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Knots and Crosses

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Knots and Crosses

By: Ian Rankin
Narrated by: James Macpherson
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About this listen

'And in Edinburgh of all places. I mean, you never think of that sort of thing happening in Edinburgh, do you...?' 'That sort of thing' is the brutal abduction and murder of two young girls. And now a third is missing, presumably gone to the same sad end. Detective Sergeant John Rebus, smoking and drinking too much, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer. And then the messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses - taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve.

©2008 Ian Rankin (P)2011 Orion Publishing Limited Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Thriller Crime Scary Suspense

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All stars
Most relevant  
I was really looking forward to listening to this the first Rebus story but I soon found my attention wondering off. There didn't seem to be much detective work & the story just seemed to plod along. Perhaps I expected too much & I'm being a little unfair as I'm only know the Rebus character through the television series with Ken Stott. I'm not sure if I would listen to another Ian Rankin book, however on reflection I do know that he has a huge fan base with loyal readers so may well change my mind in the future & give him another try.

Disappointed

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Very slow. Not much happened. Lots of non-plot background and some very implausible plot lines. Think I’ll stick to Ruth Rendell or Val McDermid for my crime fix.

Underwhelming

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Decided to read the first Rebus book. I struggle to finish this, but I know there is better to come. James McPherson excellent narrator.

Not my favourite Rankin Book

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The narration is good, something I would expect with Scottish accents. The story unwinds quite slowly and perhaps with purpose. Things that seem irrelevant or that pass through your ears turn out to have some meaning which I liked. I found that the reveal was sudden and would have liked more of the past to have been subtly dropped in throughout.

Steady thriller with a slow unraveling past

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I was disappointed with the story, I prefer detective novels that give more details on the analysis and investigation of the evidence

Not enough detective action

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Good story but I felt that there was too much emphasis on Rebus's sex life in the beginning which added little to the story and put me off his character. Once into the story properly I was gripped.

Excellent crime thriller

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Not my favourite of the Rebus stories, but a good story nonetheless Rankin's descriptive prose never failing to set the scene.

An enjoyable listen

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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

The story ends abruptly, and then the we are told production details.No opportunity to reflect briefly.

I would recommend the book, but not AUDIBLE

What didn’t you like about James Macpherson’s performance?

He is a good reader

Any additional comments?

I have complained to Audible.

Production Careless

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Values of lessons learned but secrets too deeply buried haunting to be confronted. Great story.

Past with twists and turns, reflecting on present.

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No wonder Ian Rankin’s reputation stands so high! Nerve-racking, beautifully written, well plotted. The reader, James Macpherson, does a terrific job, too. To my ear (grew up in Glasgow), he pitches it perfectly, capturing the alternately cocky, then morose, character that makes Rebus a memorable literary creation. Excellent work all round!

Brilliant

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