Inspector John Rebus made his debut in Ian Rankin's second novel, Knots and Crosses, which was published in March 1987. The 1997 book, Black & Blue, which linked Rebus's case with the unsolved Bible John murders, achieved the double goal of sales and prestige. I did not find this the best or most exciting book by Ian Rankin that I have read and I have read many of them. French crime show Astrid: Murder in Paris comes to More4. There in the bar, singing a Burns song is his nemesis Cafferty, who Rebus believes is safely locked up in jail. Eleanor Bell, "Ian Rankin and the Ethics of Crime Fiction,", See in particular Laura Severin, "'Out from the mentor's shadow': Siobhan Clarke and the Feminism of Ian Rankin's, "Their bonding is based on a mutual need for validation as obsolescent patriarchal men"; Sara Martn Alegre, "Aging in F(r)iendship: 'Big Ger' Cafferty and John Rebus,", List of characters from the Inspector Rebus series, "Ian Rankin on how Inspector Rebus became a tour guide for Edinburgh" q on cbc, 26 Oct. 2018, Brian Ferguson, "Ian Rankin reflects on slowing down as a writer and struggling for ideas as new John Rebus thriller is launched,". , Page numbers source ISBN How long have you lived here? Your email address will not be published. National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. At the same time, his nemesis, the brutal gang lord Cafferty, is given a savage beating. First look: Things Get Ugly by Joe R Lansdale, It feels like Kellerman crime novels come as regularly as the tides on Venice Beach. 1 Episode 2000. Please try again. Eleanor Bell notes that "Throughout his detective series Rankin has therefore aspired to present authentic visions of Scotland, to reflect subtle changes of detail in Edinburgh life and provide persuasive representations of the nation" as political and economic changes occur. The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter. For example, it appears on this undated list at the Scottish Book Trust. , Language [3] Second, it won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award, but also came into consideration on more general lists of the best Scottish novels or writers,[4] and was discussed in the British press as a novel which trangressed the boundaries of genre. Interview: Ian Rankin on mortality, Rebus and Scottish crime It's payback time for DI John Rebus in his pact with the crime under-lord Morri Read allThe motto of the Scottish kings - Nemo mi impune lacessit ("Don't Mess With Me") sets the tone for this story. 1 Episode 2000. . You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you. Many visitors to Edinburgh will have heard of, and perhaps even visited the gloomy Mary Kings Close, a network of passages and chambers under the present-day High Street. The third Rebus novel Tooth & Nail is notable for the introduction of Morris Gerald Cafferty - aka 'Big Ger' - the gangster who runs Edinburgh, and Rebus's chief adversary. By the time we meet Cafferty inThe Naming of the Dead,he is repeatedly visiting Rebus at his flat to offer insights into his case, and Rebus relies on information that Cafferty passes on. Additional gift options are available when buying one eBook at a time. InExit Music, Cafferty has saved Rebuss life and Rebus returns the favour in a big cliffhanger ending. One of the virtues of Rankins writing is that crime is always, eventually, grubby and venal. The author did not retire the character, however, and John Rebus popped up again in 2012 novel, Standing in Another Mans Grave. Rebus often presses his nemesis for information even as he simultaneously pursues him for a long list of crimes. Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Rankin compares the relationship between Rebus and Cafferty to that of Wringhim and Gilmartin (the devil himself) in the Scottish crime classic Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824) by James Hogg. Story continues below . However, what Cafferty has to say sends Rebus rocking on his heels. Moreover, the gap between injustices and crimes is put into clear light here. Crime novels are in a terrible cleft-stick in that they have to be the same and they must be different. We have updated our Privacy Policy I rather like Fox: the grizzled, ill Rebus bent rules but did not break them; Fox is a stickler and a sook. What can one say? . Rebus 2022 - Bookheathen Scribblings Beautifully mind-teasing police procedurals set in Rankin's hometown of Edinburgh, the Rebus books offer rollercoaster reading-rides that also reflect the tangles of corruption, poverty, organized crime, and other social and political issues that face today's Scotland (and, indeed, the wider UK). . I'll admit I did not much like the first book in the series but liked it enough to try the second one - and all the ones thereafter. Charles Lawson is a perfect John Rebus, embodying the character from the novels as well as Ken Stott did on TV, and John Stahl is similarly exactly right for Cafferty. Cafferty tells her: "You've got