Tooth and Nail

By: Ian Rankin

Narrated by: Samuel Gillies

John Rebus is on a train from Edinburgh to London, where he has been drafted for his expertise in the modus operandi of serial killers. The Wolfman could be his toughest case yet - a serial killer named by the press due to a terrifying trademark of taking a bite from each victim.

Rebus' Scotland Yard opposite number, George Flight, isn't too happy at yet another interference in the investigation - especially from an upstart jock hounding him at every turn. So when Rebus is offered a psychological profile of the murderer by an attractive lady psychologist, he is happy to accept. But in finding an ally, he may have given his enemies an easy means of attack.

©1992 Ian Rankin (P)2001 Recorded Books

Tooth and Nail

I enjoyed the characters and the writing. I read it in one sitting. I am not thrilled with the narrator.

Tooth and Nail

I enjoyed the underlying quirky humor. Intersting to learn about the Scottish view of Enland and vice versa. I felt the plot was okay, even though it was suspensful.

I keep trying to like Rebus

What did you like best about Tooth and Nail? What did you like least?

I really want to like Rebus novels because there are so many of them and I would love to discover an appealing series. I just don't like the character Rebus.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Replace the hero.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

One of his best

Great story with great humor and really good narration.Worth every minute. I read this one out of order and it still shines.

Worth it for Rebus's London

The best thing about "Tooth and Nail" is the chance to see London through John Rebus's bemused eyes. Rankin has fun skewering some of the sillier and more self-inflated aspects of the English capital circa 1990—and London attitudes toward their Scottish neighbors—but gives due props to the city's vitality and variety as well. The next best thing is Rebus's London colleague, Inspector George Flight, and his interaction with Rebus; but then in the early Rankin mysteries I've read so far Rebus's collegial relations are a lot more engaging than his love interests. As for the plot... well, I can't say I found the psychology of the serial killer here very convincing, and the killer's internal monologues are pretty excruciating to have to listen to, but Rankin does a nice job of throwing red herrings in the reader's path to figuring out who it is.

Narrator Samuel Gillies is English and does a fine job with the London characters, but his voicing is too plummy for my taste and he has to work too hard at Rebus's Edinburgh accent to make him entirely convincing.