Rankin, Ian (1960-…), is a Scottish author of crime fiction. He gained international popularity with his series of novels that feature John Rebus, a police inspector based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Rebus novels have been praised for their realism, wit, and skillful plots filled with surprising story twists. Rankin portrays Rebus as sensitive, moody, tough, and stubborn in his pursuit of justice.
The Rebus novels present a Scottish society characterized by corruption, poverty, and crime. In investigating a crime, usually murder, Rebus often comes into conflict with other members of the police force. He sometimes violates department procedures while ignoring instructions from his superiors.
Rankin introduced Rebus in Knots and Crosses (1987). In addition to the novels, Rebus appears in many short stories, collected in The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Stories (2015). Rankin introduced Edinburgh police inspector Malcolm Fox in The Complaints (2011).
Ian James Rankin was born on April 28, 1960, in Cardenden, Scotland, near Kirkcaldy. He earned an M.A. degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1982. Rankin also wrote Rebus’s Scotland: A Personal Journey (2005) and Dark Entries (2009), a graphic novel. A graphic novel is a book-length story that combines text and illustrations in a form that resembles a comic book. In addition, Rankin wrote three suspense novels—Witch Hunt (1993), Bleeding Hearts (1994), and Blood Hunt (1995)—under the name of Jack Harvey.
