Books by Ian Rankin

Portrait of Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin stands as one of Scotland's most acclaimed crime writers, celebrated for his gripping Inspector Rebus series that masterfully captures the grit and complexity of Edinburgh's streets. His sharp characterisation and layered plotting have earned him a devoted readership and numerous literary honours, establishing him as a defining voice in modern detective fiction.

Beyond Rebus, Rankin's storytelling continues to evolve through standalone novels and short stories that explore moral ambiguity, justice, and the human condition. His work combines authentic local colour with universal themes, offering readers both compelling mysteries and a vivid portrait of contemporary Scotland.

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69 products


  • The Beat Goes On The Complete Rebus Stories

    Orion Publishing Co The Beat Goes On The Complete Rebus Stories

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThere is no detective like DI Rebus - brilliant, irascible and endlessly frustrating both to his friends and his long-suffering bosses. For over two decades he has walked through the dark places of Edinburgh . . .Now Rebus''s life is revealed through this complete collection of stories, from his early days as a young DC in ''Dead and Buried'' right up to the dramatic, but not quite final, retirement in ''The Very Last Drop''.This is the ultimate Ian Rankin treasure trove - a must for aficionados as well as a superb introduction to anyone looking to experience DI John Rebus, and the dark and twist-filled crimes he has to investigate, for the very first time.Trade Review"Excellently crafted short stories." * TIMES *"An enjoyable collection, frequently displaying the playfulness that is characteristic of the author" * INDEPENDENT *"Rebus is genuinely fun to read no matter how dark his cases become... a deeply satisfying read and evokes the spirit of Edinburgh and Scotland in all its glory." * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *"They are neat, pleasing, inventive... well made, a pleasure to read, one after the other, the work of a practiced and professional craftsman." * SCOTSMAN *An essential volume for Rebus fans. * CRIME FICTION LOVER *In this bumper volume he [Rankin] has collected all his Rebus short stories and the results are an undisputed delight... We witness Rebus in his early days as well as the later burdened-by-life incarnation and these vignettes with both new adventures and insights into existing cases with a new perspective, broaden our appreciation of the iconic Edinburgh cop. -- Maxim Jakubowski * LOVE READING *"A dangerous book to have on your bedside table - you just want to keep reading on and on into the wee small hours of the night - and a dangerous book to lend: make sure you get it back." * CORNFLOWER BOOKS *'These murky tales exploring the deep recesses of the criminal psyche are well worth a read.' * DAILY EXPRESS *

    3 in stock

    £8.99

  • Dark Road

    Orion Publishing Co Dark Road

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFirst performed at Edinburgh''s Royal Lyceum Theatre, the first stage play from the SUNDAY TIMES No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMESIt''s been 25 years since Alfred Chalmers was convicted of the gruesome murder of four young women in Edinburgh. Isobel McArthur, Scotland''s first Chief Constable, was the woman responsible for putting him behind bars, but the case has haunted her ever since.Now, with her retirement approaching, McArthur decides the time has come for answers. To uncover the truth, she revisits the case and interviews Chalmers for the first time in decades. But her decision rips opens old wounds and McArthur is soon caught up in a web of corruption, psychological mind-games and deceit that threatens not only her own life, but those of her fellow officers and even her own daughter.Tense, gritty and hard-hitting, DARK ROAD is the first ever stage play from bestselling crime writer Ian Rankin, co-written by the Royal Lyceum''Trade ReviewRankin continues to be unsurpassed among living British crime writers - THE TIMESOutstanding ... very ambitious and very confident - SUNDAY TELEGRAPHGritty and hard-hitting, it's the work of a writer at the very top of his game - SUNDAY MIRRORGenius ... Rankin once again proves himself to be the consummate master of crime - SCOTLAND ON SUNDAYRankin's dialogue flows so naturally that it's easy to dismiss his subtler gifts; no one captures the bleak grandeur of Scotland, or the mindset of those charged with upholding its law, in quite the same way - FINANCIAL TIMESA richly-plotted and densely-textured portrait of modern Scotland and its ills - INDEPENDENT

