Reading the Rebus Novels in Order: How to Track Ian Rankin's Iconic Detective

You’re standing in a used bookstore. The spine of a paperback catches your eye. It’s an Ian Rankin. John Rebus is on the cover, looking miserable and clutching a cigarette. You think, "Hey, I should probably read these." But then you look at the shelf and realize there are nearly thirty books. You've got a problem. Do you start at the beginning, or do you jump in where the TV show did? Honestly, if you want to see a man's life fall apart and slowly stitch itself back together over four decades, you need the rebus novels in order. It's the only way the scotch-soaked trajectory of Edinburgh’s most difficult detective actually makes sense.

John Rebus isn't a static character. He's not like Sherlock Holmes, who basically stays the same brilliant jerk for years. Rebus ages in real-time. When we first meet him in 1987, he’s a young-ish Sergeant with a messy past. By the most recent books, he’s a retired old man with COPD who can’t climb the stairs to his own flat. If you read them out of sequence, the continuity won't just be slightly off—it’ll be a total wreck. You'll see him mourning a character you haven't met yet, or investigating a crime with a partner who, in the book you read yesterday, was still in high school.

Where It All Began: The Early Files

The journey starts with Knots and Crosses. Fun fact: Ian Rankin didn't actually mean to write a long-running crime series. He thought he was writing a contemporary riff on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He even tried to kill Rebus off in the early drafts. Thank goodness he didn't.

1. Knots and Crosses (1987) – This is the introduction. Rebus is younger, thinner, and dealing with a serial killer sending him cryptic messages. It feels a bit different from the later books—more "literary" and less "police procedural."
2. Hide and Seek (1991) – This is where the series starts to find its feet. We get into the dark underbelly of Edinburgh’s private clubs.
3. Tooth and Nail (1992) – Originally titled Wolfman. Rebus heads down to London. It’s a bit of a "fish out of water" story.
4. Strip Jack (1992) – A Member of Parliament is caught in a brothel raid. This is classic Rankin territory: the intersection of high-society power and low-life crime.

You’ve got to understand that Edinburgh is as much a character as Rebus himself. Rankin uses the city’s duality—the beautiful, touristy New Town versus the grim, grey housing schemes—to mirror Rebus’s own internal struggle. It’s "Tartan Noir" at its absolute peak.

The Golden Era and Siobhan Clarke

Most fans will tell you the series truly hits its stride with Black and Blue. That’s the eighth book. By this point, Rankin has stopped experimenting and started perfecting the formula. This is also where Siobhan Clarke becomes a central pillar. She’s the apprentice who eventually becomes the master, and her relationship with Rebus is the emotional heart of the entire series. She keeps him grounded. He keeps her... well, he mostly keeps her frustrated.

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• The Black Book (1993)
• Mortal Causes (1994)
• Let it Bleed (1996)
• Black and Blue (1997) – This won the CWA Gold Dagger. It’s a masterpiece involving the real-life "Bible John" killings.
• The Hanging Garden (1998)
• Dead Souls (1999)

If you're wondering why people obsess over these specific titles, it's because this is the era where the political landscape of Scotland starts to shift. The Scottish Parliament is established. The world is changing, and Rebus—a man who hates change—is forced to watch his city transform.

The Retirement Problem: When the Clock Starts Ticking

In the UK, police officers used to have a mandatory retirement age. Rankin, being a stickler for realism, actually let Rebus retire in Exit Music (2007). At the time, everyone thought that was the end. The title literally said "Exit." But you can't keep a good detective down, especially one who doesn't have any hobbies other than listening to prog rock and drinking at the Oxford Bar.

After a five-year hiatus where Rankin wrote other things (like the Malcolm Fox books), Rebus came back. But he wasn't a cop anymore. He was a civilian consultant, then a "re-engaged" officer, and then finally, just a private citizen who couldn't stop poking his nose into cold cases. Reading these rebus novels in order during this phase is fascinating because you see the power dynamics flip. Siobhan is now the boss. Rebus is the one getting told to stay behind the yellow tape.

