List of Inspector Rebus characters
Encyclopedia
This is a list of characters from the Inspector Rebus
series of detective novels by the Scottish
writer Ian Rankin
. They are all fictional character
s that have appeared in more than one novel in the series. A number of the characters appeared in the television adaptations made for ITV
.
and left school at the age of fifteen to join the Army
. After serving in Northern Ireland
he was selected to undergo selection for the SAS
, but after a horrendous ordeal in training, left the army and joined the Lothian and Borders Police
.
He is initially introduced as a Detective Sergeant, and is promoted to Detective Inspector early in the series.
. In the television dramatisations, Clarke was first played by Gayanne Potter, and Claire Price
in the later series.
Clarke is younger than most of her colleagues, and her English background, degree and middle-class, left-wing parents set her apart from the other officers on the force. Despite this she has gained Rebus's friendship, with occasional hints of romantic interest. She is a devoted follower of Hibernian Football Club
.
As the Rebus series progresses, DS Clarke plays an increasing role, often working with the protagonist DI Rebus
in his cases, but she also has her own secondary cases to work as well.
as a Detective Inspector. She is promoted to Detective Chief Inspector in Let it Bleed
and to Detective Chief Superintendent just before The Falls
.
police station. He is a friend of Rebus.
when he meets him during an investigation. Morton helps him give up alcohol and helps him re-decorate his apartment. Rebus invites him onto an undercover operation in The Hanging Garden in which Morton is shot in the chest and killed.
crime boss
and a frequent antagonist throughout the Rebus series. Although he has a brief cameo in the third novel Tooth and Nail
, he first appears as a main character in The Black Book. Physically intimidating, as well as being ruthless and manipulative, he is one of Scotland's most powerful gangsters. He controls an organization that can apply intimidation, coercion, bribery, and murder to achieve his goals, but he is quite willing to wield these tools personally.
Cafferty was born on 18 October 1946 and by the 1980s he had become the controlling crime boss of Edinburgh. His relationship with Rebus ranges from outright hostility to an uneasy partnership. At one point, Rebus puts him in jail - a jail whose warden falls under Cafferty's control. Later, Cafferty's son is murdered and Cafferty helps the Inspector to find the killer, expecting to find an opportunity to exact criminal revenge. Cafferty habitually mocks Rebus by calling him 'Strawman', a nickname based on a court officer's error in calling Rebus to testify at a trial. Nevertheless, Rebus keeps returning to Cafferty for assistance, which Cafferty either provides, refuses, or disguises with misdirection, usually dropping an inadvertent clue or two. As a result of their relationship, Rebus is often accused of being 'in Cafferty's pocket'.
In later novels, Cafferty is a near-permanent figure, released from jail and claiming to have gone straight while retaining criminal control of Edinburgh from behind the scenes. He is often linked to cases that Rebus and Clarke are investigating, but there is never enough evidence to bring charges against him.
In the final book of the series, Exit Music
, an impending move to arrest, convict, and disempower Cafferty is forestalled when he is assaulted and hospitalized, comatose. On the final page, his heart flatline
s and Rebus desperately tries to revive him, lest Cafferty have a 'cold, cleansed death'. The book ends without revealing the results of Rebus's resuscitation attempt.
. He has a shabby appearance that does not reveal his true status within Cafferty's organisation.
priest with whom Rebus regularly holds conversations. He is a heavy drinker. He dies after a brain hemorrhage in The Falls.
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:...
series of detective novels by the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
writer Ian Rankin
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...
. They are all fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s that have appeared in more than one novel in the series. A number of the characters appeared in the television adaptations made for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
.
Detective Inspector John Rebus
Detective Inspector John Rebus is the protagonist in the Inspector Rebus series. He was born in 1947 in FifeFife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
and left school at the age of fifteen to join the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. After serving in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
he was selected to undergo selection for 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...
, but after a horrendous ordeal in training, left the army and joined the Lothian and Borders Police
Lothian and Borders Police
Lothian and Borders Police is the territorial police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian...
.
He is initially introduced as a Detective Sergeant, and is promoted to Detective Inspector early in the series.
Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke
Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke is the secondary protagonist in the Rebus series. She first appears in The Black Book as a newly promoted Detective Constable. She is the more technically-minded of the two detectives, and often has to do lots of the legwork for Rebus. She is promoted to Detective Sergeant by the time of Resurrection MenResurrection Men
Resurrection Men is a 2002 novel by Ian Rankin. It is the thirteenth of the Inspector Rebus novels.-Plot summary:Detective Inspector John Rebus is thrown off a murder inquiry, just days after the brutal death of an Edinburgh art dealer, for throwing a cup of tea at DCS Gill Templer...
