Knots and Crosses

An enjoyable fast paced. Loved the Edinburg setting and John Rebus. Keen to read more of this series and see how the Rebus character develops.

Ive always known I wanted to dip into Rebus, given Rankin's reputation amoungst his peers so felt it best to start form the beginning. Let's say this is obviously a first book that comes over as exactly that, a freshman first attempt that has the right direction but has a few too many tropes thrown in. It wont stop me though as so many comment on how the writing tightens up and gets so much better.

Police procedural

This is a very good first novel, but laced with a lot of old-fashioned melodrama. I found the SAS/torture-as-training interlude to be very implausible. I'm eager to see where Rankin takes this character in future books.

Slow on the uptake
cranks letters, shifty brother
surviving on cigs.