I have to admit—being a Yank, an America, one of those—that I didn't realize the significance of the title until I was well into it. We call it Tic-Tac-Toe out here, a name that is relatively meaningless, and I believe I like "Noughts and Crosses" much better since it actually represents the characters being played. Also, it would have let me in on the clever play-on-words that is this title.

I was recommended this book by a salesman who calls me every once in a while at work to see if I would like to purchase his products (I never have) and I assumed he was just being friendly (which he usually is); however when I looked it up at the local bookstore, something about it reminded me of a series of books I read when I was a kid, mysteries by Lawrence Sanders (the Deadly Sin books). So even though this wasn't the sort of thing I'm reading now, for some reason I decided to pick it up anyway, and I was pleasantly surprised when I sat down to read it.

First of all, I was intrigued by the setting. My work has afforded me the opportunity to visit Edinburgh and the surrounding area a couple times in the past year, and I really love that place. Something about it reminds me of the American Midwest (if the America Midwest had a big-ass castle in the middle of it). Reading a book set in the same city captivated me. Perhaps if I wasn't as familiar, or enthralled, by the setting, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much.

Second, the writing wasn't half-bad. This was one of Rankin's first books, and I've read in reviews that his style has matured since then, but even still it is not written with the usual clichés that I'm used to. I found that refreshing. His prose has a nice flow to it that, while not Dickens, is many steps up from the drivel that passes for pulp mystery fiction these days (it seems).

His character, Inspector Rebus, is well-rounded, not a 100% good guy, just enough darkness under the covers to make him interesting. I think I would like to read more about him in future books, perhaps read them in chronological order to see how Rankin's writing style evolves. Here, Rebus is crass and sharp, sometimes a jerk, sometimes a good cop and a caring father as well.

About the only thing I didn't like about this story was the plot, which ended up being a little too choppy (looking for the right word, here) as we're strung along by the unusual Macguffin of these knots and crosses, which happen to be sent to Rebus and would lead any imbecile (except most of characters in the first 2/3rds of this novel) to realize that he was somehow connected to the killer. It's almost as if Rankin doesn't really know what he wants to write about as he's working his way though this story. Maybe that's true. It was one of his first books, after all. Perhaps the rest get a little more organized. This one was good enough as is for me to want to find out. ( )

The first Rebus book introduces us to our hero, who has a Past - two Pasts, in fact: a traumatic military experience in the SAS, and a failed marriage. The two collide in spectacular fashion; it's not so much a detective novel as a psychological account of Rebus working through his own experiences. Both Rankin and Rebus also seem to have a fascination with the intersection between police procedurality and media manipulation. All set against a richly detailed Edinburgh. A good start. ( )

i listened to this and missed a lot so i decided to read it because the series is so famous. this was just so improbable and the character so drunk and peculiar that i couldn't get into it. so little attention paid to the 3 girls who died for absolutely nothing, ( )

A really good read. This novel delves into Rebus' past life when a friend from the past devastates the present. A killer is loose and the police cannot get a lead on his motive or how he is choosing his victims. This killer wants more than revenge - he wants Rebus and his family to suffer. ( )

Finally…
At long last I have read my first Ian Rankin Rebus novel – and although it wasn’t at all what I expected (whatever that was) it certainly didn’t disappoint. And, as the beginning of a long series, Knots & Crosses, although written over twenty years ago, is quite relevant today and is an absorbing opening to, what many have remarked to me as, a much-anticipated set of books.

With little preamble Detective-Sergeant John Rebus, of the Great London Road police station, Edinburgh, is introduced, along with all his frailties. Separated from his wife and daughter, and thus a mediocre father, who smokes and drinks too much, he lives a solitary, unsatisfactory existence, maintaining a fleeting contact with his only brother; his past, reluctantly surfacing with recurrent lurid visions, is as much an impasse to himself, as to the reader. But when Rebus is assigned to the seemingly random abduction / murders of young girls - a crime consuming all of Edinburgh - his much-vaunted skills neglect to connect a rash of persistent, personal crank letters with the case. And despite a niggling, subconscious belief, that the knot of string, or the cross, with the cryptic note inserted into each envelope is pertinent to the ongoing investigation, it is not until almost too late that Rebus grasps the personal aspect of the murders; only by confronting and uncovering the agonising memories he has deliberately suppressed from his previous life, can he solve this most distressing situation.

From the very first page of this book, there is a tone, and an atmosphere, Ian Rankin extols concerning the life of John Rebus – a study of a character gone almost awry – which consequently reveals the fragility beneath an outer core of hard-won strength, plus the basis, the inner beliefs, of this most intriguing protagonist. And from the very first page I was hooked, did not want to stop reading; though exactly why is hard to pigeonhole - there is an innate skill with Ian Rankin’s writing craft which is at once pleasing, and which effortlessly cajoles the reader into a decided commitment, an unyielding investment in the tale. Conversely, this accent on Rebus: his disposition, his temperament, his underlying nature was unforeseen; pure speculation on my part contends many readers would have initially expected, indeed preferred, a story somewhat more plot-driven in nature.

