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Summary: I Hate Ian Rankin...
Review: ...because now I have a new obsession: Inspector Rebus mysteries. I can't remember the last time I was so immediately involved in a series; so thoroughly taken with a character and his creator; so fixated on catching up on the past decade's worth of stories. There's great writing here, terrific characterizations, sly humor...and the whodunit aspect does not disappoint. And that goes for all the Rebus books. Well done, Mr. Rankin.
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Summary: Pretty Strange Murders
Review: Each victim is being bitten after death by teeth that seem to resemble those that might be found on some monster. This is the story of a serial killer set in Scotland that puts its hooks in at the start. I finished this in two sittings because I couldn't wait to find out what was going to take place next. A well-crafted mystery series. John Rebus, the Scottish policeman is a wonderful and lasting character.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Strange Murders
Review: Each victim is being bitten after death by teeth that seem to resemble those that might be found on some monster. This is the story of a serial killer set in Scotland that puts its hooks in at the start. I finished this in two sittings because I couldn't wait to find out what was going to take place next. A well-crafted mystery series. John Rebus, the Scottish policeman is a wonderful and lasting character.
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Summary: Wolfman.
Review: He had wanted to update Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for modern times, Ian Rankin writes about his first Inspector Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses" in the introduction to the British compilation "Rebus: The Early Years" (unfortunately, not available in the U.S.), which contains the first three installments of the series. Oblivious to the mere existence of such a thing as the mystery genre - or so Rankin says - he was stunned to soon hear his book described first and foremost as a crime novel. But eventually this characterization prompted him to have a closer look at the work of other mystery writers, and he found that the form suited his purposes just fine; that in fact he "could say everything [he] wanted to say about the world, and still give readers a pacy, gripping narrative."
Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) - as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well.
"Tooth and Nail" (originally titled "Wolfman," for the alias that police have given the subject of their hunt) takes Rebus to London, where - due an earlier case of his own reluctantly deemed an "expert" on serial murderers - he is to assist metro CID with the case of a killer named for the bite marks he leaves on his victims' bodies. Not overly enthusiastic about any aspect of his mission to the capital (and thus mirroring once more the feelings of Rankin himself, who did not much like living there, either, and "brought Rebus to London so he could suffer, too"), Rebus soon alienates his metro counterpart by his constant unwillingness to follow protocol, although the two men get along reasonably well on a personal level. Eventually, Rebus so seriously jeopardizes his and - by extension - Edinburgh CID's reputation with the Met that he is about to be recalled home, when he finally makes the crucial connection that unmasks the killer, just in time to save the young psychologist who has offered her help with the case and who is his latest love interest. (As befits a good noir detective, Rebus has a new flame in every book, not without incurring fresh scars from each separation, however.)
While this series had a terrific start already in its first three novels, published between 1987 and 1992, Rebus's character - and Rankin's writing - has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to his nonseries novels, however, which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be happy with his early Rebus books, commenting almost nostalgically: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ...
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing special.
Review: I'd never heard of Ian Rankin, but the book reviewer on Fresh Air, Maureen Corrigan, happened to mention that she limited her reading of Rankin to one book a month so she could longer savor his stuff. I don't if know this is one of his weaker efforts, but it would be difficult to motivate myself enough to try another. Simply, while the prose and dialogue are generally adequate, the main character is both hackneyed and sketchily drawn. He seems like a fictional detective, rather than a real and original presence. Beyond this, the plotting is extremely lazy and incredible, with coincidental connections and meetings happening in London as if it were a village of a few hundred. Alas, the villain is revealed at the end in the manner of a rabbit from a hat with no logical or clever foreshadowing, and a "solution" by the sadsack hero which is uninteresting and highly unlikely. Followed this shortly later with Dennis Lehane's "Mystic River" and it took his clean, sharp, evocative prose to fully dissolve my disappointment. Lehane will be revisited, but I think I'll lose Rankin's address.
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Summary: Dark and Chilling Tale
Review: I've read all of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus tales. Thus, I've spent many hours with John Rebus, and his deep, dark, intensity. His world of pain and loss is usually Edinburgh where the city becomes a living being as conscious and present as Rebus himself-and the shadows that fill his life. In Tooth and Nail, we are thrust with Rebus into an alien land, London, and much more into the alien mind of the murderer. The insanity within the serial killer is disconcerting, creating anixity within us as we read the words. No longer are we curled up with a good book reading about paper characters. We become no more safe from the demons of imagination than the do victims in the novel. But Mr. Rankin not only chills us, he saves us, at least for the moment. I could not bear such unease if it wasn't for the realization that Inspector Rebus will succeed in the end, at least enough for me to sleep without nightmares . . bravo, Mr. Rankin. You are an artist.
