The hanging garden

Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer and philanthropist, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Born in Fife, Rankin was the first of his family to attend university, and he worked in a number of different jobs before becoming a writer. Rankin's crime novels form a major contribution to the tartan noir genre, and have won numerous domestic and international awards. His Rebus books have sold over 35 million copies; the first entry, Knots and Crosses (1987) was named the eighth-best Scottish novel of all time in a 2016 poll.