. In the television dramatisations, Clarke was first played by Gayanne Potter, and Claire Price
Claire Price
Claire Price is an English actress. She is best known for her current portrayal as DS Siobhan Clarke in the TV drama Rebus broadcast on the ITV Network...
in the later series.
Clarke is younger than most of her colleagues, and her English background, degree and middle-class, left-wing parents set her apart from the other officers on the force. Despite this she has gained Rebus's friendship, with occasional hints of romantic interest. She is a devoted follower of Hibernian Football Club
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
.
As the Rebus series progresses, DS Clarke plays an increasing role, often working with the protagonist DI Rebus
Detective Inspector John Rebus
Detective Inspector John Rebus is the protagonist in the Inspector Rebus series of detective novels by the Scottish writer Ian Rankin, ten of which have so far been televised as Rebus...
in his cases, but she also has her own secondary cases to work as well.
Detective Chief Superintendent Gill Templer
Detective Chief Superintendent Gill Templer is a regular character in Rebus series. She first appears in Knots and CrossesKnots and Crosses
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...
as a Detective Inspector. She is promoted to Detective Chief Inspector in Let it Bleed
Let it Bleed (novel)
Let it Bleed is a 1995 crime novel by Ian Rankin. It is the seventh of the Inspector Rebus novels. The US edition has a final chapter which the UK edition does not have, as the author's 'Introduction' explains.-Plot summary:...
and to Detective Chief Superintendent just before The Falls
The Falls (Rankin novel)
The Falls is a 2001 crime novel by Ian Rankin. It is the twelfth of the Inspector Rebus novels. It was the first episode in the second Rebus television series starring Ken Stott, airing in 2006, substantially changed from the novel and somewhat resembling the plot of the film Chinatown.-Plot...
.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin Carswell
Assistant Chief Constable Colin Carswell is the deputy commander of the Lothian and Borders police force. He disapproves of Rebus's methods.Detective Chief Superintendent Thomas "Farmer" Watson
Detective Chief Superintendent Thomas Watson, nicknamed "The Farmer" is the superintendent in charge of St Leonards police station.Detective Chief Inspector Bill Pryde
Detective Chief Inspector Bill Pryde was the Chief Inspector at St Leonards CID before its closure. He is introduced as a Detective Inspector and is promoted prior to Resurrection Men.Detective Inspector Claverhouse
Detective Inspector Claverhouse is a police officer based at the Lothian and Borders headquarters at Fettes as part of the National Crime Squad. He works in partnership with DS Ormiston and is nicknamed "Bloody Claverhouse". He is tall and thin with sandy hair, and fond of country and western music.Detective Inspector "Shug" Davidson
Detective Inspector "Shug" Davidson is a police officer based at Torpichen police station in Edinburgh.Detective Inspector Bobby Hogan
Detective Inspector Bobby Hogan is a police officer based at LeithLeith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
police station. He is a friend of Rebus.
Detective Inspector Derek Linford
Detective Inspector Derek Linford is a police officer based at the Lothian and Borders headquarters at Fettes. He dates Siobhan Clarke, but they split up after she discovers he is spying on her. He is an acolyte of Colin Carswell.Detective Inspector Jack Morton
Detective Inspector Jack Morton is a police officer from Falkirk, and a close friend of Rebus. Rebus re-establishes their friendship during Black and BlueBlack and Blue (novel)
Black and Blue is a 1997 crime novel by the Scots author Ian Rankin. The eighth of the Inspector Rebus novels, it was the first to be adapted in the Rebus television series starring John Hannah, airing in 2000....
when he meets him during an investigation. Morton helps him give up alcohol and helps him re-decorate his apartment. Rebus invites him onto an undercover operation in The Hanging Garden in which Morton is shot in the chest and killed.