In point of fact, I am unsure this novel was originally intended as a fit for the crime genre, yet regardless of this unexpected emphasis - on personality rather than action - a solid foundation is now established for the remainder of this series. A well-written, rapid read, this chronicle introduces a fascinating and formidable individual; and notwithstanding a persistent, purposely contrived, overall feeling of slight imbalance, I have a belief that the events exposed in this first instalment will resurface habitually, and not too far in the future; the inner turmoil of John Rebus underpinning forthcoming plot-devices. That alone is enough to furnish, in me, a strong desire to read the next of these books.

(May 3, 2009) ( )

I have read many of the Rebus novels, thanks to the public lending library but, this is the first time that I have been in at the beginning of the great defective detective.
The story is excellent and, ironically, answers questions that I have always harboured whilst reading the rest of the canon.
Rebus is one of the best detectives that I have had the pleasure of devouring - sorry Mr. Rankin, but I put you second to Reg Hill, but head and shoulders above the rest! ( )

Like Edinburgh itself. John Rebus is very much a child of Edinburgh and the mystic highlands. This is the first book in the John Rebus series, and it's a good one. We get a good introduction to John Rebus, and the dark side of his character. I have seen some of these done on television, and I was really looking forward to beginning this series. It did not disappoint. It is easy to see why Rankin won the Gold Dagger and the Edgar prizes with this book. There is a lot of power in his writing, and he builds a good plot too. I am looking forward to reading more of John Rebus, and I will be prepared for more dark and brooding prose. ( )

As the voice of reason and humility on Newsnight Review I've grown fond of Rankin, and believe he's a big fan of Pynchon, so I decided to finally read of his novels. I must say I was disappointed at how badly written it was... Half the novel is taken up with building the character of Rebus, and the at times it seems like the other 1/2 is all cliché. And the ending is solved rather unsatisfactorily. But its his first novel, and the first in a series, so it'd be a bit harsh to expect anything else. I still like him, and I finished it in a single sitting - would more can you ask for from a crime novel? - so it can't be all bad. I'd read another if I came across one. ( )

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. ( )

I enjoyed this book. The first half seemed a bit slow -- setting up the characters and situation, with only a few clues and very little happening -- but then it really picked up the pace. I thought it was well-written, and since I like British detective novels, it's likely that I will read more of the series. ( )

After reading a later book in the John Rebus series, I finally start at the beginning. It has all the common frailties of a first novel, but I could easily overlook all of that since details of John's life come at me full-force, and I can finally grasp just what the heck is going on. I like John Rebus. He's a bit of a weirdo bastard, but we all have our flaws, don't we? Who am I to judge if he nabs a few rolls of toilet paper at the local market, or takes home strange women for a slap, tickle, and a manic urge to strangle? I ask you to define normal.

This novel is filled with strained relationships between father and daughter, man and woman, man and boss, man and ex-wife...oh, you get the idea. There is no real resolution in all counts, but it all shows the heart that John possesses, and since he doesn't have much else, it will just have to do. ( )

I really enjoyed the characterizations of Edinburgh as much as I enjoyed the characters. I found the plot arc somewhat predictable, but enjoyed the book enough to want to read more of the Inspector Rebus series. Since I already have the second book in the series, I'll give that one a try and hope that I find the plot a bit less generic. ( )

Maybe it is because I am an American, therefore I identify better with trauma of the Vietnam vet like Henry Bosch (Michael Connelly) rather than the trauma of anti-IRA training--but this book seemed a little too melodramatic for my tastes. Does every city have its underground (literally) reality? ( )

Introducing Detective Sergeant John Rebus of the Edinburgh police.

Rebus' past, which he can not remember, haunts him in dreams and even in waking life, with screams of "Don't leave me". Divorced, on good terms with his 12 year old daughter Samantha whom he adores, Rebus is caught up in a case of pre-teen girls who are strangled but not sexually assaulted, a puzzling type of serial murder. In addition, he receives a number of what he dismisses as crank notes, first at the station, then at home. It takes his lover, Detective Inspector Gill Templer, to intuit that the 2 are connected, and his brother Michael, a hypnotist, to unlock the past with the key to the murders.

Very fast paced, tension kept high throughout. Concise prose, with gritty descriptions of characters and events. The descriptions of Edinburgh give what appears to be an authentic "feel" for the underside.