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • Black And Blue

    Orion Publishing Co Black And Blue

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisSpecial edition of the award-winning Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES - includes exclusive extra material.''Britain''s best crime novelist'' DAILY EXPRESS''Ian Rankin is a genius'' Lee ChildIn the 1960s, the infamous Bible John terrorised Scotland when he murdered three women, taking three souvenirs. Thirty years later, a copycat is at work, dubbed Johnny Bible. DI John Rebus''s unconventional methods have got him in trouble before - now he''s taken away from the inquiry and sent to investigate the killing of an off-duty oilman. But when his case clashes head-on with the Johnny Bible killings, he finds himself in the glare of a fearful media, whilst under the scrutiny of an internal enquiry. Just one mistake is likely to mean losing his job - and quite possibly his life.**** Ian Rankin''s A HEART FULL OF HEADSTONES was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 10thTrade ReviewWith BLACK AND BLUE Ian Rankin joins the elite of British crime writing * THE TIMES *

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • Rebus Anniversary Box Set

    Orion Publishing Co Rebus Anniversary Box Set

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisA must for collectors, this beautifully designed box set of KNOTS AND CROSSES, BLACK AND BLUE and EXIT MUSIC is a must for existing fans and newcomers to No.1 bestselling author Ian Rankin''s Inspector Rebus novels. ''One of the most beguiling characters in the history of crime fiction'' The TimesYear 1: KNOTS AND CROSSES - the novel which first introduced John Rebus. Year 10: BLACK AND BLUE - the breakthrough novel, winner of the CWA Gold Dagger.Year 20: EXIT MUSIC - where Rebus retires... but will he ever be able to leave it all behind?Includes exclusive introductions from Jilly Cooper, Peter Robinson and Mark Lawson.''Rankin is a phenomenon . . .They call his work crime fiction, but the adjective is superfluous ... these novels are totally absorbing'' Allan Massie, Spectator

    5 in stock

    £51.00

  • Rebus Long Shadows

    Orion Publishing Co Rebus Long Shadows

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMESThe stage debut for the legendary detective John Rebus in this brand new, original story by Ian Rankin, written alongside the award-winning playwright Rona Munro.John Rebus is not as young as he was, but his detective instincts have never left him. And after the daughter of a murder victim turns up outside his flat, he''s going to need them at their sharpest.Enlisting the help of his old friend DI Siobhan Clarke, Rebus is determined to solve this cold case once and for all. But Clarke has problems of her own, problems that will put her at odds with her long-time mentor and push him into seeking help from his age-old adversary: ''Big Ger'' Cafferty.This haunting story takes Rebus to places he has never been before, sets him and his long-time foe on a collision course and takes us deeper into one of the most satisfying conflicts in modern fiction.Featuring an introduction

    1 in stock

    £15.29

  • A Song for the Dark Times: An Inspector Rebus

    Little Brown and Company A Song for the Dark Times: An Inspector Rebus

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis 'He’s gone…'   When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it’s not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days.   Rebus fears the worst – and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect.   He wasn’t the best father – the job always came first – but now his daughter needs him more than ever.  But is he going as a father or a detective?   As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast – and a small town with big secrets – he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn’t want to find…A thrilling new Rebus novel about crime, punishment, and redemption, from the Edgar Award-winning 'genius' of the genre (Lee Child, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series)

