Customer Reviews

Tooth and Nail (Detective John Rebus Novels)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

this may be one of the earliest Rebus novels, but it is without shadow of a doubt one of the best. Ian Rankin here presentes an excellent serial killer novel, published around the time when the sub-genre itself was really on it's infancy. (After all, there weren't all that many serial killer novels around in 1991) It's a very assured, seasoned, mature novel, somewhat before it's time.

Rebus is a great character, and here his development continues. However, we are presented with a great twist to the normal formula here...Rebus has been sent to London to work on a case, and the fish-out-of-water effect really works very well. Instead of the in-depth and realistic descriptions of Edinburgh, we now see London through Rebus, a visitors eyes, and Rankin proves that his evocations of place are not merely limited to Edinburgh. He describes London excellently, and observing Rebus wandering round the city like a lost soul (until he realises that, in terms of problems, London is basically the same as his home turf, when he seems to get more comfortable with the place) is really interesting.

The plot is great, and it twists and turns subtly but excellently, with Rankin misleading the reader like an illusionst all the way to the end as to the real identity of the killer. He shocks and surprises again and again, until a brilliantly exciting climax, a car chase through the busy streets of London.

Along the way, Rebus meets some brilliant characters, several of whom i would love to see again in the future. George Flight, his opposite number in London, is a wonderfully drawn creation. He is a likeable man, and a great copper. He is darawn well, and i liked the way Rankin shied away from the cliche of making him an unlikeable, difficult to work with, arrogant and not very good police-officer. Instead, we are prsented with a policeman equal to Rebus in ability, whose talents compliment each other well. Another great character is Liza Frazer, the young psychologist who volunteers to help Rebus draw up a profile of the killer.

All in all, this is a brilliant book. It suceeds on every single leve, and while the end does seem a little rushed, and i would rather the book were a bit longer, this book ranks among Rankin's best work. Which, considering the calibre of almost all his books, means that this book is very, very good indeed.

I've read all of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus tales. Thus, I've spent many hours with John Rebus, and his deep, dark, intensity. His world of pain and loss is usually Edinburgh where the city becomes a living being as conscious and present as Rebus himself-and the shadows that fill his life. In Tooth and Nail, we are thrust with Rebus into an alien land, London, and much more into the alien mind of the murderer. The insanity within the serial killer is disconcerting, creating anixity within us as we read the words. No longer are we curled up with a good book reading about paper characters. We become no more safe from the demons of imagination than the do victims in the novel. But Mr. Rankin not only chills us, he saves us, at least for the moment. I could not bear such unease if it wasn't for the realization that Inspector Rebus will succeed in the end, at least enough for me to sleep without nightmares . . bravo, Mr. Rankin. You are an artist.

This was my first Ian Rankin book. It was great. The book read very fast and kept my attention through the book.

The serial killer's MO was mysterious. I wanted to know "Why?". The book didn't disappoint and provided both the "Who" and "Why".

I would recommend it.

This was my first Inspector Rebus mystery and I shall certainly read more.

The main character, Inspector Rebus, is a self-effacing Scot sent to London as an "expert" on serial killers (he certainly would not describe himself as such). As he hunts for the gory killer, he faces prejudice of the locals, a love interest and his daughter (by divorced wife) dating a criminal.

The mystery is a good one. The serial killer mutilates his victims but, unlike some other authors, this is not a major theme. It is raised, but not dwelled upon - leaving more to the imagination and fewer pages devoted to gore.

The author's descriptive passages are his strongest writing. The description of the autopsy is unforgettable, yet he again does not dwell on long passages of grossness or gore. He concentrates on the perceptions being experienced by the good Inspector.

Inspector Rebus is thoroughly likeable. He is human, fallible and uncertain in many of the steps he takes. Yet he pursues hunches and acts on reflex, sometimes to his detriment. His relationship with the lead London inspector, George Flight, is described realistically through all its ups and downs.

I found this to be a very well-written book with characters who were believable and likeable. I generally hesitate to read serial killer mysteries because so many use excessive gore to make up for thin plotlines. This book had a very good plot/mystery and excellent writing. I strongly recommend it to mystery lovers.

Each victim is being bitten after death by teeth that seem to resemble those that might be found on some monster. This is the story of a serial killer set in Scotland that puts its hooks in at the start. I finished this in two sittings because I couldn't wait to find out what was going to take place next. A well-crafted mystery series. John Rebus, the Scottish policeman is a wonderful and lasting character.

He had wanted to update Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for modern times, Ian Rankin writes about his first Inspector Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses" in the introduction to the British compilation "Rebus: The Early Years" (unfortunately, not available in the U.S.), which contains the first three installments of the series. Oblivious to the mere existence of such a thing as the mystery genre - or so Rankin says - he was stunned to soon hear his book described first and foremost as a crime novel. But eventually this characterization prompted him to have a closer look at the work of other mystery writers, and he found that the form suited his purposes just fine; that in fact he "could say everything [he] wanted to say about the world, and still give readers a pacy, gripping narrative."

Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) - as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well.

"Tooth and Nail" (originally titled "Wolfman," for the alias that police have given the subject of their hunt) takes Rebus to London, where - due an earlier case of his own reluctantly deemed an "expert" on serial murderers - he is to assist metro CID with the case of a killer named for the bite marks he leaves on his victims' bodies. Not overly enthusiastic about any aspect of his mission to the capital (and thus mirroring once more the feelings of Rankin himself, who did not much like living there, either, and "brought Rebus to London so he could suffer, too"), Rebus soon alienates his metro counterpart by his constant unwillingness to follow protocol, although the two men get along reasonably well on a personal level. Eventually, Rebus so seriously jeopardizes his and - by extension - Edinburgh CID's reputation with the Met that he is about to be recalled home, when he finally makes the crucial connection that unmasks the killer, just in time to save the young psychologist who has offered her help with the case and who is his latest love interest. (As befits a good noir detective, Rebus has a new flame in every book, not without incurring fresh scars from each separation, however.)

While this series had a terrific start already in its first three novels, published between 1987 and 1992, Rebus's character - and Rankin's writing - has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to his nonseries novels, however, which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be happy with his early Rebus books, commenting almost nostalgically: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ...

Also recommended:
Rebus: The Early Years (Knots & Crosses / Hide & Seek / Tooth & Nail)
Rebus - The St Leonard's Years
Rebus: The Lost Years (Let It Bleed / Black & Blue / The Hanging Garden)
Rebus: Capital Crimes (Dead Souls / Set in Darkness / The Falls)
Ian Rankin Inspector Rebus CD Collection: Resurrection Men, A Question of Blood, Fleshmarket Alley (Inspector Rebus) (Inspector Rebus)
Exit Music
Rebus's Scotland
Rebus
The Jack Harvey Novels
Rebus: The Complete Short Stories~Ian Rankin

I'm baaaaaack!

After reading the first Rebus novel (Knots and Crosses), I knew I'd continue to read the rest of Ian Rankin's excellent crime fiction stories.

This is actually the third novel in the Inspector Rebus series, and author Ian Rankin's prose continues to astound me. He masterfully weaves a tapestry of plot, character, and location throughout nearly every page (Example from the prologue: `She drives home the knife. The moment, she knows from past experience, is a very intimate one. Her hand is gripped around the knife's cool handle and the thrust takes the blade into the throat up to the hilt until her hand meets the throat itself. Flesh upon flesh. Jacket first, or woollen jersey, cotton shirt or T-shirt, then flesh. Now rent. The knife is writhing, like an animal sniffing. Warm blood covering hilt and hand. (The other hand covers the mouth, stifling screams.) The moment is complete. A meeting. Touching. The body hot, gaping, warm with blood. Seething inside, as insides become outsides. Boiling. The moment is coming to an end all too soon.')

But this time we're no longer in Edinburgh. No? No. Inspector Rebus is sent to London (Oh the pain!) to try and help catch a serial killer whom the local coppers can't pin down. They've nick-named the murderer "The Wolfman", because he bites the victims on the stomach after he kills them. But why send Rebus? Well, in Knots and Crosses, he helped find another serial killer in Edinburgh, and so George Flight (a local London CID guy) requested Scotland's "expert". Rebus sees himself as anything BUT an expert on such things, but reluctantly goes to England's capital to do what he can.