Detective Sergeant Ormiston
Detective Sergeant Ormiston is a police officer based at the Lothian and Borders headquarters at Fettes as part of the National Crime Squad. He works in partnership with DI Claverhouse. He has greasy black hair.Detective Sergeant Eric Bain
Detective Sergeant Eric Bain is a police officer based at the Lothian and Borders headquarters at Fettes as a computer expert. He is nicknamed "Brains". He develops a friendship with Siobhan Clarke during The Falls but their relationship suffers when he admits he is interested in her romantically.Detective Constable Grant Hood
Detective Constable Grant Hood is a police officer who was based at St Leonards. He is a big fan of new technology and gadgets. During The Falls he is attracted to Siobhan Clarke, and attempts to kiss her. During the same novel he takes on a media liaison role, a position he takes up in a number of subsequent investigations.Detective Constable "Hi-Ho" Silvers
Detective Constable "Hi-Ho" Silvers is a police officer who was based at St Leonards. He is described as "coasting towards his pension."Police Constable Toni Jackson
Police Constable Toni Jackson is a police officer who is based at St Leonards. She frequently encourages Siobhan Clarke to socialise with the other female officers.Professor Gates
Professor "Sandy" Gates is a pathologist who appears frequently in the Rebus series.Morris Gerald "Big Ger" Cafferty
Morris Gerald Cafferty, nicknamed "Big Ger" is a notorious EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
crime boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
and a frequent antagonist throughout the Rebus series. Although he has a brief cameo in the third novel Tooth and Nail
Tooth and Nail (novel)
Tooth and Nail is a 1992 crime novel by Ian Rankin, originally entitled Wolfman. It is the third of the Inspector Rebus novels.-Plot summary:...
, he first appears as a main character in The Black Book. Physically intimidating, as well as being ruthless and manipulative, he is one of Scotland's most powerful gangsters. He controls an organization that can apply intimidation, coercion, bribery, and murder to achieve his goals, but he is quite willing to wield these tools personally.
Cafferty was born on 18 October 1946 and by the 1980s he had become the controlling crime boss of Edinburgh. His relationship with Rebus ranges from outright hostility to an uneasy partnership. At one point, Rebus puts him in jail - a jail whose warden falls under Cafferty's control. Later, Cafferty's son is murdered and Cafferty helps the Inspector to find the killer, expecting to find an opportunity to exact criminal revenge. Cafferty habitually mocks Rebus by calling him 'Strawman', a nickname based on a court officer's error in calling Rebus to testify at a trial. Nevertheless, Rebus keeps returning to Cafferty for assistance, which Cafferty either provides, refuses, or disguises with misdirection, usually dropping an inadvertent clue or two. As a result of their relationship, Rebus is often accused of being 'in Cafferty's pocket'.
In later novels, Cafferty is a near-permanent figure, released from jail and claiming to have gone straight while retaining criminal control of Edinburgh from behind the scenes. He is often linked to cases that Rebus and Clarke are investigating, but there is never enough evidence to bring charges against him.
In the final book of the series, Exit Music
Exit Music
Exit Music is the seventeenth and final crime novel in the internationally bestselling Inspector Rebus series, written by Ian Rankin. It was published on 6 September 2007...
, an impending move to arrest, convict, and disempower Cafferty is forestalled when he is assaulted and hospitalized, comatose. On the final page, his heart flatline
Flatline
A flatline is an electrical time sequence measurement that shows no activity and therefore when represented, shows a flat line instead of a moving one. It almost always refers to either a flatlined electrocardiogram, where the heart shows no electrical activity , or to a flat electroencephalogram,...
s and Rebus desperately tries to revive him, lest Cafferty have a 'cold, cleansed death'. The book ends without revealing the results of Rebus's resuscitation attempt.
The Weasel
The Weasel is Cafferty's second in command. He gained the nickname from Rebus for looking similar to a weaselWeasel
Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
. He has a shabby appearance that does not reveal his true status within Cafferty's organisation.
Sammy
Samantha "Sammy" Rebus is the only daughter of Rebus and Rhona. She progresses from a child to an adult of the course of the series. She is hospitalised in The Hanging Garden after a hit-and-run, putting her in a coma and leading to her having to use a wheelchair.Patience Aitken
Doctor Patience Aitken is a romantic interest for Rebus spanning a number of novels in the series. The relationship is unstable, and frequently comes second place to Rebus's work. Patience ends the relationship at least once, although they reconcile briefly.Jean Burchill
Jean Burchill is a romantic interest for Rebus. They first meet in The Falls, where she assists Rebus with his investigation in her role as a museum curator and they soon start a relationship. By the time of the next novel, Resurrection Men, Rebus is struggling to maintain the relationship, and in the subsequent novel A Question of Blood the romance is close to ending.Father Leary
Father Conor Leary is a CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest with whom Rebus regularly holds conversations. He is a heavy drinker. He dies after a brain hemorrhage in The Falls.