitely read more John Rebus mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: A solid start to a brilliant series
Review: I read a lot of mysteries (too many) and Ian Rankin's Rebus series is probably my favorite. As the first entry in the series, Knots & Crosses is essential reading. And while it isn't as good and rather more conventional than later entries (Hide & Seek, The Black Book and Mortal Causes are outstanding) it has all the elements of a solid mystery. These include a very human, even damaged, detective, well-developed subsidiary characters, a fast-moving plot and a surprising resolution. Best of all is the atmospheric setting of Edinburgh--the dark, sleazy side tourists don't see. The Rebus series definitely belongs to the more hard-boiled school of detective fiction, and therefore may not appeal to those who prefer "cozies." But because these books are so well written and the character of Rebus is so compelling, I can see Knots & Crosses and the rest of the series appealing even to people who don't usually read mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: A solid start to a brilliant series
Review: I read a lot of mysteries (too many) and Ian Rankin's Rebus series is probably my favorite. As the first entry in the series, Knots & Crosses is essential reading. And while it isn't as good and rather more conventional than later entries (Hide & Seek, The Black Book and Mortal Causes are outstanding) it has all the elements of a solid mystery. These include a very human, even damaged, detective, well-developed subsidiary characters, a fast-moving plot and a surprising resolution. Best of all is the atmospheric setting of Edinburgh--the dark, sleazy side tourists don't see. The Rebus series definitely belongs to the more hard-boiled school of detective fiction, and therefore may not appeal to those who prefer "cozies." But because these books are so well written and the character of Rebus is so compelling, I can see Knots & Crosses and the rest of the series appealing even to people who don't usually read mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: A Good First Effort
Review: I was excited to discover a new British mystery author. It seems that Americans just don't do this particular genre very well and I usually just put a book down if I see that an author is from America or writing about America. Brits do this kind of stuff better.
Anyway, I wasn't disappointed in this first effort. Some people find this book dark and dreary, but I was reading 'Trainspotting' at the same time I was reading this one and I thought the Edinburgh theme was great. British mysteries are dark, Americans mysteries are too sappy and optimistic. The darkness gives this book depth and feeling. I can't wait to read more Ian Rankin!
Rating: 
Summary: Well plotted and satisfying.
Review: Ian Rankin gets better every time I read another one of his books. After reading "Knots and Crosses", I felt like I had seen it on TV or video, his descriptions were so vivid! The main character is so very human and not always loveable, but understandable nevertheless. Inspector Rebus is a divorced Scot, a Policeman with an ex-wife and 11 year old daughter. He has the usual troubles and has been compared to other English detectives. He has had a troubled past and his way of working things out and his leaps of intuition are both believable and satisfying. I recommend this book, but since it is out of print, you may not be able to find it.
Rating:
Summary: Well plotted and satisfying.
Review: Ian Rankin gets better every time I read another one of his books. After reading "Knots and Crosses", I felt like I had seen it on TV or video, his descriptions were so vivid! The main character is so very human and not always loveable, but understandable nevertheless. Inspector Rebus is a divorced Scot, a Policeman with an ex-wife and 11 year old daughter. He has the usual troubles and has been compared to other English detectives. He has had a troubled past and his way of working things out and his leaps of intuition are both believable and satisfying. I recommend this book, but since it is out of print, you may not be able to find it.
Rating: 
Summary: Weak Series Debut
Review: Ian Rankin's debut John Rebus procedural has several similarities to John Harvey's Charlie Resnick series, weary, flawed, divorced, mid-level policeman hero, nasty plot (serial killer of little girls), set in a dark British city (Edinburgh). However, Rankin's book doesn't measure up in characterization, plausibility, or even plot to any of Harvey's books. Therefore, I will return my attention to finishing the Harvey books before giving Rankin a second chance.
Rating:
Summary: A good start to a great series
Review: In this, the first Inspector Rebus novel, author Ian Rankin shows why this series is so popular: a conflicted `hero', deep characterizations, a complex plot, and intense psychological drama. Rebus is a policeman in Edinburgh, a city renown for its history and for other, unsavory, pursuits. One of the running themes of the Rebus series is the underside of the famous tourist destination. Rankin states at one point: "These tourists spent so much time photographing things that they never actually saw anything..." (84). The plot deals with a serial killer who, at the beginning of the novel, has abducted and killed two young girls; Rebus is assigned to the extensive investigation in a minor capacity. At the same time, he is dealing with three other problems in his life: his daughter, his brother, and his past as a British soldier. As the novel continues, these seemingly disparate items will be connected in a dramatic way to the main investigation. Although not as intricate as later Rebus novels, `Knots and Crosses' is a excellent introduction to Rankin's excellent creation of John Rebus. A good series well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe not your run-of-the-mill procedural
Review: Interesting. I had heard of Rankin in passing but I watched an interview with him in July. I had to give him a try. Knots and Crosses shows that it is his first major work. There are some flaws to the story and the flow, especially in the beginning. But at some point, it grabs you and won't let go. I had to read 2/3 of the book today because I was interested in seeing where the plot twists. While K&C may not be much more than basically formulaic on many levels, I enjoyed the realism of the characters. Certainly, in a shorter work, it is difficult to establish too much complexity or red herrings. I enjoyed the idea that the main character was solving the crime more by accident than by effort. As a novel outside the genre, I think it is a very worthy effort at combining characterization and plot. For those of you who view it as a not too clever example of the genre, maybe you should read something else for a while and freshen up. Very much worth the money, esp if you intend to read the later books. Great effort Ian and much fun! -Mike
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