Ian Rankin Books in Order

Sir Ian Rankin is a Scottish crime fiction author, one of the main contributors to the tartan noir, and the creator of the Inspector John Rebus series. His Rebus novels have sold over 35 million copies and have been translated into 36 languages. He has won the CWA Gold Dagger, the Edgar Award, and the CWA Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement, and was knighted in 2023.

This page lists all Ian Rankin books in order, including the Inspector Rebus series, the Malcolm Fox series, standalone novels, short fiction, the thrillers written as Jack Harvey, and the graphic novel Dark Entries.

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Inspector Rebus Series (Books in Order)

The Inspector Rebus series follows Edinburgh detective John Rebus, a former SAS soldier and a loner who solves murders while frequently butting heads with his superiors. The series is set in Edinburgh and covers several decades of Rebus’s career, including a post-retirement return. The eighth novel, Black and Blue, became Rankin’s first international bestseller and won the CWA Gold Dagger; it remains the series entry most frequently recommended to new readers. Fox and Clarke, recurring colleagues, become more important in the later books.

Reading Order

  1. Knots & Crosses, 1987
  2. Hide And Seek, 1990
  3. Tooth And Nail, 1992
  4. Strip Jack, 1992
  5. The Black Book, 1993
  6. Mortal Causes, 1994
  7. Let It Bleed, 1995
  8. Black And Blue, 1997
  9. The Hanging Garden, 1998
  10. Dead Souls, 1999
  11. Death Is Not the End, 1998
  12. Set In Darkness, 2000
  13. The Falls, 2001
  14. Resurrection Men, 2002
  15. Beggar’s Banquet, 1998
  16. A Question of Blood, 2003
  17. Fleshmarket Close, 2004
  18. The Naming of the Dead, 2006
  19. Exit Music, 2007
  20. Standing in Another Man’s Grave, 2012
  21. Saints of the Shadow Bible, 2013
  22. In the Nick of Time: John Rebus vs. Roy Grace, 2014
  23. Even Dogs in the Wild, 2015
  24. Rather Be the Devil, 2017
  25. Long Shadows, 2018 (play)
  26. In a House of Lies, 2018
  27. A Song For The Dark Times, 2020
  28. A Heart Full of Headstones, 2022
  29. A Game Called Malice, 2023 (play with Simon Reade)
  30. Midnight and Blue, 2024

Malcolm Fox Series (Books in Order

The Malcolm Fox series follows Detective Inspector Malcolm Fox, who works in the Complaints department of the Edinburgh police, the unit that investigates other officers. Unlike Rebus, Fox plays by the rules, doesn’t drink, and works well with others. As a result, the initial two solo Fox novels have a noticeably different feel from the next two novels, as from Standing in Another Man’s Grave onwards, Fox moves into the Rebus series as a recurring character.

Reading Order

  1. The Complaints, 2009
  2. The Impossible Dead, 2011
  3. Standing In Another Man’s Grave, 2012
  4. Saints Of The Shadow Bible, 2013

Other Series Contributions

Collaborations

Standalone Novels

Novellas & Short Stories

Short Story Collections and Anthologies

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Stage Plays

Graphic Novels

Non-Fiction Books

Writing as Jack Harvey

Ian Rankin Biography

Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin is a Scottish crime fiction author whose work includes the long-running Inspector Rebus series and the Malcolm Fox series. His Rebus books have sold over 35 million copies, and he has published 30+ books since his 1986 debut, The Flood.
Official website: ianrankin.net

Born in 1960 in Cardenden, Fife in Scotland, James Ian Rankin was the first to attend university, studying English literature at the University of Edinburgh, from where he graduated in 1982. He spent three years working toward a PhD in Scottish literature before abandoning it to write novels.

Before becoming a full-time writer, he held a variety of jobs, including being a taxman, journalist, alcohol researcher, grape picker, college secretary, as well as a punk musician in a band called the Dancing Pigs. In addition, he was also a university professor.

Ian Rankin published his first novel, The Flood, in 1986, followed by Knots & Crosses, in 1987. These books introduced Detective Inspector John Rebus, which would become his main series and be a major contributor to the Scottish Tartan Noir genre. The series established him as one of the main authors in contemporary Scottish crime fiction.

Besides the Rebus books, Ian Rankin has also written the Malcolm Fox series, featuring another Edinburgh detective, standalone novels, short stories, non-fiction works, stage plays, and a graphic novel. Between 1993 and 1995 he also published three thrillers under the pseudonym Jack Harvey. In 2021 he completed an unfinished manuscript by the late William McIlvanney, published under the title The Dark Remains.

He currently lives in Edinburgh and writes full-time.

