Knots & Crosses (Ian Rankin, 1987)

I don't care much for these modern crime writers who publish their novels on an assembly line. It's not a snobbish thing; I find most of these books predictable and boring. But I do have a habit of checking out a local author when I visit a new country/city. So last year I (finally!) had an opportunity to go to Edinburgh's famous Fringe festival (btw - soooo cool!) and a friend had recommended me to check out Rankin's Rebus.

And no surprise really, it's just another one of those formulaic "catch a serial killer" thrillers that focuses far too much on its main protagonist and not enough on the plot development. And as hard as Mr Rankin tries to make him original, Rebus is as stereotyped as they come. He's an ex-SAS (top of his class!), weary, divorced, drinks too much, tries to quit smoking, doesn't get along with his superiors, does manage to get laid, etc.

The story is trivial and told straightforwardly through the third-person narration. Few flashbacks and a couple of sub-plots involving brother Michael and (once again mandatory) unscrupulous news reporter. Also, a few hints indicating that some seriously fucked-up shit had happened to our hero during his service days. Which, I guess, is supposed to give this novel its "psychological" thriller edge. Anyways, mysterious "Strangler" is abducting and killing young girls, and Rebus seems to be somehow related to this because he keeps getting cryptic messages (there are clues everywhere) from this sinister asshole.

Plotting is basically non-existent, but this lack of suspense gives us the most hilarious twist. Because - check this, I kid you not! - The whole of Edinburgh's police force is understandably working around the clock to catch this killer, but still they fail to recognise that the initials of his victims form the name of the next unfortunate girl. They actually realise this when they receive a telephone call from a concerned citizen who had managed to solve this incredibly difficult riddle. Jesus, I feel sorry for the Scottish taxpayers.

This is getting a bit mean and nasty, so I'll stop. Mainly because, in all fairness, it's not that bad, I'm sure that a more skilful writer could pull a good short story (stripped of all the family crap) out of this material. But you can just tell that this was Rankin's first book, and he was trying too hard to create his hero and dark atmosphere and had, in the process, simply failed to develop a decent mystery story.

2.5/5

Facts:

Hero:
Detective Sergeant John Rebus

Location: 
Edinburgh

Body count: 

4

Dames: 
Gill Templer, Press Liaison Officer

Blackouts: 
Rebus, unable to move, decided it was safe to go to sleep now...

Title: 
Rebus had been sent knots and crosses as a part of a cat-and-mouse game with the Strangler. 

Cover:
Pretty unimaginative one. I guess it is a picture of some site in Edinburgh.

Cool lines:  
"We don't want vigilante tactics. Not in Edinburgh. What would the tourists say?"