The Rankin File— Tooth and Nail

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:59 pm by Ben Witherington

The Rankin File— Tooth and Nail 2015-03-13T22:59:30-04:00 Ben Witherington

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

While I was in Edinburgh, there was a tour on offer, where one would apparently ride around and gawk at the famous writer’s houses etc. The writers from Edinburgh who were listed were Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, J.K. Rowling (yes Mrs. Potter herself), and Ian Rankin. The only one on this list I drew a blank on was the last mentioned Mr. Rankin (pictured above).

My friend and colleague, Larry Hurtado, enlightened me… “he’s a crime novelist, maybe the best in Britain, and his lead character John Rebus is like many of these other crime solvers– no longer married to anyone but his work, can’t sustain a relationship, periods of self-doubt, a real good instinct for solving crimes’.
He’s also the only crime writer I know of that throws some Gaelic in the novel from time to time, and Scottish slang as well (hoolit= drunk). Here is the Wiki summary about him (accessed May 6th) and note that he does live in Edinburgh, though he is not originally from there.

“Born 28 April 1960 in Cardenden, Fife, Rankin attended Beath High School, Cowdenbeath. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh, he moved to Tottenham, London for four years and then rural France for six while he developed his career as a novelist. He was a literature tutor at the University of Edinburgh, where he retains an involvement with the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Before becoming a full-time novelist he worked as a grape-picker, swineherd, taxman, alcohol researcher, hi-fi journalist, college secretary and punk musician.”

When I was in York, and went in one of the few remaining used and antiquarian bookstores around, I found two paperback Rankin novels. I began with the earliest of the two….. now called Tooth and Nail but originally called Wolfman. It originally appeared in 1992, so obviously, I am behind the times. It also appears that ten of his novels have been a series on the BBC… so… I have some catching up to do. Word up after reading the first novel— I am hooked. This guy really knows how to write. If I would liken him to anyone in terms of style, it would John Grisham, the prose is spare but effective, and he definitely knows how to move a story along. The last 50 pages had such an accelerated pace, I was looking for the brakes!! However Rankin has a much better, and more clever brand of humor, sometimes admittedly gallows humor, he injects into his novels. I like his metaphors— “that man has about as much chance of succeeding in solving this case as a shoe shine man on a nudist beach’

So, what is Tooth and Nail about? Well in the first place it is an oddity, because Inspector John Rebus’ normal beat is Edinburgh, but he has been called in to London to help solve a case involving a serial killer of women. And this killer is both ruthless and weird in what he does to his victims– including bite marks on the stomach of each one.

Here’s the published tease…..

“Scottish homicide detective John Rebus has been sent from “North of the Border” to help London police catch a serial killer with a gruesome M.O. Teamed with a London cop he wants to trust but can’t, Rebus lets a beautiful psychologist into the case develops a bizarre portrait of a killer who leaves bite marks and tears on each victim’s body. Now it’s only a question of who is going to get busted first: the cop with the accent who breaks all the rules–or the pyscho painting London with blood…”

One thing about Rankin is that sometimes the language can be… well rank, and of the four letter variety. But then he is dealing with a seamy subject, and some really evil criminals, so verisimilitude is the goal, one assumes. This of course was one of the odd things about P.D. James. The police seemed far too civil and refined in some cases. Not very blue collar or blue languaged. Not so in Rankin’s novels.

One of the things I like about a writer of this sort is his ability to leave clues while also offering red herrings. At several points in this novel you began to believe it could be any one of several major characters in the novel— other than Rebus and his London counterpart, George Flight. In other words, like any mystery writer worth their salt, he keeps you guessing… and frustrated until the end. In this case, you can’t figure out whether the killer is male or female.

Another aspect of this novel which is winsome is that the author paints a picture of John Rebus that includes his weaknesses and flaws. It makes the character more believable and interesting. Along the way you gain a feel for: 1) English and Scottish prejudices against each other; 2) resentments when an outside expert is brought into a case, hurting the ego of the local force; 3) the politics and machinery of the justice system in London, and much more. And oh yes— we have some romance for John Rebus as well. It is interesting as well that Rebus not only believes in God, and has attended church in Scotland, he even carries around a Bible with him. Not your usual hard-bitten secular cynical detective, but also a man with some sin and guilt on his ledger.

Since I am hooked…. I’m going back to square one, the first novel in the series, Knots and Crosses which first appeared in 1987. More anon.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 22, 2013

The Durham Chronicles--- Visit to York Part Four

Next Post

May 24, 2013 The Durham Chronicles-- Down by the Riverside, Up on the Tower

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz