Rebus book 1 · 1987
Knots and Crosses
Edinburgh is gripped by the abduction and murder of young girls, and Detective Sergeant John Rebus is receiving anonymous letters containing knotted string and matchstick crosses. The case drags him back to a past he has tried to bury. The first Rebus novel.
Spoiler-free summary written for The Recurring Cast.
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Book facts
- Author
- Ian Rankin
- Series
- Rebus, book 1 of 25
- Published
- 1987
- Setting
- Set in Edinburgh
- Characters charted
- 4
- Chart confidence
- High
Knots and Crosses on screen
- Rebus (2000–2007, series, ITV). John Hannah and then Ken Stott play the Edinburgh detective inspector, working cases that reach from the city’s wealthy New Town to its forgotten estates.
Who is in Knots and Crosses
4 recurring or key characters from Ian Rankin’s chart. Introduces John Rebus, Gill Templer, Samantha Rebus and Michael Rebus.
Lead 1
- John RebusFirst appearanceEdinburgh detective, later retired and working cold casesA detective sergeant haunted by his SAS past
Major 3
- Gill TemplerFirst appearanceRebus’s former lover, later his boss
- Samantha RebusFirst appearanceRebus’s daughterKidnapped
- Michael RebusFirst appearanceRebus’s younger brother, a stage hypnotist
Also featuring these characters
Other Ian Rankin books that share the most characters with Knots and Crosses.
- The Black Book1993 · Rebus · 3 shared charactersBuy on Amazon
- The Hanging Garden1998 · Rebus · 3 shared charactersBuy on Amazon
- Tooth and Nail1992 · Rebus · 2 shared charactersBuy on Amazon
- Strip Jack1992 · Rebus · 2 shared charactersBuy on Amazon