Knots and Crosses (edit title)

• Rated 2 stars

“WAY too British.”

• Rated 3 stars

“1985. Kept getting lost, I think because it is the first Inspector Rebus I have read and there is a history...I have a 2003 (Question of Blood) on hold until I get some older works of his and will try again.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Very good mystery.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Twists and turns galore. A unique plot for a detective story. Well thought out and kept me glued.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Already read a few other Rebus titles so thought I ought to go back to the begining and find out more about the character.Glad I did, gripping introduction to the world of Rebus and will certainly be reading more!”

• Rated 4 stars

“Knots and Crosses is the John Rebus series intro. Rebus is a DS in Edinburgh and could quite easily serve as the poster child for angst-ridden policemen. Of course, he has reason for being this way: he’s divorced, has a child from who he has become a bit alienated, has recurring nightmares back to the time he was with SAS, and has kept all of this buried within.

In this installment of the series, Rebus is assigned to work on a case in which two young girls have been abducted and afterwards killed. At the same time, Rebus is receiving some really bizarre mail: either pieces of knotted string or crosses made from matchsticks. When a crisis arises having to do with his daughter, Rebus is nearly pushed to the edge and realizes that his unspoken (and mentally blocked) past contains answers to the present.

The book is well written; this one is really more character driven than plot driven and at times you may become a little annoyed that so much of Rankin's internal torment spills out on to the pages. But it's really quite necessary here, so hang in there. As always in the first book in a series, the main character's personality is not quite yet fully developed, so I'm waiting to see if Rebus is less angst ridden as the series progresses. The supporting characters are portrayed well, and I love Rankin's plotting.

I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy mysteries from the UK, and to anyone who hasn't yet ventured into this series.

Overall, quite a good start to the series. And since I have quite a few more by this author on my shelves, I know I'll be back”

• Rated 3 stars

“Julie g said: 3 stars

I enjoyed this introduction to the Rebus detective novels.I had a taster of Rebus in his collection of short stories (Beggars Banquet) which I had read at a readers group earlier this year.I liked the clever word play of the knots and crosses and how it all came together in the end.Children are being abducted and strangled in the Edinburgh area and it becomes apparent that John's past holds the key to the puzzle.
I perhaps took to this book very quickly because it begins with a journey i have taken myself to fife and the beach there and back to Edinburgh. If you know the area then this book will come to life so vividly for you. I can see that I shall be reading more mysteries in 2009 than I ever read before!”

• Rated 3 stars

“I enjoyed this introduction to the Rebus detective novels.I had a taster of Rebus in his collection of short stories (Beggars Banquet) which I had read at a readers group earlier this year.I liked the clever word play of the knots and crosses and how it all came together in the end.Children are being abducted and strangled in the edinburgh area and it becomes apparent that John's past holds the key to the puzzle.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Very well written. Everything hangs good together: the characters, the uncomplicated (nowhere near simple, though) plot, the relaxing length and the peaceful Edinburgh setting was a good combination to a great crime fiction (even the glossy cover feels just right).

It was a slightly inferior story (3.5 stars if only I could give it) when compared to the nearly untouchable Witch Hunt. But this is definitely a bench mark in Ian Rankin's crime fiction collection.

”