Where to start with Ian Rankin
Start with Knots and Crosses, the first book in the Inspector Rebus series, published in 1987. This novel introduces Detective Inspector John Rebus in Edinburgh and establishes the tone and setting that define the series. Proceed with the books in publication order to follow Rebus’s career and personal development across three decades of crime fiction. The series spans 30 novels, with each book building on the last in chronological sequence. For a different perspective, the Malcolm Fox series begins with The Complaints, set in the same city and featuring a new investigator within the police force’s internal affairs. The standalone novels Bleeding Hearts, Doors Open, Watchman, and Witch Hunt are not part of any series and can be read independently, though they are not connected to the Rebus or Fox series.
Series by Ian Rankin
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Buy on Amazon1987 · Ian Rankin
A 1987 crime novel by Ian Rankin. Edinburgh policeman John Rebus must solve murders involving seeming crank letters. He is not the only officer…
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Buy on Amazon1991 · Ian Rankin
Hide and Seek is a 1991 crime novel by Ian Rankin. It is the second of the Inspector Rebus novels and is not to be confused with James Patterson's…
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Buy on Amazon1992 · Ian Rankin
Tooth and Nail is a 1992 crime novel by Ian Rankin in which Rebus accepts help from Dr Liza Frazer to catch the 'Wolfman,' a serial killer who bites…
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Buy on Amazon1992 · Ian Rankin
Strip Jack is a 1992 crime novel by Ian Rankin, an earlier entry in the DI John Rebus series. The well-woven plot centers on a "pack" of old school…
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Buy on Amazon1993 · Ian Rankin
In this 1993 novel, when a close colleague is brutally attacked, Inspector John Rebus is drawn into a case involving a hotel fire, an unidentified…
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Buy on Amazon1994 · Ian Rankin
During the Edinburgh Festival in August, a brutally tortured body is found in one of the city's ancient subterranean streets, with marks suggesting…
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Buy on Amazon1995 · Ian Rankin
Let It Bleed is a 1995 crime novel by Ian Rankin, the seventh of the Inspector Rebus novels. The US edition includes a final chapter not present in…
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Buy on Amazon1997 · Ian Rankin
John Biblia aterrorizó Glasgow en las décadas de 1960 y 1970 al asesinar a tres mujeres, hechos por los cuales nunca fue capturado. Ahora, un hombre…
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Buy on Amazon1998 · Ian Rankin
Inspector John Rebus investigates a World War II criminal, a Nazi officer responsible for a village massacre in France. At the same time, he works to…
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Buy on Amazon1999 · Ian Rankin
Dead Souls is a 1999 book by Ian Rankin. It is book 10 of the series Inspector Rebus. Catalog genres: Literary Fiction, Mystery & Detective.
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Buy on Amazon2009 · Ian Rankin
Nobody likes the Complaints, the cops who investigate other cops, a department known within the force as "The Dark Side." Malcolm Fox works there,…
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Buy on Amazon2011 · Ian Rankin
Malcolm Fox is asked to handle a simple case of police abuse, but as he investigates, he uncovers a disturbing death from the 1980s. His search for…
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Standalone books
Frequently asked questions
How many books has Ian Rankin written?
We list 37 books by Ian Rankin across 2 series, published between 1987–2022 — each shown in full reading order.
What order should I read Ian Rankin's books?
Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Knots and Crosses.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.
Where can I buy Ian Rankin's books?
Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.
Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.