Since publishing his first book featuring Inspector John Rebus, Knots and Crosses, in 1987 Ian Rankin has become one of the world’s leading crime writers.
To date the Fife-born author has published 25 novels, two short-story collections, one original graphic novel, one novella, and a non-fiction book - earning him a host of awards and a Knighthood.
This year has already seen a new six part BBC series featuring his most famous creation, simply entitled Rebus, and his latest book Midnight & Blue will be released later in 2024.
Rankin is hugely popular on leading book website Goodreads, with an average score of 3.96 out of five over 503,752 ratings and 29,350 reviews.
But which of his books are readers’ favourites? Here are the top 11.
This year has already seen a new six part BBC series featuring his most famous creation, simply entitled Rebus, and his latest book Midnight & Blue will be released later in 2024.
![Ninth place goes to the 21st Rebus book - 1997's Rather Be The Devil. It has an average rating of 4.09 from 17,527 reviews. "John Rebus can't close the door on the death of glamorous socialite Maria Turquand. Brutally murdered in her hotel room forty years ago, her killer has never been found. Meanwhile, Edinburgh's dark heart is up for grabs. Young pretender Darryl Christie may have staked his claim on the city's underworld - but has criminal mastermind and Rebus' long-time adversary, Big Ger Cafferty, really settled down to a quiet retirement? Or is he hiding in the shadows until Edinburgh is once more ripe for the picking?"](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/05/29/12/43/Bo.dy%20%2819%29.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
9. Rather Be The Devil
Ninth place goes to the 21st Rebus book - 1997's Rather Be The Devil. It has an average rating of 4.09 from 17,527 reviews. "John Rebus can't close the door on the death of glamorous socialite Maria Turquand. Brutally murdered in her hotel room forty years ago, her killer has never been found. Meanwhile, Edinburgh's dark heart is up for grabs. Young pretender Darryl Christie may have staked his claim on the city's underworld - but has criminal mastermind and Rebus' long-time adversary, Big Ger Cafferty, really settled down to a quiet retirement? Or is he hiding in the shadows until Edinburgh is once more ripe for the picking?" | Contributed
![Competing the top 10 - with an average rating of 4.08 from 17,077 reviews - is the 18th Rebus novel. Standing In Another Man's Grave was first published in 2012. "It's been some time since Rebus was forced to retire, and he now works as a civilian in a cold-case unit. So when a long-dead case bursts back to life, he can't resist the opportunity to get his feet under the CID desk once more. But Rebus is as stubborn and anarchic as ever, and he quickly finds himself in deep with pretty much everyone, including DI Siobhan Clarke. All Rebus wants to do is uncover the truth. The big question is: can he be the man he once was and still stay on the right side of the law?"](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/05/29/13/14/Bo.dy%20%2820%29.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
10. Standing In Another Man's Grave
Competing the top 10 - with an average rating of 4.08 from 17,077 reviews - is the 18th Rebus novel. Standing In Another Man's Grave was first published in 2012. "It's been some time since Rebus was forced to retire, and he now works as a civilian in a cold-case unit. So when a long-dead case bursts back to life, he can't resist the opportunity to get his feet under the CID desk once more. But Rebus is as stubborn and anarchic as ever, and he quickly finds himself in deep with pretty much everyone, including DI Siobhan Clarke. All Rebus wants to do is uncover the truth. The big question is: can he be the man he once was and still stay on the right side of the law?" | Contributed
![Just missing out on a place in the top 10, and completing our list, is A Question of Blood - the 14th Rebus Book - with an average rating of 4.07 from 13,610 reviews. "Two seventeen-year-olds are killed by an ex-Army loner who has gone off the rails. The mystery takes Rebus into the heart of a shattered community. Ex-Army himself, Rebus becomes fascinated by the killer, and finds he is not alone. Army investigators are on the scene, and won't be shaken off. The killer had friends and enemies to spare and left behind a legacy of secrets and lies. Rebus has more than his share of personal problems, too. He's fresh out of hospital, but won't say how it happened. Could there be a connection with a house-fire and the unfortunate death of a petty criminal who had been harassing Rebus's colleague Siobhan Clarke?"](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/05/29/13/25/Bo.dy%20%2821%29.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
11. A Question Of Blood
Just missing out on a place in the top 10, and completing our list, is A Question of Blood - the 14th Rebus Book - with an average rating of 4.07 from 13,610 reviews. "Two seventeen-year-olds are killed by an ex-Army loner who has gone off the rails. The mystery takes Rebus into the heart of a shattered community. Ex-Army himself, Rebus becomes fascinated by the killer, and finds he is not alone. Army investigators are on the scene, and won't be shaken off. The killer had friends and enemies to spare and left behind a legacy of secrets and lies. Rebus has more than his share of personal problems, too. He's fresh out of hospital, but won't say how it happened. Could there be a connection with a house-fire and the unfortunate death of a petty criminal who had been harassing Rebus's colleague Siobhan Clarke?" | Contributed