This is a collection of the first three Rebus novels as written by Ian Rankin. The series is now past 15 books in total.
In truth these are maybe the worst Rebus novels but they serve as a useful introduction to John Rebus. They also go to show how a writer gets better over time.
Book 1 "Knots and Crosses" follows Rebus as he tries to catch a serial killer. The storyline is very simple and the text is also simple compared to Rankin's later novels. Nevertheless it is a useful introduction to the character Rebus.
Book 2 "Hide and Seek" is in the more accomplished style of the other Rebus novels. This time a drug death looks suspicious to Rebus and this leads him onto an investigation that leads to him uncovering illegal fighting. This novel is more in line with the other Rebus novels in the way that the thought processes of the characters are very detailed and the chapters are split simply by day. Also the fictitious places in Edinburgh as used in Novel 1 have disappeared to be replaced by real-life locations.
Book 3 "Tooth and Nail" seems a strange Rebus novel simply because it is set in London and not Edinburgh. Rebus is invited down from Scotland to help with a serial murder case. He is termed as an expert because of his exploits in book 1 (Note: all the books stand-alone but there are some small mentions to the previous books). This is the most accomplished book of the three and explores more the thought processes of the characters and includes more jokes that are a big part of the Rebus novels.
All together the books link together well. For example they all have a pattern in their titles (although Tooth and Nail was originally called "Wolfman" as the author writes in the useful introduction to each novel). And they serve a purpose in introducing the Rebus novels which I am sure you will all love.
(This book is available here)
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