How many Ian Rankin Rebus books are there?

We list them in the order they were published.

Ian Rankin’s first Rebus book, Knots & Crosses was published in 1987 and he’s been writing about the Edinburgh detective ever since. Several of the plots are worked into the new BBC series starring Outlander actor Richard Rankin, which sees a young Rebus fighting crime in contemporary Edinburgh.

Here’s the list in the order they were published.

Author, Ian Rankin has been writing the Rebus novels since 1987. Pic: John Devlin

KNOTS AND CROSSES 1987

HIDE AND SEEK 1991

TOOTH AND NAIL1992

STRIP JACK 1992

THE BLACK BOOK 1993

MORTAL CAUSES 1994

LET IT BLEED 1995

BLACK AND BLUE 1997

THE HANGING GARDEN 1998

DEAD SOULS 1999

SET IN DARKNESS 2000

THE FALLS 2001

RESURRECTION MEN 2001

A QUESTION OF BLOOD 2003

FLESHMARKET CLOSE 2004

THE NAMING OF THE DEAD 2006

EXIT MUSIC 2007

STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN'S GRAVE 2012

SAINTS OF THE SHADOW BIBLE 2013

EVEN DOGS IN THE WILD 2015

RATHER BE THE DEVIL 2016

IN A HOUSE OF LIES 2018

A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES 2020

A HEART FULL OF HEADSTONES 2022

And to be published in October, MIDNIGHT & BLUE, the 25th Rebus crime novel.

All episodes of Rebus will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am Friday 17 May, with the first episode airing on BBC Scotland at 10pm on Friday 17 May and 9.25pm, Saturday 18 May on BBC One.