    Out of stock

    £26.25

  • Daggers Drawn

    Titan Books Ltd Daggers Drawn

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisEdgy, twisted and disturbing, the first Crime Writers’ Association Daggers Award retrospective anthology featuring 19 visceral and thrilling stories. Featuring bestselling authors Ian Rankin, Jeffery Deaver, John Connolly, Denise Mina, John Harvey and more.NINETEEN CWA DAGGER AWARD-WINNING SHORT STORIES FROM THE BEST OF THE BEST IN CRIME FICTION The first retrospective of the CWA’s Dagger Award winners, brings together some of the greatest names in crime fiction to deliver a cutthroat collection of serial killers, grizzled detectives, drug dealers and master forgers. Observe as a Senior Curator at the Tate Gallery constructs the perfect crime in Ian Rankin’s “Herbert in Motion”. Watch an unlikely romance sour into a deadly obsession in Stella Duffy’s “Martha Grace”. Face parents who discover their child has committed the unthinkable in Denise Mina’s “Nemo Me Impune Lacessit”. And in Jeffery Deaver’s “The Weekender” an intense hostage situation hits its peak in the most unlikely conclusion. Keep your secrets close, and your daggers drawn. Featuring: Peter O'' Donnell (writing as Madeleine Brent), Julian Rathbone, Larry Beinhart, Ian Rankin, Jerry Sykes, Stella Duffy, Jeffery Deaver, Peter Lovesey, Cath Staincliffe, Margaret Murphy, John Harvey, Richard Lange, L. C. Tyler, Denise Mina, Danutah Reah and Lauren Henderson.

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Dark Remains

    Canongate Books The Dark Remains

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR'Fantastic' Lee Child'Absolutely brilliant' Mick HerronIf the truth's in the shadows, get out of the light . . . Lawyer Bobby Carter did a lot of work for the wrong type of people. Now he's dead and it was no accident. Besides a distraught family and a heap of powerful friends, Carter's left behind his share of enemies. So, who dealt the fatal blow?DC Jack Laidlaw's reputation precedes him. He's not a team player, but he's got a sixth sense for what's happening on the streets. His boss chalks the violence up to the usual rivalries, but is it that simple? As two Glasgow gangs go to war, Laidlaw needs to find out who got Carter before the whole city explodes.William McIlvanney's Laidlaw books changed the face of crime fiction. When he died in 2015, he left half a handwritten manuscript of Laidlaw's first case. Now, Ian Rankin is back to finish what McIlvanney started. In The Dark Remains, these two iconic authors bring to life the criminal world of 1970s Glasgow, and Laidlaw's relentless quest for truth.Trade ReviewTwo maestros for the price of one! All fans of quality crime fiction are in for a rare treat. McIlvanney and Rankin at the very height of their powers -- PETER JAMESFantastic - like witnessing Scottish noir's Big Bang creation in the company of its greatest living exponent -- LEE CHILDAn immersive and satisfyingly pitch-black read * * Guardian * *McIlvanney and Rankin are the dream team. To have Rankin completing an unfinished McIlvanney novel is a crime fiction fan's dream come true -- MARK BILLINGHAMThe journey through 1970s Glasgow, its grotty tenements and genteel suburbs, makes for a gripping and atmospheric novel * * The Times, Book of the Month * *Absolutely brilliant. I was excited by this partnership the moment I heard it was happening, and it absolutely lives up to expectation. The Dark Remains is a triumph -- MICK HERRONThe personality of the tough, intelligent Laidlaw leaps off the page as readily as it did in the first novel that bore his name * * Financial Times * *Mean, moody and menacing. Perfect synchronicity from two of the best crime writers of our time -- SUE BLACKTwo legends of Scottish crime fiction blended like a deluxe whisky -- CHRIS BROOKMYRE[Rankin's] dialogue has the same spiky wit [as McIlvanney's], he adjusts to gangster-ridden Glasgow with aplomb, and the deft period context - politics, pop, telly, football, booze brands, language, family and marital mores etc - is the most compelling reason to read the book besides its charismatic existentialist sleuth * * Sunday Times * *