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Summary: Great look into the depraved mind of a serial killer
Review: The writing in 'Tooth and nail' is superb and has a very incisive, polished feel. The plot is great, but it seemed as if the end was slightly rushed. Rebus suddenly guesses who the killer is and then goes after him in what can only be described as a Hollywood ending. But the denoument more than makes up for this. The psychological insight into the mind of a serial killer (dubbed 'The wolfman') is excellent. I felt sympathy, if not quite empathy, for this character. The way Rankin described The wolfman's extremely messed up childhood ("I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy...")almost had me in tears. And the reason why he bit into his victim's stomachs was so insanely rational that I was amused and shocked all at once. This is a great book and should definitely be read by anyone interested in this genre.
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Summary: remarkable
Review: this may be one of the earliest Rebus novels, but it is without shadow of a doubt one of the best. Ian Rankin here presentes an excellent serial killer novel, published around the time when the sub-genre itself was really on it's infancy. (After all, there weren't all that many serial killer novels around in 1991) It's a very assured, seasoned, mature novel, somewhat before it's time. Rebus is a great character, and here his development continues. However, we are presented with a great twist to the normal formula here...Rebus has been sent to London to work on a case, and the fish-out-of-water effect really works very well. Instead of the in-depth and realistic descriptions of Edinburgh, we now see London through Rebus, a visitors eyes, and Rankin proves that his evocations of place are not merely limited to Edinburgh. He describes London excellently, and observing Rebus wandering round the city like a lost soul (until he realises that, in terms of problems, London is basically the same as his home turf, when he seems to get more comfortable with the place) is really interesting. The plot is great, and it twists and turns subtly but excellently, with Rankin misleading the reader like an illusionst all the way to the end as to the real identity of the killer. He shocks and surprises again and again, until a brilliantly exciting climax, a car chase through the busy streets of London. Along the way, Rebus meets some brilliant characters, several of whom i would love to see again in the future. George Flight, his opposite number in London, is a wonderfully drawn creation. He is a likeable man, and a great copper. He is darawn well, and i liked the way Rankin shied away from the cliche of making him an unlikeable, difficult to work with, arrogant and not very good police-officer. Instead, we are prsented with a policeman equal to Rebus in ability, whose talents compliment each other well. Another great character is Liza Frazer, the young psychologist who volunteers to help Rebus draw up a profile of the killer. All in all, this is a brilliant book. It suceeds on every single leve, and while the end does seem a little rushed, and i would rather the book were a bit longer, this book ranks among Rankin's best work. Which, considering the calibre of almost all his books, means that this book is very, very good indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This was my first Ian Rankin book. It was great. The book read very fast and kept my attention through the book. The serial killer's MO was mysterious. I wanted to know "Why?". The book didn't disappoint and provided both the "Who" and "Why". I would recommend it.
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Summary: A good Serial Killer Mystery
Review: This was my first Inspector Rebus mystery and I shall certainly read more. The main character, Inspector Rebus, is a self-effacing Scot sent to London as an "expert" on serial killers (he certainly would not describe himself as such). As he hunts for the gory killer, he faces prejudice of the locals, a love interest and his daughter (by divorced wife) dating a criminal. The mystery is a good one. The serial killer mutilates his victims but, unlike some other authors, this is not a major theme. It is raised, but not dwelled upon - leaving more to the imagination and fewer pages devoted to gore. The author's descriptive passages are his strongest writing. The description of the autopsy is unforgettable, yet he again does not dwell on long passages of grossness or gore. He concentrates on the perceptions being experienced by the good Inspector. Inspector Rebus is thoroughly likeable. He is human, fallible and uncertain in many of the steps he takes. Yet he pursues hunches and acts on reflex, sometimes to his detriment. His relationship with the lead London inspector, George Flight, is described realistically through all its ups and downs. I found this to be a very well-written book with characters who were believable and likeable. I generally hesitate to read serial killer mysteries because so many use excessive gore to make up for thin plotlines. This book had a very good plot/mystery and excellent writing. I strongly recommend it to mystery lovers.
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