Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin

Tooth & Nail by Ian Rankin
Mystery

Book number 3 in the Rebus series sees Rebus getting requested by the London squad to help solve the Wolfman serial killer case. Wolfman has been attacking female victims at night, slashing their throat and leaving bite marks on their stomach. The London police have no more leads and can't figure out what to do next. After researching serial killers and seeing that Rebus has experience, George Flight requests to bring him down from Scotland. Rebus doesn't fit in and his accent is too thick for some to understand. He feels like a fish out of water. But that doesn't stop him from doing his job and finding who is behind the Wolfman murders.

I didn't find this book so much about finding a killer as it was about Rebus trying to fit in in London. Of course, he doesn't do a very good job, however the London "copper" George Flight is an excellent balance to Rebus' slightly wild style. I really enjoyed Flight as a character and would have loved to see him partnered up with Rebus back up in Scotland.

The love stories in these types of books are always a bit corny. I'm not sure why mystery authors feel that these characters need a constant love interest - one per book (Connelly has the same problem). It seems to make the whole story a little less credible.

Rankin always puts a forward in his Rebus books explaining how he came to write that novel. These always provide interesting insight into his thinking process and I really hope that the rest of his Rebus series continues to have these little letters to the reader.

Rating:

(3.5/5)