Review: Knots And Crosses

Knots And Crosses by Ian Rankin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Knots and Crosses is the first of the Rebus novels and is set in 80’s Edinburgh.

Rebus is a troubled man, partly due to his time in the army and while a believer in god, he is not a religious man.

This book starts with the kidnapping and murder of young girls, as the police investigation begins, Rebus receives letters and a piece of string with a Knot tied in it, he later receives further letters with either string or Crosses made of matches. However, he doesn’t link these to the murders, at first.

What follows is a taut thriller, with Rebus smoking and drinking too much, with vivid dreams and worries he is having a breakdown. Then his daughter is taken and his ex-wife injured and her partner murdered. The pace picks up and it all comes to a nerve wracking, satisfying ending with all the pieces nicely in place.

Ian Rankin has created a superbly drawn, trouble character and catches the atmosphere of Edinburgh and the slightly misogynistic 80’s brilliantly. A thoroughly absorbing read

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