From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Knots and Crosses (Inspector Rebus, #1)

Ian Rankin

Start date: November 15, 2025

Finish date: December 7, 2025

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: First in this acclaimed series
[close] First in this acclaimed series

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 478 topics — 9,232 comments total

Buddy reads

* Willful Behaviour by Donna Leon (Brunetti #11) (Oct/Nov 25)
By Susan · 17 posts · 11 views

last updated Oct 23, 2025 12:56AM

* Willful Behaviour - SPOILER Thread - (Brunetti #11) (Oct/Nov 25)
By Susan · 3 posts · 7 views

last updated Oct 23, 2025 12:57AM

What Members Thought

Jun 26, 2021 John rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ian-rankin

The first of the Rebus novels. Raw and unfinished in places but still a gripping tale of when librarians go bad. Rebus is divorced, alcoholic, chain smoking detective in the city of Edinburgh. A madman is murdering little girls and Rebus is part of the investigation.

The character of Rebus is grim, ex-SAS with blocked memories which are eventually unlocked by his hypnotist brother Michael. We relive his indoctrination and his falling out with Reeves his brother in arms. The motive for the murder ...more

19 likes · Like · see review

Feb 20, 2014 Elizabeth Williams rated it liked it

A book club read for me. I quite liked this book. This book is a mixture of disturbing, captivating and entertaining reading. I was constantly wondering who did it. Rebus is for the most part likeable. His past making him who he is today. The book I rented from the library had notations written in the margins. Someone who had read it before me noted faults in the story. One example was that Morton (whatever happened to him? Maybe the next book in the series explains it) was said to be 35, 6 year ...more

Like · see review