Ian Rankin

Author

Ian Rankin is Scotland's most successful crime writer and one of the most acclaimed authors in the genre worldwide. His Inspector Rebus novels — set in and around Edinburgh — have sold over thirty million copies, been translated into thirty-six languages, and established Rankin as a master of the modern police procedural. Born in... Cardenden, Fife in 1960, Rankin studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, where he began writing the first Rebus novel as part of his PhD research. Knots and Crosses, published in 1987, introduced Detective Sergeant John Rebus — a complex, stubborn, whisky-drinking detective who uses Edinburgh's dark side as his beat. What Rankin intended as a literary novel exploring the duality of Edinburgh — the polished tourist city versus the grimy reality beneath — was quickly adopted by the crime fiction community, and a legendary series was born. Over more than twenty-five novels, Rankin has used Rebus to explore Edinburgh and Scotland with extraordinary depth. The books are not just crime novels but portraits of a changing society — tackling issues from organised crime and political corruption to immigration, inequality, and Scotland's relationship with the rest of the UK. Titles including Black and Blue, The Falls, Fleshmarket Close, and A Song for the Dark Times have won numerous awards, including the CWA Gold Dagger and the Edgar Award. Rankin has also created the characters Malcolm Fox and Siobhan Clarke, who have become central to the later novels, allowing him to explore different perspectives on Scottish justice and society. Beyond Rebus, Rankin has written standalone novels, short stories, and non-fiction. He is a frequent contributor to public debate in Scotland and a passionate advocate for libraries and literacy. The audiobook editions of the Rebus novels have been enormously popular, with narrators capturing the Edinburgh atmosphere, the dark humour, and the distinctive voice that define the series. The audiobooks are a superb way to experience Rankin's Edinburgh — you can almost hear the rain and smell the whisky. Ian Rankin was knighted in 2024 for services to literature and charity. He lives in Edinburgh and continues to write with the same energy and insight that have made the Rebus novels one of the great achievements of modern crime fiction. His books and audiobooks are essential for anyone who loves crime fiction at its finest. Read more Show less