Black and Blue

"lan Rankin's Scottish police procedurals are so gritty you have to pick the shards out of your teeth when you finish one, and Black and Blue is as flinty as they come." —The New York Times Book Review

"Rankin is a master storyteller, and his Rebus novels are a national treasure." —The Guardian

Bible John killed three women, and took three souvenirs. Johnny Bible killed to steal his namesake's glory. Oilman Allan Mitchelson died for his principles. And convict Lenny Spaven died just to prove a point. "Bible John" terrorized Glasgow in the sixties and seventies, murdering three women he met in a local ballroom—and he was never caught. Now a copycat is at work. Nicknamed "Bible Johnny" by the media, he is a new menace with violent ambitions.

The Bible Johnny case would be perfect for Inspector John Rebus, but after a run-in with a crooked senior officer, he's been shunted aside to one of Edinburgh's toughest suburbs, where he investigates the murder of an off-duty oilman. His investigation takes him north to the oil rigs of Aberdeen, where he meets the Bible Johnny media circus head-on. Suddenly caught in the glare of the television cameras and in the middle of more than one investigation, Rebus must proceed with caution: One mistake could mean an unpleasant and not particularly speedy death, or, worse still, losing his job.

Written with Ian Rankin's signature wit, style and intricacy, Black and Blue is a novel of uncommon and unforgettable intrigue.

Praise for Ian Rankin, Black and Blue, and the John Rebus novels

"Ian Rankin is a genius." ―Lee Child

"Ian Rankin is a novelist of great scope, depth and power and Black and Blue is a dark, intensely evocative and altogether riveting thriller." ―Jonathan Kellerman

"Rankin excels himself here as Rebus comes of age . . . a first-rate and gripping novel." ―Sunday Times

"Reading [lan Rankin] is like watching somebody juggle a dozen bottles of single malt without spilling a drop." —Kirkus

"John Rebus is one of the great creations in modern crime fiction." —The Daily Telegraph

"The Rebus books are a masterclass in plotting, character, and atmosphere." —The Scotsman