Regular price: $15.29

Membership details Membership details
  • A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook, free
  • 1 credit/month after trial – good for any book, any price
  • Easy exchanges – love a book or swap it for free
  • Keep your audiobooks, even if you cancel
  • After your trial, Audible is just $16.45/month
OR
In Basket

Publisher's Summary

This is the first Inspector Rebus novel.

"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 daughter spirited away by his estranged wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer. Then, the messages begin: knotted string and matchstick crosses taunt Rebus with a puzzle only he can solve.
©1987 Ian Rankin (P)1999 Orion Publishing Group Ltd.

Critic Reviews

"Suspenseful riddling, with exemplary eye to the plod of police through civic jungle." ( Sunday Times)

What members say

Average Customer Ratings

Overall

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Performance

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Story

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Audible.com.au reviews
Audible.com reviews
Audible.co.uk reviews
No Reviews are Available
Sort by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Barb
  • 24-02-2012

If you like British Murder Mysteries...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This was a great listen. The reader was so good at putting different characteristics to the different people in the story that I often thought I was listening to a performance of many actors.

I like the story. It was a gruesome topic but it was not gory. The plot was challenging and interesting. The author did a great job describing the location of the story and the characters that populated it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Sort by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Tracey
  • 15-08-2007

Fab!!

I took this story on holiday with me and was so engrossed I didn't want to stop listening. This is expertly written and the narration by Bill Paterson is superb. As this is the first Rebus book you get to know the main characters and their backgrounds. If you like this book you're sure to love the others. I was sorry when it finished but also felt satisfied. It was the best book i'd listened to in ages. I have heard 2 others read by James McPherson which were equally as good but now I feel personally that I should have started at the beginning. Ian Rankin is certainly consistant and I think everyone should have at least one Rankin book in their collection.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Neil
  • 11-10-2008

first book

this was my first buy on audible, brilliant book will now go on collecting rebus books. love the character moody yet somehow appealing a must buy!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Patj
  • 13-05-2018

Obviously new to this.

Glad of the intro by the author because it was not the standard expected of Ian Rankin. However I enjoyed it.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • S. Clifford
  • 10-05-2018

Brilliant

Loved this one narration was great can't wait to listen to next one in series

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Allan h Patterson
  • 11-02-2016

It was Excellent.A Good tale !

A good tale well told a very engrossing listen,well written & narrated most enjoyable listen!