Strip Jack

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

"Ian Rankin is a genius."—Lee Child

In The Falls, a brilliant addition to the bestselling, award-winning series, both John Rebus and his creator, Ian Rankin, are at the top of their intense and satisfying form.

Ian Rankin's John Rebus, arguably the most realistic detective in crime fiction, is a brilliant but troubled man. When a young woman goes missing near his native Edinburgh, Scotland, Rebus finds himself just one small cog in the huge wheel of an inquiry set in motion by her powerfully rich father. Struggling to deal with both his own often-terrifying inner demons as well as the monstrous bureaucracy of the investigative team, Rebus finds himself drawn again and again into the case, desperately searching for the girl's salvation, as well as his own.

In time Inspector Rebus uncovers two leads: one, a carved wooden doll stuffed tightly into a tiny casket, and the other the missing girl's possible involvement in a dark, disturbing Internet-based role-playing game. He enlists the help of the tech-savvy DC Siobhan Clarke, who is young enough to know her way around the net, but who may not be old and wise enough to avoid potentially deadly pitfalls and traps. Meanwhile, Rebus tracks down stories of similar caskets and dolls turning up in the area deep into Edinburgh's past, some stretching back to a time when body-snatchers turned into brutal killers.

As Rebus and Clarke delve deeper and deeper into these perilous and obscure worlds, ancient and modern evils begin to converge and soon Rebus finds he's besieged by an impenetrable mass of secrets, lies, and deadly deceit that only he can make sense of.

Praise for Ian Rankin and the Detective Rebus novels

"A beautifully written series." —New York Times Book Review

"Crime fiction at its best." —Washington Post Book World

"Ian Rankin is a novelist of great scope, depth, and power." —The New York Times

"A superior series of novels—addictive, brilliantly written, and altogether rewarding." —The Washington Post

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

"The Rebus series stands as one of the great achievements in modern mystery writing." — The Globe and Mail

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

"Ian Rankin's Edinburgh is a modern noir masterpiece of place, character, and atmosphere." —Los Angeles Times

"Rebus remains one of the most distinctive characters in crime fiction." —The Times Literary Supplement