Tooth and Nail (1992)

I don't enjoy these books as much as I did the first time reading them. I guess I know a bit more about crime fiction now; I'm a bit more aware of the tropes and influences. In any case, Tooth and Nail takes Rebus out of Edinburgh, to London. Rankin's got his finger firmly on the pulse of the Edinburgh he knew then, and it shows in the atmosphere of the first two books. Setting a book in London didn't do it for me, really.

I like that Rebus isn't made out to be perfect in any way, and that we get to know him a bit as a character, but I don't find him terribly... engaging, and I don't feel convinced by his relationship with (in this book) Lisa. Appreciation for a pretty face and good body, yes, but falling into bed together like that... Hm.

Anyway, there are two stories in this running parallel and occasionally crossing: the story of the murderer, the Wolfman, and the story of Rebus' daughter's boyfriend, a highly unsuitable kind of guy (at least in Rebus' view). Neither of these were incredibly engaging for me: crime fiction is full of serial killers like Wolfman, and literature in general is full of daughters with unsuitable men. They're woven together believably, but... Nothing special.

Entertaining enough to read, though, and the clues are all there for you to follow and figure out for yourself if you want to. ( )

Early Rebus series entry is not as sophistcated as the later books and contains moments of absurdity more common with big screen action movies, notably the chase climax throught he streets of London. Nevertheless it is an entertaining read and one that is commendably brief. ( )

i would have preferred a random serial killer rather than one of the characters. rebus is such a prickly, difficult asshole, i can only take so much of him. i always want him to take a shower or brush his teeth. i find his family boring. ( )

Rebus goes to London to help catch a serial killer. My favorite part of the Rebus series is that it takes place in Scotland and describes those vistas and that people, so I was a little wary of how he'd fare in London. He does well, though, especially because his counterpart, George Flight, is such a great character and the two of them have a very realistic, wavering "trustworthy-or-not-trustworthy" relationship. It's a great example of a Rebus-story with twist and turns to leads us off track, but still with a proper conclusion at the end. ( )

My third try at a Rankin mystery and I am frustrated again. Parts of the book are very exciting or humorous, or both at the same time, such as the chase of the culprit through London in a car hijacked by Rebus. But the psychological motivation for the murders is not convincing, the scenes with the murderer are misleading, and there are too many digressions. ( )