    15 in stock

    £15.00

  • Taghadh de Sgeulachdan Inspeactair Rebus

    Grace Note Publications Taghadh de Sgeulachdan Inspeactair Rebus

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis selection in Scottish Gaelic from Ian Rankin's crime stories is taken from the collections A GOOD HANGING (1992) and BEGGARS BANQUET (2002). Playback, The Dean Curse, Seeing Things, Auld Lang Syne and The Gentlemen's Club - and Trip Trap, Facing the Music, Window of Opportunity, No Sanity Clause and Someone Got to Eddie. Nine stories feature investigations by Inspector John Rebus. The only story that does not feature Rebus is 'Someone Got to Eddie'. That story, according to Ian Rankin, is essentially a police procedural: "It's got a killer, it's a got a murder victim and it's got a twist at the end."Trade ReviewNorman MacLean is already very well known as a brilliant creative writer in Gaelic and English. Here his translation of another famous writer's work is fresh evidence of MacLean's outstanding abilities. The Gaelic of this book always remains faithful to the spirit of the original without ever becoming a pedestrian reproduction of Ian Rankin's vivid style. For such an achievement in dealing with two languages so different from each other Norman Maclean deserves our unqualified congratulations. Review by John MacinnesTable of Contents1. CLARADH 2.MALLACHD DEAN 3. A' FAICINN RUDAN 4. AULD LANG SYNE 5. CLUB NAM FEAR-UASAL 6. FREAGAIRT CEARR 7. BALLA-CIUIL 8. UINNEAG A' CHOTHRUIM 9. BITHEAMAID GEANACH 10. THADHAIL CUIDEIGIN AIR EDDIE

    15 in stock

    £14.16

  • Postmortem: UEA Creative Writing Anthology Crime

    UEA Publishing Project Postmortem: UEA Creative Writing Anthology Crime

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisMake no mistake, these are the stars of the future – and you're reading them here first. – Ian Rankin One of the most inspiring aspects of this collection is the ingenuity, the variety, and the originality of the writers. No two books are remotely alike, and there are no formulaic novels in here. There are psychological thrillers, procedurals with a twist, historical crime fiction, and novels that transcend all subgeneric categories. These novels give us the perspective of villains and detectives, but also of suspects, victims, and those who blur the line between all of these. There are novels from the perspective of police officers, cyber-security experts, probation officers, forensic linguists, geographical profilers, and forensic experts, professional and ‘unprofessional’ detectives, families out for vengeance, and vigilantes on the streets. – Laura Joyce The crime novel is a dynamic beast, no more so than now. At UEA we champion difference, the pushing of boundaries, experimentation and excellence. At the end of this volume – the second such anthology from graduating MA Crime Fiction students – I believe these ideas and ambitions, have been well and truly met. We have been taken on journeys both light and dark, across time and space, with integrity and rigour, insightfulness and humour. Always, however, we have been aware of not just talent and potential, but craft. – Henry SuttonDimitris Akrivos • Denise Beardon • Bob Jones • Femi Kayode • Roe Lane • Natalie Marlow • Nicola Monaghan • Niamh O'Connor • Louise Sharland • Peter Sibley • Mark Wightman • Matt Willis • Freya Wolfe

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • Goldmann Verlag Die dunkelste Stunde der Nacht

    15 in stock

    15 in stock

    £21.60

  • Goldmann TB Mdchengrab Inspector Rebus 18 Kriminalroman

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • Goldmann TB Schlafende Hunde Inspector Rebus 19

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £9.49

  • Goldmann TB Das Souvenir des Mörders Inspector Rebus 8

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £10.00

  • Out of stock

    £10.45

  • 3 in stock

    £9.50

  • Goldmann TB Der Hinterhalt

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £12.35

  • Goldmann TB Das Dunkle bleibt

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £11.40

  • Goldmann TB Ein Versprechen aus dunkler Zeit

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £11.40

  • Goldmann TB Das Erbe der Toten

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £12.35

  • Thorndike Press a Part of Gale a Cengage Company A Heart Full of Headstones

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £36.10

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