Review - Knots & Crosses

[wilderthan]

I read a couple of Ian Rankin's books a while ago, probably three or four years ago now. This one hadn't faded entirely out of memory, so I didn't find anything too surprising about it. Ian Rankin's own observations about it, in the introduction, about how obviously it's a first novel and how inexperienced he was, are true. It shows sometimes, not that I think it's necessarily bad writing -- just, Ian Rankin is still finding his feet in this book. I might actually have enjoyed it more if I hadn't known the plot mostly already, if things had been more surprising to me.

His writing is nicely atmospheric. There's a sense of foggy days and wet days and Scotland about it. The characters and such are okay: the relationship with Gill Templer isn't done terribly, even if it doesn't particularly fire me with enthusiasm. Rebus himself is at times pitiable rather than sympathetic, I think, partly because the plot is all about how he's broken and things that are very personal to him and the narrative tries to sneak that hint of doubt into you about his connection to the murders. He doesn't seem like a nice guy or a terrible one, just a guy getting by -- I didn't love or hate him.

I'm pleased enough with the results of rereading this one that I'm going to read the rest of the Rebus books, sometime soon.