Knots and Crosses
Quick Summary
Knots and Crosses is the debut crime novel by Scottish author Ian Rankin, first published in 1987. This novel introduced the character of Inspector John Rebus, a former military man serving in Scotland's territorial police force. The book is set in Edinburgh and draws inspiration from themes of duality and the darker aspects of human nature, echoing works like Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Rankin's early work explored prejudices and superstitions within communities, and Knots and Crosses brought these themes to Edinburgh, a city Rankin uses as a vibrant backdrop for his mysteries.12
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Ian Rankin on EdinburghA City of Stories: Edinburgh as literary metaphorMy own first crime novel, Knots and Crosses, was (in part) an attempt to update the themes of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a project which continued with my second Inspector Rebus outing, Hide and Seek. Likewise, another classic Edinburgh story of the 19th century, James Hoggās sinister and mesmerizingā¦
Read MoreMy own first crime novel, Knots and Crosses, was (in part) an attempt to update the themes of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a project which continued with my second Inspector Rebus outing, Hide and Seek. Likewise, another classic Edinburgh story of the 19th century, James Hoggās sinister and mesmerizingā¦
Read More- Ian Rankin on EdinburghA City of Stories: Edinburgh as literary metaphor
ā¦no one realized, post-publication, that Knots and Crosses owed a larger debt to Stevenson than to Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler (neither of whom Iād read), I decided to try again with another Rebus adventure, this time titled Hide and Seek and featuring a club called Hydeās where rich businessmenā¦
Read Moreā¦no one realized, post-publication, that Knots and Crosses owed a larger debt to Stevenson than to Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler (neither of whom Iād read), I decided to try again with another Rebus adventure, this time titled Hide and Seek and featuring a club called Hydeās where rich businessmenā¦
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