Knots And Crosses

For some reason I've always resisted reading Ian Rankin's Rebus novels. I've never thought (probably after seeing one or two of the TV adaptations) that they were the kind of crime stories I would enjoy. However after reading nice things about Ian Rankin in the previously reviewed 44 Scotland Street, having a friend tell me what a great writer he is, and then spotting an omnibus edition of the first 3 Rebus mysteries on my last trip to the library, I felt that it was about time I succumbed. So I've just finished Knots & crosses, the first mystery in the Rebus series. And it was very good.

Great mystery, well plotted. Rebus wasn't at all how I expected him to be, older - much more Ken Stott than John Hannah, a Christian (that was a bit of a surprise) and an ex-para, SAS. Very gritty, well-written plot, and what I really enjoyed about it was the feeling that Edinburgh, the main location for the action, was an extra character in the novel. It's one of those novels that you can't imagine being set anywhere but where it is. Enjoyable start to the series, and I'll definitely make my way through the next two in the series fairly shortly.