Search Results for: A Song For The Dark Times

From the iconic Number One bestseller Ian Rankin, comes one of the must-read books of the year: A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

‘Genius … Only great novels capture the spirit of the age. This is one of them.’
THE TIMES

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‘He’s gone…’

When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it’s not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days.

Rebus fears the worst – and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect.

He wasn’t the best father – the job always came first – but now his daughter needs him more than ever. But is he going as a father or a detective?

As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast – and a small town with big secrets – he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn’t want to find…

PRAISE FOR A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES:

‘Magnificent … utterly unputdownable and an immersive pleasure’ MARIAN KEYES

‘This is Rankin at his best, Rebus at his best, storytelling that meets the moment and transcends all genres and expectations’ MICHAEL CONNELLY

‘An outstanding addition to one of the finest bodies of work in crime fiction’ MICK HERRON

‘Rankin remains the king of the castle’ THE TIMES

‘Typically compelling’ DAILY TELEGRAPH

‘Masterly storytelling’ SUNDAY EXPRESS

‘Excellent’ LIZ NUGENT

‘The best that the crime genre can offer’ FT

‘Rankin grows better with time . . . Rebus grows ever more compelling’ DAILY MAIL

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PRAISE FOR THE ICONIC NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER:

‘Ian Rankin is a genius’
LEE CHILD

‘A master storyteller’
GUARDIAN

‘Rebus is one of British crime writing’s greatest characters: alongside Holmes, Poirot and Morse’
DAILY MAIL

‘Great fiction, full stop’
THE TIMES

‘One of Britain’s leading novelists in any genre’
NEW STATESMAN

‘Rankin is a phenomenon’
SPECTATOR

‘Worthy of Agatha Christie at her best’
SCOTSMAN

‘The king of crime fiction’
SUNDAY EXPRESS

Prison changes a man. Sometimes in ways you can see. Usually in ways you can’t.

Henry Quinn only survived three years inside because of Evan Riggs, a one-time country singer, one-time killer, now serving a life sentence, no parole. On the day he gets out, Henry promises Evan he will find his daughter, the daughter he never met, and deliver a letter.

A free man, Henry heads to the small Texan town where Evan grew up and where his brother Carson is Sheriff. There’s no sign of the girl, and her uncle claims to know nothing of her whereabouts. But Henry isn’t about to give up.

Carson’s behaviour towards him grows threatening, and Henry realises that there are dark secrets buried at the heart of this quiet town. What terrible thing drove the brothers apart, and what happened to Evan’s daughter?

First performed at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre, the first stage play from the SUNDAY TIMES No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

It’s been 25 years since Alfred Chalmers was convicted of the gruesome murder of four young women in Edinburgh. Isobel McArthur, Scotland’s first Chief Constable, was the woman responsible for putting him behind bars, but the case has haunted her ever since.

Now, with her retirement approaching, McArthur decides the time has come for answers. To uncover the truth, she revisits the case and interviews Chalmers for the first time in decades. But her decision rips opens old wounds and McArthur is soon caught up in a web of corruption, psychological mind-games and deceit that threatens not only her own life, but those of her fellow officers and even her own daughter.

Tense, gritty and hard-hitting, DARK ROAD is the first ever stage play from bestselling crime writer Ian Rankin, co-written by the Royal Lyceum’s Artistic Director Mark Thomson.

The eleventh Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

‘Ian Rankin is a genius’ Lee Child

‘Britain’s best crime novelist’ DAILY EXPRESS.

Edinburgh is about to become the home of the first Scottish parliament in 300 years. As political passions run high, DI John Rebus is charged with liaison, thanks to the new parliament being resident in Queensbury House, bang in the middle of his patch. But Queensbury House has its own, dark past.

Legend has it that a young man was roasted there on a spit by a madman. When the fireplace where the youth died is uncovered another more recent murder victim is found. Days later, in the gardens outside, there is another body and Rebus is under pressure to find instant answers.

As the case proceeds, the Inspector finds himself face to face with one of Edinburgh’s most notorious criminals…

The ninth Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.

‘Masterly’ SUNDAY TIMES
‘Ian Rankin is a genius’ Lee Child

DI John Rebus is hard at work on multiple cases. Not only is he on the trail of a WWII war criminal – he’s also become entangled in a dangerous battle between two rival gangs.

