Knots and Crosses
Encyclopedia
Knots and Crosses is a 1987 crime novel by Ian Rankin
. It is the first of the Inspector Rebus
novels. It was written while Rankin was a postgraduate student at the University of Edinburgh
. In the introduction to this novel, Rankin states that Rebus lives directly opposite the window in Marchmont that he looked out of while writing the book.
John Rebus is meanwhile assigned to the investigative team. The investigation, however, remains without success, and eventually two more girls disappear. Throughout the case, John is haunted by his past in the SAS
. Then, his former wife is attacked and his daughter abducted. Only when hypnotized by his brother, is he able to share his past with him and his colleague and lover Gill Templer. Taking hints from seemingly cryptic anonymous letters, John connects the murders to his own military past. Relieved from his duty because of the personal involvement, he decides to find and face his enemy.
book (the type of book he was studying at the time) and being shocked when his father said it wasn't "written in English" and had no story; Rankin says this made him rethink what type of writer he wanted to be. He wrote Knots with the idea of updating Robert Louis Stevenson
's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde into then-modern Edinburgh, with Rebus as the Jeckyll figure (the book implies for a while that Rebus himself is unwittingly the killer) and he put Rebus in the same road, Arden Street, that he himself was living in. He states he was shocked to find out later that everyone thought he'd written a crime book, as he was unfamiliar with the genre.
Ian Rankin
Ian Rankin, OBE, DL , is a Scottish crime writer. His best known books are the Inspector Rebus novels. He has also written several pieces of literary criticism.-Background:He attended Beath High School, Cowdenbeath...
. It is the first of the Inspector Rebus
Inspector Rebus
The Inspector Rebus books are a series of detective novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin. The novels, centred on the title character Detective Inspector John Rebus, are mostly based in and around Edinburgh.-Content and style:...
novels. It was written while Rankin was a postgraduate student at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. In the introduction to this novel, Rankin states that Rebus lives directly opposite the window in Marchmont that he looked out of while writing the book.
Plot Outline
Edinburgh has been shocked by the abduction and subsequent strangling of two young girls. Journalist Jim Stevens runs his own investigation, and has uncovered Michael Rebus's drug dealing. He suspects that his brother John, a police officer, knows or even supports his brother's illegal activities.John Rebus is meanwhile assigned to the investigative team. The investigation, however, remains without success, and eventually two more girls disappear. Throughout the case, John is haunted by his past in the SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
. Then, his former wife is attacked and his daughter abducted. Only when hypnotized by his brother, is he able to share his past with him and his colleague and lover Gill Templer. Taking hints from seemingly cryptic anonymous letters, John connects the murders to his own military past. Relieved from his duty because of the personal involvement, he decides to find and face his enemy.
Characters and notes
- Detective Sergeant John Rebus - Lead character, hard drinking, Scottish detective with a troubled past.
- Michael Rebus - John's younger brother, rich from following his father's career in stage hypnotism, but with a few secrets to hide.
- Samantha - John Rebus' daughter
- Detective Inspector Gill Templer - The Press Liaison officer on the abduction case, and Rebus' on-off love interest
- Jim Stevens - Investigative journalist
Connections to other Rankin books
- Jim Stevens would reappear in Rankin's third book, WatchmanWatchman (novel)Watchman is a 1988 novel written by Ian Rankin, and is one of the author's earliest works. Originally published in 1988, it was reissued with a new introduction by Rankin in 2004.-Plot summary:...
, following on from his move to London at the end of Knots.
- An alternate version of Gordon Reeve, Rebus' partner in SAS training, was the protagonist of Blood HuntBlood HuntBlood Hunt is a 1994 crime novel by Ian Rankin, under the pseudonym Jack Harvey. It is the third novel he wrote under this name.-Plot summary:...
, the last book Rankin wrote under his "Jack Harvey" alias: he stated on his website that this was to give it a "sense of 'closure'". http://www.ianrankin.net/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=32
Writing Knots and Crosses
In the Exile on Princes Street foreword to Rebus: The Early Years, Rankin says he wrote this book shortly after giving his father a James KelmanJames Kelman
James Kelman is an influential writer of novels, short stories, plays and political essays. His novel A Disaffection was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 1989...
book (the type of book he was studying at the time) and being shocked when his father said it wasn't "written in English" and had no story; Rankin says this made him rethink what type of writer he wanted to be. He wrote Knots with the idea of updating Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde into then-modern Edinburgh, with Rebus as the Jeckyll figure (the book implies for a while that Rebus himself is unwittingly the killer) and he put Rebus in the same road, Arden Street, that he himself was living in. He states he was shocked to find out later that everyone thought he'd written a crime book, as he was unfamiliar with the genre.