more balls than Tynecastle. . Army investigators Read More Fleshmarket Close Photo byTimDuncan (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Nobody wanted to nail Morris Gerald Cafferty (known to all as Big Ger) as badly as John Rebus did. Now I'm glad to see that Rebus is back and better than ever. Detective Inspector John Rebus is the protagonist in the Inspector Rebus series. Interviewers such as Gavin Esler or reviewers may remark that the city of Edinburgh is a character in the novels. Ex-Army himself, Rebus becomes fascinated by the killer, and finds he is not alone. In some of the later novels, Rebus's nemesis, the gangster 'Big Ger' Cafferty, is a point of view character; often the glimpse of his thoughts allows the reader to understand the strange relationship between the two not-quite-retired men. Each of his DS George Cross novels, Translated by Rachel Ward Unlike Erdinger or St Pauli Girl, German crime fiction doesnt always travel as well as the countrys beers. In the dim and distant past, Cafferty was wronged by Jack Oram. Why Rebus takes this commission is slightly opaque, and Cafferty's reason - that he wishes to make amends - was always a dubious proposition. Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. In Rankins latest book, Even Dogs in the Wild, Rebus is again tempted out of retirement to assist, Siobhan and Fox with Edinburghs latest murder mystery. Cafferty is a favourite character of the Rebus novels, albeit a slippery one, and Ian himself has admitted that bringing Big Ger into a new book gives him a lift during the writing process. A few days Read More, The fourteenth Inspector Rebus novel - and No.1 bestseller. The 15th Rebus novel even borrows its name from the Edinburgh street Fleshmarket Close. Both men not quite able to reconcile that their glory days may be behind them. "A relationship would completely destroy the working dynamic between them.". Time to flash back a wee while maybe things will become a little clearer? Rebus and Cafferty are both past the point at which . The Inspector Rebus books are a series of detective novels by the Scottish author Sir Ian Rankin. Rebus (TV Series 2000-2004) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb Because this is a terrific, multi-layered crime novel, with a gripping plot and a cast of credible, if not always pleasant, characters. All Rights Reserved. Mortal Causes, published in 1994 but set mostly during the Edinburgh Festival the previous year, is the sixth of Rankins detective stories to feature Inspector John Rebus. "I love the Black Isle," he says, "a couple of good boozers, good restaurants, dolphin watching, you name it.". Ian Rankin, a New York Times bestselling author, is the recipient of an Edgar Award, a Gold Dagger for fiction, and a Chandler-Fulbright Fellowship. Amazon.com: Even Dogs in the Wild (A Rebus Novel, 20): 9780316342544 Hometown: Edinburgh, London and France Date of Birth: April 28, 1960 Place of Birth: Cardenden, Scotland Education: Edinburgh University Website: Related Subjects ", Rankin says he wrote it as a postgraduate literature student, "and it reads like it was written when I was a postgraduate literature student. Rebus often presses his nemesis for information even as he simultaneously pursues him for a long list of crimes. It looks like it's in someone's interest to have Rebus out of the picture forever.The title of this book is taken from the lyrics of "Single Father," a song by Rankin's late friend, a Scottish musician Jackie Leven. Rebus author Ian Rankin: 'I'm not in bed with the police' True. She flinches, thinking he is making a pass at her, but neither of them wants a romantic relationship. The topicality and eye for detail are awesome' Jilly Cooper 'This is possibly the best novel you will read in your life full Read More, Sometimes murder is the easy way out A brilliant Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES. And, if anyone needs patience in this story, it is Patience!! The dialogue moves at a cracking pace. He wanted to be holding the spear, giving one last poke just to make sure the bastard really was dead. Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2023. : Please take a moment to review it. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. The dark may be closing in on Rebus, but he was and still is a kind of kindly light. Some notable local landmarks written into the series include the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, Rosslyn Chapel and Calton Hill. Rebus and Cafferty. Their platonic bond is strong and Siobhan soon becomes a principal character, first appearing in the fifth Rebus novel The Black Book. Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2022. Previous investigations have come to naught but now one of the inner circle is about to break ranks. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2023. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Ian Rankin: There's Nothing Crime Fiction Can't Do "A Heart Full of Headstones" begins with Rebus in court as the defendant, accused of a serious crime. Rebus (TV Series 2000-2004) - IMDb Sammy. Ben Brown. And yet, this latest and, perhaps, last book in the series, was better than the book before it, but still not up to my high expectations of Rankin. Caffertys presence is often found in the background of the cases that Rebus and Clarke are working on but there is never enough evidence to make an arrest. Another very worthy addition to a great series, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2022. I wasn't inside Rebus' head; he was just a cipher to get me through the story.". "Rebus" Mortal Causes (TV Episode 2001) - IMDb He remembers the family picnics at Loch Leven, the community he grew up in and holidays in St Andrews. The mystery takes Rebus into the heart of a shattered community. However, when Rebus retired in Exit Music, Rankin instead wrote two novels set in the same world of Edinburgh policing, but from the point of view of Malcolm Fox, an Inspector with Internal Affairs. Has Rankin given up on Rebus? Theres a skill to keeping a long-running series fresh and relevant and not all authors possess it. rebus and cafferty But then Cafferty was released from prison because he was thought to be . Rebus reminisces about his childhood as he pulls off the motorway at Kinross. The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter. 16 terms. Rebus' informal investigation intertwines with his previous work partner, now DI, Siobhan Clarke's work on a different case. 'Ian Rankin is a genius' Lee Child A 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. Frances Haggard has been arrested for domestic abuse and will turn whistleblower to save his skin. The days of harum-scarum treks across Scotland seem to be gone, and Rankin writes well about dealing will chronic illness. Leading the criminal underworld is corrupt mobster Ger Cafferty, played by Stuart Bowman ('The Pact'; 'The Serpent'). After two years without Rebus, it's great to have the curmudgeonly old ex-cop back - and in somewhere near top form. . Which is the crux of this novel, really. We follow Rebus and his colleagues through the festival atmosphere of the Old and New Towns, and the pipe bands and colourful pageantry of an Orange parade, to the grim atmosphere of a gang-infested council estate. Rebus (2000-2004) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Series Directed by Series Writing Credits Series Cast Series Produced by Series Music by Series Cinematography by Series Film Editing by Series Casting By Series Production Design by Series Art Direction by Series Costume Design by Series Makeup Department Scudder (an ex-cop and a man with his own strict moral code) related to a tough-guy hoodlum called Mick Ballou. All of the Rebus novels are available as audiobooks, some in several versions: narrated by different people or in abridged and unabridged form. Gregor Jack, MP, well-liked, young, married to the fiery Elizabeth - to the outside world a very public success story. As political passions run high, Read More, The twelfth Inspector Rebus bestseller - a powerfully gripping novel where past and present collide From the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES 'This is, quite simply, crime writing of the highest order' DAILY EXPRESS 'The unopposed champion of the British police procedural' GUARDIAN A student Read More, The thirteenth Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES 'No one in Britain writes better crime novels' Evening Standard 'This is Rankin at his best, and, boy, that's saying something' TIME OUT Rebus is off the case - literally. Big Ger Cafferty was looking good. See Plain's chapter "The Novel's Reception," which gives many excerpts from reviews. It's such a classic, noir fiction, with sharp dialogs and exciting characters, that I envy those who haven't got a chance to read the series yet. Ibid., p. 19. There in the bar, singing a Burns. As is usual in Rebus novels, there are a few interesting female characters too DC Siobhan Clarke, journalist Mairie Henderson and, in this case a medium-term relationship with a doctor, Patience Aitken, whom he lives with. He put the album on and poured himself a final drink. John Rebus is one of the most enduring characters in crime fiction, first appearing inKnots & Crossesin 1987. : Cafferty runs a criminal organisation that uses intimidation, bribery and murder to deliver what he wants and he has no hesitation in giving it out personally. Mark Greig. Women, relationships and colleagues had come and gone but the Stones had always been there. Your email address will not be published. The hi-fi system was playing Jackie Leven at barely discernible volume." , File size It opens with Rebus in the dock, charged with something but crucially the reader does not know what. Meanwhile, Edinburgh's dark heart is up Read More, IN A HOUSE OF LIES Everyone has something to hide A missing private investigator is found, locked in a car hidden deep in the woods.