But when his daughter is the victim of an all too professional hit-and-run, there’s nothing Rebus won’t do to bring down the prime suspect.

Even if it means making a deal with the devil . . .

What happens when a killer becomes the target…? A gripping tale from the No.1 bestselling author A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

‘Rankin is without doubt Britain’s best crime novelist’ Express

The death of a journalist from a single bullet to the heart makes for a dramatic story – but the twist in the tale is that this time, it’s the man who fired the gun who’s asking all the questions…

The assassin, Michael Weston, knows he has carried out his assignment successfully. One mistake was enough, a long time ago, when a young girl had accidentally received the fatal bullet. Her father hired a PI named Hoffer to track him down. Every time Weston completed a job, Hoffer was not far behind. But why had the police been on the scene so quickly? Weston has to find out – even if it means coming face to face with Hoffer…

Sometimes murder is the easy way out…
A brilliant Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.

‘Britain’s No.1 crime writer’ Daily Mirror

‘Ian Rankin is a genius’ Lee Child

A mugging gone wrong … or murder?

A dissident Russian poet is found dead – at the same time a delegation of Russian businessmen arrives in town. For some, it is crucial that the case is closed quickly, clinically and with the minimum of attention.

But DI Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke believe this is something more than a random attack – especially after a particularly nasty second killing. Then, a brutal and premeditated assault on a local gangster puts Rebus in the frame – and he may not survive long enough to solve anything…

The sixth Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.
‘An outstanding creation’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

It is August in Edinburgh and the Festival is in full swing…

A brutally tortured body is discovered in one of the city’s ancient subterranean streets and marks on the corpse cause Rebus to suspect the involvement of sectarian activists. The prospect of a terrorist atrocity in a city heaving with tourists is almost unthinkable.

When the victim turns out to be the son of a notorious gangster, Rebus realises he is sitting atop a volcano of mayhem – and it’s just about to erupt.

The fifth Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES
‘Ian Rankin is a genius‘ Lee Child

When a close colleague is brutally attacked, Inspector John Rebus is drawn into a case involving a hotel fire, an unidentified body, and a long forgotten night of terror and murder.

Pursued by dangerous ghosts and tormented by the coded secrets of his colleague’s notebook, Rebus must piece together the most complex and confusing of jigsaws.

But not everyone wants the puzzle solved – perhaps not even Rebus himself…

Someone knows where the bodies are buried…

‘Taut, dark and expertly crafted tale‘ [GUARDIAN] from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

‘No one in Britain writes better crime novels today’ Evening Standard

Retirement doesn’t suit John Rebus. He wasn’t made for hobbies, holidays or home improvements. Being a cop is in his blood.

So when DI Siobhan Clarke asks for his help on a case, Rebus doesn’t need long to consider his options.

Clarke’s been investigating the death of a senior lawyer whose body was found along with a threatening note. On the other side of Edinburgh, Big Ger Cafferty – Rebus’s long-time nemesis – has received an identical note and a bullet through his window.

Now it’s up to Clarke and Rebus to connect the dots and stop a killer.

Even Dogs in the Wild brings back Ian Rankin’s greatest characters in a story exploring the darkest corners of our instincts and desires.

The fourth Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES – ‘unmatched in the field of British crime fiction’ THE TIMES.

Gregor Jack, MP, well-liked, young, married to the fiery Elizabeth – to the outside world a very public success story. But Jack’s carefully nurtured career plans take a tumble after a ‘mistake’ during a police raid on a notorious Edinburgh brothel. Then Elizabeth disappears, a couple of bodies float into view where they shouldn’t, and a lunatic speaks from his asylum…

Initially Rebus is sympathetic to the MP’s dilemma – who hasn’t occasionally succumbed to temptation? – but with the disappearance of Jack’s wife the glamour surrounding the popular young man begins to tarnish. Someone wants to strip Jack naked and Rebus wants to know why…

Malcolm Fox returns in the stunning second novel in Ian Rankin’s series… ‘Criminally good’ WOMAN & HOME

From the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.

‘Excitingly gripping storytelling’ THE TIMES

Malcolm Fox and his team are back, investigating whether fellow cops covered up for Detective Paul Carter. Carter has been found guilty of misconduct, but what should be a simple job is soon complicated by a brutal murder and a weapon that should not even exist.

