Inspector Rebus Books in Order

Where to Start with Inspector Rebus

For the most rewarding experience, the Inspector Rebus series is best read in publication order. Because author Ian Rankin chose to have Rebus age in real time, his career, relationships, and the shifting social landscape of Edinburgh evolve chronologically from book to book. Reading them in order allows you to fully witness the slow burn of Rebus’s personal battles, his changing dynamic with his colleague Siobhan Clarke, and his decades-long war of wits with Edinburgh crime boss Morris Gerald 'Big Ger' Cafferty.

However, if you are hesitant to commit to a 25-novel saga, there are a few alternative starting points:

• The Definitive Start: Knots and Crosses (1987). The very first book introduces Rebus as a Detective Sergeant. While Rankin originally planned it as a standalone tribute to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, it establishes Rebus's complex military background and personal trauma.
• The Breakout Hit: Black and Blue (1997). If the early books feel a bit dated, this eighth novel is widely considered the turning point where Rankin found the definitive voice of the series. Inspired by real-life unsolved murders, it won the Macallan Gold Dagger and presents a much more polished, gritty Tartan Noir style.
• The Modern Era: The Falls (2001). This novel offers a fantastic entry point to Rebus’s later career, centering on an atmospheric web of historical clues, missing dolls in miniature coffins, and internet role-playing games.

Inspector Rebus Books in Publication Order

Here is the complete chronological sequence of the full-length Inspector Rebus novels, spanning from his introduction in 1987 to his most recent adventures:

1. Knots and Crosses (1987)
2. Hide and Seek (1991)
3. Tooth and Nail (originally published as Wolfman in 1992)
4. Strip Jack (1992)
5. The Black Book (1993)
6. Mortal Causes (1994)
7. Let It Bleed (1995)
8. Black and Blue (1997)
9. The Hanging Garden (1998)
10. Dead Souls (1999)
11. Set in Darkness (2000)
12. The Falls (2001)
13. Resurrection Men (2002)
14. A Question of Blood (2003)
15. Fleshmarket Alley (published as Fleshmarket Close in the UK, 2004)
16. The Naming of the Dead (2006)
17. Exit Music (2007)
18. Standing in Another Man's Grave (2012)
19. Saints of the Shadow Bible (2013)
20. Even Dogs in the Wild (2015)
21. Rather Be the Devil (2016)
22. In a House of Lies (2018)
23. A Song for the Dark Times (2020)
24. A Heart Full of Headstones (2022)
25. Midnight and Blue (2024)

The Real-Time Timeline and Aging Caveats

One of the most unique aspects of the Rebus series is that Rankin initially had Rebus age in real time. John Rebus was born in the late 1940s and worked under the mandatory retirement age laws of Scotland. In Exit Music (2007), Rebus officially hits age 60 and is forced to retire from the Lothian and Borders Police. For five years, the series went on a hiatus, and Rankin focused on other characters.

However, Rebus returned in 2012's Standing in Another Man's Grave. Following a change in Scottish police regulations, Rebus is brought back as a civilian consultant working for the cold case unit. To prevent Rebus from becoming too old to investigate, Rankin began compressing the timeline. While the books still mirror contemporary social changes, the aging process slows down significantly in the post-retirement era. By 2024's Midnight and Blue, Rebus is approaching 70 and navigating the ultimate consequence of his maverick methods—investigating from inside a prison cell.

The Malcolm Fox Crossover Order

During Rebus’s brief retirement, Rankin introduced Detective Inspector Malcolm Fox, an investigator working for the 'Complaints' (Professional Standards) department. Fox is the complete opposite of Rebus—he is clean-cut, sober, meticulous, and strictly follows the rulebook, which makes him a polarizing figure to street cops.

Fox’s story officially crosses into the Rebus universe starting with Rebus's comeback novel in 2012. To get the best character context, you should read Fox's standalone books before they meet:

1. The Complaints (2009) – Malcolm Fox Book 1
2. The Impossible Dead (2011) – Malcolm Fox Book 2
3. Standing in Another Man's Grave (2012) – The official meeting of Rebus and Fox.

From this point onward, Fox becomes a recurring character in the Rebus series, appearing in major entries like Saints of the Shadow Bible, Even Dogs in the Wild, In a House of Lies, and Midnight and Blue, where he shifts roles to Organized Crime.

Short Stories, Novellas, and Stage Plays

In addition to the novels, Rankin has written several short stories and spin-offs that flesh out Rebus’s world:

• Death is Not the End (1998): This novella features Rebus investigating a missing person case. Rankin later expanded the plot and integrated it into the full-length novel Dead Souls (1999).
• The Beat Goes On (2014): The definitive collection of all Inspector Rebus short stories. It is best read after Standing in Another Man's Grave, as it gathers stories spanning his entire career, including his early days in the police force.
• In the Nick of Time (2014): A fun crossover short story written for the anthology FaceOff, pairing Rebus with Peter James's famous Sussex detective, Roy Grace.
• Rebus: Long Shadows (2018): A stage play co-written by Ian Rankin and playwright Rona Munro. It features a retired Rebus struggling with the unresolved cold cases of his past, and was published in script format in 2019.

What to Know Before You Start: Continuity and Adaptations

The Rebus series relies heavily on continuity. Key characters like DI Siobhan Clarke start as green Detective Constables under Rebus's wing and slowly rise to lead their own cases, eventually taking over as the lead investigator while Rebus operates from the sidelines. Similarly, Rebus’s relationship with 'Big Ger' Cafferty evolves from bitter hatred to a complex, codependent relationship between two aging dinosaurs of Edinburgh's old guard.

If you want to watch the character on screen, there are two distinct adaptations. The ITV series Rebus (2000–2007) featured John Hannah in the first season, followed by Ken Stott, who is widely praised by fans for capturing the grit and weariness of the character. In 2024, the BBC launched a reimagined Rebus television series starring Richard Rankin (no relation to the author), presenting a younger, modern-day version of the character that operates outside the book continuity.