Come to find out, he can do quite a bit; including getting into lots of trouble. He falls for a beautiful psychologist named Liza Frazer (who might have connections with the killer!), disappears for hours or days on end, drinks like a fish, and goes on television and announces that they've caught the killer (even when he knows they haven't). But Rebus' mind works a bit differently than most folks. He can worm his way into a killer's mind as the case unfolds. And we again see how Rebus' past comes to the forefront and aids him in capturing the villain.

The great thing about Rebus is that he's so f#$%ed up that the reader can identify with all of his vices and character flaws. He's no superhuman, and he knows it. But what he does have is a nose for killers, and this bodes poorly for them. Because once Rebus is on your trail, you'll never get away.

Now, it's on to the next in the series!

In the genre of murder/thriller/detective works, I read quite a few authors. Most of them have a detective team/person that they write about for most of their stories. I further break that down into American/British/Other nationalities as I like to look at other cultures other than mine here in the U.S. I have settled down with Peter Robinson, PD James, and Ian Rankin as the British authors of choice. I'm sure that there are more out there, and would love to hear from anyone that reads another that I should include into my reading habit.

Tooth and Nail (formerly called Wolfman) is the third book in the detective, John Rebus series. It is not a great story nor is it very exciting - although there are moments. But instead, it seems that Rankin concerned himself with the further development of Rebus - a little less dark in this book - and those surrounding him. The detective work was not really a focus nor was the serial killer. I enjoyed this work, but as I sit down to write the review, I cannot say why exactly. It was rather formulaic and the killer rather poorly developed. The verbal sparring was adequate, but not at top of his game. That said, I really couldn't put the book down. The John Rebus character has me hooked. He is somewhat similar to Alan Banks of the Peter Robinson series, but there is a darker side that showed up in the first two novels. In this book, you could feel that darker side, but it only threatened to show.

Rebus is called from Edinburgh to London to help with a serial killer that has stymied the local coppers. While there is some animosity amongst the troops for bringing in an outsider, the development of this part of the plot is lacking. Rebus meets up with his divorced wife and his teenage daughter, and we learn a little about them, but they are incidental to the story.

The story is short (275 pages) and although it continues the saga of John Rebus, I am always skeptical when they change the title of a book and re-publish it. No doubt this is not one of Rankin's better attempts. However, if you have read the previous two books and are hooked on this series, you will want to read this one just to keep in the loop. If you haven't read Rankin, do not start with this one.

The writing in 'Tooth and nail' is superb and has a very incisive, polished feel. The plot is great, but it seemed as if the end was slightly rushed. Rebus suddenly guesses who the killer is and then goes after him in what can only be described as a Hollywood ending. But the denoument more than makes up for this. The psychological insight into the mind of a serial killer (dubbed 'The wolfman') is excellent. I felt sympathy, if not quite empathy, for this character. The way Rankin described The wolfman's extremely messed up childhood ("I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy...")almost had me in tears. And the reason why he bit into his victim's stomachs was so insanely rational that I was amused and shocked all at once. This is a great book and should definitely be read by anyone interested in this genre.

This was the first Rebus novel I've read, and it probably won't be the last. The story concerns the "Wolfman" a serial killer on the lose in London who has a habit of killing and mutilating a variety of women in a unique way. Detective John Rebus is called down from Edinburgh to assist on the case.

Rankin's writing put me in mind of the Hannibal Lector books by Thomas Harris. There is a similarly bleak but humanistic writing style to both authors. Rankin's worldview is undeniably grim, but there is enough humor in the book to keep it from being completely depressing.

"Tooth and Nail" is a quick read, but when I think about it not all that much happens in the book. There are no real ingenious plot twists, and the way the killer is eventually caught is pretty inane. The book sags especially towards the end, with a chase scene that seems lifted out of a bad Hollywood movie. And the killer's motivations when they are finally revealed are frankly not convincing, at least not as portrayed here.

Having said that, I should probably give the book fewer stars, but I will give it four stars on the strength of Rankin's writing and characters. Hopefully his other books have stronger plots.