A trail of revelations leads Fox back to 1985, a year of desperate unrest when letter-bombs and poisonous spores were sent to government offices, and kidnappings and murders were plotted. But while the body count rises the clock starts ticking, and a dramatic turn of events sees Fox in mortal danger.

The thirteenth Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

‘No one in Britain writes better crime novels‘ Evening Standard

‘This is Rankin at his best, and, boy, that’s saying something’ TIME OUT

Rebus is off the case – literally. A few days into the murder inquiry of an Edinburgh art dealer, Rebus blows up at a colleague. He is sent to the Scottish Police College for ‘retraining’ – in other words, he’s in the Last Chance Saloon.

Rebus is assigned to an old, unsolved case, but there are those in his team who have their own secrets – and they’ll stop at nothing to protect them.

Rebus is also asked to act as a go-between for gangster ‘Big Ger’ Cafferty. And as newly promoted DS Siobhan Clarke works the case of the murdered art dealer, she is brought closer to Cafferty than she could ever have anticipated…

A CRIME TOO CLOSE TO HOME . . .

A superb, highly suspenseful crime thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

‘You’ll love every second of it’ MIRROR

‘Excellent’ SUNDAY TIMES

At a private school, two teenagers are killed by an ex-Army loner who then turned the gun on himself. Finding the truth will take Detective Inspector John Rebus into the heart of a shattered community.

Ex-Army himself, Rebus becomes fascinated by the killer, and finds he is not alone. It seems the man had friends in high places and enemies to spare.

And Rebus has secrets of his own. He’s fresh out of hospital, with newly bandaged hands, and won’t say what happened. But after the death of a criminal he visited, who had been stalking DS Siobhan Clarke, Rebus is the prime suspect…

A fantastic stand-alone heist thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.

‘You won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough’ RED

‘DOORS OPEN is a lot of fun. It’s pacy, witty, full of action, twists and splendid dialogue. And Rebus does make a subtle appearance when an officer describes his police station as “a damn sight quieter since you-know-who retired” ‘ THE TIMES

Mike Mackenzie is a self-made man with too much time on his hands and a bit of the devil in his soul. He is looking for something to liven up the days and settles on a plot to rip-off one of the most high-profile targets in the capital – the National Gallery of Scotland.

So, together with two close friends from the art world, he devises a plan to lift some of the most valuable artwork around. But of course, the real trick is to rob the place for all its worth whilst persuading the world that no crime was ever committed…

The book that began Ian Rankin’s phenomenal career.
From the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES


‘The themes that would come to dominate the Rebus books are already here … the blurred boundaries between good and evil; the pull of superstition and myth; the difficulties in escaping and resolving one’s past; the emotional complexities of the male of the species; and, not least, a good mystery‘ TIME OUT

Mary Miller had always been an outcast. Burnt in a chemical mix as a young girl, sympathy for her quickly faded when the young man who pushed her in died in a mining accident just two days later. From then on she was regarded with a mixture of suspicion and fascination by her God-fearing community.

Now, years later, she is a single mother, caught up in a faltering affair with a local teacher. Her son, Sandy, has fallen in love with a strange homeless girl. The search for happiness isn’t easy. Both mother and son must face a dark secret from their past, in the growing knowledge that their small dramas are being played out against a much larger canvas, glimpsed only in symbols and flickering images – of decay and regrowth, of fire and water – of the flood.

The tenth Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.

‘Britain’s best crime novelist’ DAILY EXPRESS

‘No one in Britain writes better crime novels today Evening Standard

Stalking a poisoner at the local zoo, Inspector John Rebus comes across a paedophile taking pictures of children. When the social workers claim he is there for legitimate educational reasons, Rebus is faced with a dilemma – should he be outed to protect local kids or given a chance to start anew?

As the locals begin a hate campaign Rebus gets a call from the past: the son of a friend has gone missing and no one else will make time to ask the right questions. And then a fragment of Scotland’s criminal history is repatriated at the end of a life sentence for murder. Once more Rebus’s cup of trouble runneth over and the ghosts of past misdeeds return to haunt Edinburgh’s streets.

Old crimes don’t stay buried…

From the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

‘Ian Rankin is a genius’ Lee Child

‘A first-rate thriller but also a forensic examination of contemporary Scottish society’ INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a demotion and a chip on his shoulder. A 30-year-old case is being reopened, and Rebus’s team from back then is suspected of foul play. With Malcolm Fox as the investigating officer, are the past and present about to collide in a shocking and murderous fashion? And does Rebus have anything to hide? His old colleagues called themselves ‘the Saints’, and swore a bond on something called ‘the Shadow Bible’. But times have changed and the crimes of the past may not stay hidden much longer, especially with a referendum on Scottish independence just around the corner.

Who are the saints and who are the sinners? And can the one ever become the other?

The second Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.
‘Ian Rankin is a genius’ Lee Child

A junkie lies dead in an Edinburgh squat, spreadeagled, cross-like on the floor, between two burned-down candles, a five-pointed star daubed on the wall above.

Just another dead addict – until John Rebus begins to chip away at the indifference, treachery, deceit and sleaze that lurks behind the facade of the Edinburgh familiar to tourists.

Only Rebus seems to care about a death which looks more like a murder every day, about a seductive danger he can almost taste, appealing to the darkest corners of his mind…

The third Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES
‘No one writes better crime novels’ EVENING STANDARD

They call him the Wolfman – because he takes a bite out of his victims and because they found the first victim in the East End’s lonely Wolf Street. Scotland Yard are anxious to find the killer and Inspector Rebus is drafted in to help. But his Scotland Yard opposite number, George Flight, isn’t happy at yet more interference, and Rebus finds himself dealing with racial prejudice as well as the predations of a violent maniac.

When Rebus is offered a serial killer profile of the Wolfman by an attractive female psychologist, it’s too good an opportunity to miss. But in finding an ally, he may have given his enemies an easy means of attack.

The twelfth Inspector Rebus bestseller – a powerfully gripping novel where past and present collide…
From the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

‘This is, quite simply, crime writing of the highest order’ DAILY EXPRESS

‘The unopposed champion of the British police procedural’ GUARDIAN

A student has gone missing in Edinburgh. She’s not just any student, though, but the daughter of well-to-do and influential bankers. There’s almost nothing to go on until DI John Rebus gets an unmistakable gut feeling that there’s more to this than just another runaway spaced out on unaccustomed freedom.

Two leads emerge: a carved wooden doll in a toy coffin, found in the student’s home village, and an internet role-playing game. The ancient and the modern, brought together by uncomfortable circumstance…

The horror has just begun… A brilliant thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.

‘No one writes more gripping stories than Rankin’ TLS

It begins with a phone call. Gordon Reeve’s brother has been found dead in his car in San Diego. The car was locked from the inside, a gun was in his hand. In the US to identify the body Gordon realises that his brother has been murdered. What’s more, it’s soon obvious that his own life is in danger.

Once back in Scotland he finds out his home has been bugged by professionals. But Reeve is a professional too. Ex-SAS, he was half of a two-man unit with someone he came to fear, then to hate. It looks like his nemesis is back…

A brilliant thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

‘No one in Britain writes better crime novels today’ Evening Standard

Interpol have tried and failed to find the terrorist, Witch. Now the combined forces of Scotland Yard and MI5 must try the impossible to prevent a major international incident.

Dominic Elder carries her autograph wherever he goes. Witch is his passion, his obsession. And being retired is no bar to his willingness to restart the hunt. MI5 know that the man who wrote the Witch file is the key to catching their quarry. But the truth isn’t easy to spot. And it is only when an MI5 novice and his French counterpart piece together the smallest of clues, that Witch suddenly looks vulnerable…

From the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

The stage debut for the legendary detective John Rebus in this brand new, original story by Ian Rankin, written alongside the award-winning playwright Rona Munro.

John Rebus is not as young as he was, but his detective instincts have never left him. And after the daughter of a murder victim turns up outside his flat, he’s going to need them at their sharpest.

Enlisting the help of his old friend DI Siobhan Clarke, Rebus is determined to solve this cold case once and for all. But Clarke has problems of her own, problems that will put her at odds with her long-time mentor and push him into seeking help from his age-old adversary: ‘Big Ger’ Cafferty.

This haunting story takes Rebus to places he has never been before, sets him and his long-time foe on a collision course and takes us deeper into one of the most satisfying conflicts in modern fiction.

Featuring an introduction from Rankin himself, a Q&A between writers Ian and Rona, an interview with the director, and behind-the-scenes production materials, this book is one Rebus fans will not want to miss out on.