Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin: Biography

Ian Rankin was born on April 28th, 1960 and is currently 63 years old. Ian Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife, Scotland. Rankin attended University of Edinburgh where he received a Bachelor of Arts.

Ian Rankin is the author of the Inspector Rebus series which currently consists of 24 novels. The Inspector Rebus series started in 1987 with the novel Knots and Crosses. The most recently released novel in the Inspector Rebus series was A Heart Full of Headstones which was released in 2022. There are no upcoming novels for the Inspector Rebus series.

Ian Rankin made it on Japan's Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! annual guide book list a couple of times. In 1999, Black and Blue was ranked 6th on the list. In 2000, Let it Bleed was tied for 9th place.

Ian won a Sherlock award for Best Detective Created by an author from the UK in 2001.

Ian was shortlisted for the 2015 Dead Reader Award in The Lee Child Award for Best Loner or Detective category for his character John Rebus.

Ian Rankin: Awards & Accolades

Ian Rankin has won multiple awards including: The Crime Thriller Awards, International Crime Writing Hall of Fame Award, in 2009, British Book Awards, Outstanding Achievement, in 2012, Nielsen Awards, Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award, in 2020 and Theakston's Old Peculier, Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction, in 2021.

Rankin's books have also won multiple awards, Black and Blue won the Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award, in 1997. Resurrection Men won the Edgar Award, Best Mystery Novel, in 2004. Fleshmarket Alley / Fleshmarket Close won the British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year, in 2005. The Naming of the Dead won the British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year, in 2007. Exit Music won the Crime Thriller Awards, Author of the Year, in 2008. The Dark Remains won the British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year, in 2022.

The following novels by Ian Rankin were also nominated for these awards:

• A Deep Hole: Anthony Award, Best Short Story (1995).
• Black and Blue: Edgar Award, Best Mystery Novel (1998).
• The Hanging Garden: Barry Award, Best Novel (1999).
• Dead Souls: Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award (1999).
• The Falls: Barry Award, Best British Crime Novel (2002).
• A Question of Blood: Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Best Mystery/Thriller (2004). Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year (2005). Gumshoe Award, Best European Crime Novel (2005).
• Fleshmarket Alley / Fleshmarket Close: Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year (2006).
• Exit Music: British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (2008). Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year (2009).
• Doors Open: Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year (2010).
• The Impossible Dead: British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (2011).
• Standing in Another Man's Grave: Barry Award, Best Novel (2014). Macavity Award, Best Mystery Novel (2014). Edgar Award, Best Mystery Novel (2014).
• FaceOff: Anthony Award, Best Anthology / Collection (2015).
• Rather Be the Devil: The Dead Good Reader Award, The Case Closed Award for Best Police Procedural (2017).
• In a House of Lies: British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (2019).
• A Song for the Dark Times: British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (2021).
• A Heart Full of Headstones: Macavity Award, Best Mystery Novel (2023).
• The Rise: Edgar Award, Best Short Story (2024).

Related Authors

The most common authors followed by users who also follow Ian Rankin are:

1. Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch Series.
2. David Baldacci, author of the Amos Decker Series.
3. Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher Series.
4. Louise Penny, author of the Inspector Gamache Series.
5. John Grisham, author of the Jake Brigance Series.

Ian Rankin: F.A.Q

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Dave W.

2 years ago

Absolutely love Ian Rankin. The Inspector Rebus series is phenomenal. I hope a new one comes out soon!

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Austin D.

2 years ago

I recently discovered Rankin’s Rebus novels, and it’s always a treat to find a new author to binge read. You get pulled in quickly and your attention never strays. The descriptions are vivid and pop right off the page, allowing you to see everything, but what’s not possible is to see Ian’s twists coming.

It’s great to see this character continue to come out of retirement, and Ken Story does a great job playing Rebus, as does Claire Price who plays Siobhan. John Rebus is a character you invest in and root for to catch the killer and solve the case.

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Michael K.

2 years ago

People love Rankin’s Rebus books, and for a good reason. The setting is incredibly dark and seedy. Rankin’s ability to juggle multiple plots and characters is unrivaled. The character development is impressive. Rebus is the star. But he is hardly the only interesting player in Rankin’s stories.

The author deserves all the praise he gets. But people rarely mention the size of his books. This is the one area they tend to neglect. Rankin’s novels are small, and yet they pack a punch.

He does more in 350 pages than some authors do in a thousand pages. It highlights his genius as a storyteller.

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