The "Post-Retirement" Sequence

• Set in Darkness (2000)
• The Falls (2001)
• Resurrection Men (2002)
• A Question of Blood (2003)
• Fleshmarket Close (2004)
• The Naming of the Dead (2006)
• Exit Music (2007) – The "First" Ending.
• Standing in Another Man's Grave (2012) – The Return.
• Saints of the Shadow Bible (2013)
• Even Dogs in the Wild (2015)

Basically, the later books deal with legacy. Rebus looks back at the "shadow bible"—the unwritten rules the old-school cops played by in the 70s and 80s—and has to reckon with the fact that maybe he wasn't always the "good guy."

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The Late Stage: Mortality and Cafferty

The rivalry between John Rebus and "Big Ger" Cafferty is one of the best hero-villain dynamics in all of literature. Cafferty is the Moriarty to Rebus’s Holmes, but they’re more like two sides of the same rusted coin. They both represent a dying version of Scotland. By the time you get to the most recent novels, they’re basically two old men yelling at the clouds, yet they still have the power to shake the city.

• Rather be the Devil (2016)
• In a House of Lies (2018)
• A Song for the Dark Times (2020)
• A Heart Full of Headstones (2022)
• Midnight and Blue (2024)

In A Heart Full of Headstones, Rankin does something incredibly bold. No spoilers, but the legal system finally catches up with Rebus in a way you won't expect. It’s a heavy read. It makes you realize that the rebus novels in order aren't just a series of mysteries; they're a long-form biography of a man’s soul.

Why the Publication Order Matters Most

You might see "Chronological" lists floating around that suggest reading short stories first or trying to slot things in based on internal dates. Don't do it. Read them in the order they were published. Why? Because Ian Rankin’s writing style evolves. If you jump from a 2024 book back to 1987, the shift in prose will give you whiplash.

Rankin’s early work is more experimental and, frankly, a bit clunkier. As the years go by, his dialogue becomes razor-sharp. His ability to weave three different subplots into a single cohesive narrative becomes almost supernatural. You want to grow with the author as he grows with the character.

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A Quick Note on the TV Adaptations

There have been several versions of Rebus on screen. John Hannah played him first (a bit too young and "clean"), followed by Ken Stott (who many think is the definitive Rebus). Most recently, Richard Rankin (no relation to Ian) took the role in a 2024 reimagining. While the shows are great for vibes, they condense decades of character growth into a few hours. The books are where the real depth is.

Your Rebus Reading Strategy

If 29 books feels like a lot, you don't have to read them all in one month. That’s a lot of cigarettes and rainy Edinburgh nights to process. Here is how to handle the rebus novels in order without burning out:

• The Starter Pack: Read the first three. If you aren't hooked by Tooth and Nail, this might not be your series.
• The "Skip Ahead" Option: If 1980s references feel too dated, start with Black and Blue. It’s a "soft reboot" of sorts. You’ll miss some backstory, but you’ll be entering the series at its highest quality.
• The Malcolm Fox Crossover: Keep an eye out for Malcolm Fox, the internal affairs officer ("The Complaints"). He gets his own books (The Complaints and The Impossible Dead), but eventually merges into the Rebus timeline. Reading his solo books between Exit Music and Standing in Another Man's Grave adds a lot of flavor.

Actionable Next Steps for New Readers:

1. Check your local library: Most libraries have the entire back catalog because Rankin is a staple of the genre.
2. Listen to the Audiobooks: James Macpherson and Saul Reichlin narrate many of these, and the Scottish accents add an incredible layer of authenticity that you just can't get from reading the page.
3. Map the Journey: If you ever visit Edinburgh, you can actually visit the Oxford Bar on Young Street. It’s exactly as Rankin describes it—no frills, small, and full of history. Just don't expect to see John Rebus in the corner; he's busy in the pages of your book.

Start with Knots and Crosses. Take it slow. Watch the seasons change in Edinburgh and watch a stubborn man grow old. It’s one of the most rewarding journeys in modern crime fiction.