Highly recommended. ( )

The first John Rebus book, and although I enjoyed it, I confess to being slightly disappointed.

There is a spate of young girls being murdered in Edinburgh, and John Rebus is the detective on the case. Things take a sinister turn when his own daughter is kidnapped.

In this first book, we learn about Rebus' history in the armed forces, and some of the things he has endured. I find many parallels between Rebus and the Tom Thorne character in Mark Billingham's books. On reflection, I think I prefer Thorne, but if you like solid crime stories, this book is well worth a look. A solid introduction to the series. ( )

Thoroughly enjoyed reading Knots & Crosses. It's the first of the Rebus novels, & the first of Ian Rankin's books I've read. It's quite a page turner, & kept me guessing.
Shall definatley be reading more. ( )

Having bought a set of the first ten Rebus novels, I've finally got around to reading the first one. I really enjoyed it.
It does have its problems as Ian Rankin admits in his new intro to this edition, most notably in police procedure, but Rebus is a great character, agonised, and full of contradictions.
I'll definitely carry on with this series! ( )

The Amazon automated merchandise recommender keeps pushing this series to me because I loved Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks books, so I decided to try it out. This time I decided to do it chronologically. I certainly it gets better than the first book. Not that Knots and Crosses is terrible, it is better than most but I keep getting the feeling that Ian Rankin is capable of a lot more research and be elaborate more on the protagonist and antagonist's relationship. The description of the key to solving the mystery was done in a slap dash manner while I was really hoping for something more substantial.

The characterization was a tad too cliched and workmanlike. The description of the chief protagonist was achingly pedestrian. the typical tortured anti-hero, the strong and silent cowboy non-conformist, no one understands and everyone leaves him because he i so odd, but he has a deadly secret ploy. This wouldn't be so bad except that it has been done to death.

The best parts of the novel is the description of Edinbrough's streetscapes and what lays beneath the glitter and spit shine of the tourist's version of Edinbrough.

All in all and in retrospect, this is an excellent start to a mystery series, but like I said, I was hoping for more. It may be unfair of me to say this but I really the plotting and the writing of Inspector Banks much much better.

But I will go forth and tackle the next one in the series, hopefully it will improve. ( )

Another Inspector Rebus mystery...Really, I've read almost all of them and they are pretty consistent. They all tend to have a good plot, lots of character development, wit, insight and charm. I do not have to worry that I will be exposed to long, graphic details of images that I wish I could erase from my mind, and I can feel confident that I will not be repulsed by any sex scenes that have nothing to so with the plot...Maybe, I'm a bit of a prude but really, these are mystery novels, not horror and not romance novels. I guess I grew up reading Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew mysteries, and Ian Rankin writes a more grown up version of mystery that implies certain activities, but sticks to the mystery. ( )

http://funkywoodjam.blogspot.com/2007... ( )

I've enjoyed nearly all of Rankin's books, and this one was no exception. It's been a few years, so I have a hard time remembering which was which now from the titels, but Rebus is a fantastic character, and the action in and around Edinburgh (one of my favorite cities; I lived near there when I read this) is always interesting. ( )

I can't help seeing John Hannah as Rebus, but there are far worse things in life. Anyway, there is a spate of girls going missing but no one can see any connection between them, making figuring out the next victim next to impossible. To make matters worse, a reporter has himself convinced that Rebus is trafficking drugs and just won't leave him alone. I have to say, I really didn't see the reason the girls were being abducted at all, which to me is great. I love when I can't figure things out. ( )

My first Ian Rankin, which was also his first, and I quite enjoyed it. It introduced Rebus as an ex-SAS man who has had a nervous breakdown before joining the police. Troubled, of course, but a character in his own right. I'm glad I started with the first in the series, because I have often considered the Rebus novels but couldn't be bothered coming in half way and trying to understand the motivations, relationships and all that. So I'll get 'round to his second one at some point this year. ( )

We are introduced to Detective Sergeant Rebus of the West Lothian police force. He is hot on the heels of a serial killer that seems to strike at random, with seemingly no connection between his victims. Well, he’s knocking on doors asking for information and searching through dusty old records, not chasing the killer down the main street, but he’s definitely on the case…

This is the first book in the Inspector Rebus series, and it is very good, making you want to read more, even if it’s not as good as his other books that I have read. It’s interesting to see how Rebus started out, and this book gives you lots of information about his background before his police days, and why he joined the force, which isn’t in his later books much. Definitely worth reading, but make sure you don’t stop on this book but read the rest of the series. ( )

My first Ian Rankin read and my first crime/grit/inspector novel. A very good read and Inspector Rebus is an excellent character. It helps that Edinburgh is one of the settings...

I've already purchased the second Rebus novel, Hide and Seek. I intend to read them in order if they continue to be this good. ( )