Ian Rankin Book Adaptations

  • Inspector Rebus series – adapted into the television series Rebus (2000-2007)
  • Inspector Rebus series – adapted into the television series Rebus (2024)
  • Open Doors – adapted into the ITV television film Open Doors (2008)

Ian Rankin Awards and Honors

Major Awards

  • Black and Blue – CWA Gold Dagger (1997)
  • Resurrection Men – Edgar Award for Best Novel (2004)
  • Knighted for services to literature and charity (2023)
  • CWA Diamond Dagger (2005)
  • The Naming of the Dead – BCA Crime Thriller of the Year (2007)

Awards (Full List)

Show all awards +

  • Hawthornden Fellow (1988)
  • Chandler-Fulbright Award (1991)
  • A Deep Hole – CWA Short Story Dagger (1994)
  • Herbert in Motion – CWA Short Story Dagger (1996)
  • Black and Blue – CWA Gold Dagger (1997)
  • Palle Rosenkrantz Prize, Denmark (2000)
  • OBE for services to literature
  • Grand Prix du Roman Noir, France (2003)
  • Resurrection Men – Edgar Award for Best Novel (2004)
  • CWA Diamond Dagger (2005)
  • The Naming of the Dead – BCA Crime Thriller of the Year (2007)
  • Exit Music – CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award (2008)
  • Doors Open – CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award (2009)
  • British Book Award for Outstanding Achievement (2012)
  • Standing in Another Man’s Grave – CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award (2013)
  • Even Dogs in the Wild – RBA Prize for Crime Writing (2016)
  • In a House of Lies – Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers’ Award: Best Mystery and Best Crime Novel (2019)
  • A Song for the Dark Times – CrimeFest: eDunnit Award (2021)
  • Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award (2021)
  • The Dark Remains: Laidlaw’s First Case – British Book Award for Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (2022)
  • Knighted for services to literature and charity (2023)

Nominations and Shortlists

Show all nominations +

  • A Deep Hole – Anthony Award for Best Short Story (1995)
  • Black and Blue – Edgar Award for Best Novel (1998)
  • Dead Souls – CWA Gold Dagger (1999)
  • The Hanging Garden – Barry Award for Best Novel (1999)
  • The Falls – Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel (2002)
  • A Question of Blood – Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller (2004)
  • A Question of Blood – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2005)
  • Fleshmarket Close – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2006)
  • Exit Music – BCA Crime Thriller of the Year (2008)
  • Exit Music – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2009)
  • The Complaints – CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award (2010)
  • Doors Open – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2010)
  • The Impossible Dead – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2012)
  • Standing in Another Man’s Grave – McIlvanney Prize (2013)
  • Standing in Another Man’s Grave – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2014)
  • Standing in Another Man’s Grave – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2014)
  • Standing in Another Man’s Grave – Edgar Award for Best Novel (2014)
  • Standing in Another Man’s Grave – Barry Award for Best Novel (2014)
  • Saints of the Shadow Bible – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2015)
  • Saints of the Shadow Bible – Edgar Award for Best Novel (2015)
  • Even Dogs in the Wild – McIlvanney Prize (2016)
  • Even Dogs in the Wild – CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award (2016)
  • Rather Be the Devil – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2017)
  • Rather Be the Devil – McIlvanney Prize (2017)
  • Rather Be the Devil – CrimeFest: eDunnit Award (2017)
  • Even Dogs in the Wild – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2017)
  • In a House of Lies – McIlvanney Prize (2019)
  • In a House of Lies – CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award (2019)
  • In a House of Lies – British Book Award for Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (2019)
  • A Song for the Dark Times – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2021)
  • A Song for the Dark Times – CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award (2021)
  • A Song for the Dark Times – British Book Award for Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (2021)
  • A Heart Full of Headstones – McIlvanney Prize (2023)
  • A Heart Full of Headstones – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2023)
  • A Heart Full of Headstones – CrimeFest: eDunnit Award (2023)
  • The Rise – Edgar Award for Best Short Story (2024)
  • Midnight and Blue – McIlvanney Prize (2025)
  • Midnight and Blue – Barry Award for Best Novel (2025)

Edited by

Marika

Founder of Mystery Sequels, a reference site focused on listing mystery and thriller books in the correct reading order. I maintain and update the site’s bibliographies as new titles are released, ensuring accuracy and consistency across author and series pages.

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2 Comments

  1. Recently watched the tv programme MURDER ISLAND and had a go at trying to solve the mystery. I found it compelling viewing an a new slant on a murder mystery. I did enjoy watching the episodes and hope there will be more like this from this author. the plot could be expanded as the other threads were also very interesting and misleading. Although I did get some of the clues right, I did not get the right person who was ultimately arrested. more like this on TV please? just wonder if this tv would subsequently be a book.

  2. As a semi-huge James Patterson fan, I recently discovered the Vera series which led me to a new author to discover, Ann Cleaves, which led me here. Will see what our local little library has to offer for both authors. Love exploring other lands and peoples – I could wander forever. Thank you for what I’m about to explore!

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