If you like Ian Rankin, you'll also like...

[BabCNesbitt]

DFIL has been devouring all of Ian Rankin's Rebus books this year, and I wanted to find another British (ideally Scottish) author that he might get into in the same way. I know nothing about crime fiction, but hoped to get more interesting recommendations than Amazon can provide! He's also enjoyed Dorothy L Sayers in the past, I think. Thanks!

He might like Stuart Macbride -set in Aberdeen, and if you know Aberdeen you will laugh a lot at some of the characterisation - but it is quite grim and violent, and sweary - so depends what he likes.

One of my recent favourite crime/thrillers set in Scotland is Peter May's Lewis trilogy - this is a really good, very well written series and very evocative of place. I would thoroughly recommend it. First one is called The Black House (I think - best check on Amazon to be sure)

He might also like the Ann Cleeves series set in Shetland (she wrote the Vera books that are a TV series now) these feature a Shetland detective, there are four of them in the series and they probably should be read in order.

He might enjoy the Henning Mankell Wallender books - lots in the series - they are Scandi not Scottish but a similar sort of noiry bleakness about them if he goes for that.

If he likes D L Sayers, I'd say the most similar modern author is maybe P D James - a rather intellectual detective in Adam Dalgliesh, - but he may have already read some of hers she's been around a long time.
But if he enjoys the old fashioned gentleman amateur detective/whodunnit type classic crime stuff - then Edmund Crispin is good, as is Cyril Hare and Nicholas Blake (this was the crime writing pseudonym of Cecil day Lewis)
They are all classic puzzle type whodunnits and well written. I think Penguin have brought out a collection of classic crime novels which have a lot of these good older authors in them.

Quintin Jardine's SKinner series are al lset in Edinburgh - the earlier ones are the best.

Alex Gray - Lorrimer books all set in Glasgow, again the earlier ones are best.

Susan Hill's Serralier series is another one to try.

the lewis man and it's squels are gripping

Ann Cleeves esp shetland ones

Brilliant, thanks for the recommendations! The Ann Cleeves ones sound like a good bet - will have a look for them.

Ive enjoyed these books and not just because Im from Dundee.

www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Watcher-Dundee-Crime-Series-ebook/dp/B004RCWYQK

Denise Mina, Glasgow's answer to Rankin.

I came on to recommend some - KurriKurri got in first!
One other to look at is James Oswald - the Inspector Maclean series - 5 so far I think :)

Another rec for the Peter May books, they are brilliant.

Has your FIL read The Complaints by Ian Rankin too? Not a Rebus book, although he does cross the characters over in later books.

Oh, I don't know about that one, and I can't really ask at this time of year without raising suspicions!

I loved Denise Mina's Garnethill Trilogy - that's another one to consider.

again for suggestions! Will have a look at all mentioned

I second the Skinner series

If he would like a slight change the Inspector McLevy series by David Ashton - set in Victorian Leith. Based on a real man, the inspectors sidekick is a constable called Martin Mulholland who carries a hornbeam cudgel. McLevys catchphrase is "Mulholland hae ye yer stick aboot ye"; "Aye sir"; "Then lay aboot ye ma laddie". Its also an excellent BBC Radio 4 series.

Another shout for Denise Mina here. Her books deal with the motivation for a crime and the effects of the crime, both personally and socially, rather than simply whodunit.

Second the PP above about the Wallander novels being a good fit for Rankin fans.

I love Rankin and the Malcolm Fox books (as in the Complaints) are really good too. Can't wait for the next Rebus (it comes out in the US in January). Also another vote for Denise Mina and Ann Cleeves.

There is a series of detective novels by A. D. Scott that I have enjoyed. The first in the series is A Small Death in the Great Glen. The books are set in and around Inverness (never identified by name but clearly Inverness) in the 1950s and the sleuth is a young woman who works for a newspaper.

I've just read the two latest Rebus books Standing in Another Mans Grave and Even Dogs in the Wild and both are excellent.

Val McDermid

Rankin's Twitter account us pretty active, could always check there for some ideas @BeathHigh

Christopher Brookmyre - loads of great books set in Scotland, with an element of crime in them - my favourite holiday reading.

YYY to Denise Mina - she's brilliant.

You might try checking out David Lawrence. He's not Scottish but he writes great 'tec fiction which is just very classily-done. He's a poet in his other life (David Harsent is his real name) so all his books are a cut above, I think. But they're also great reads.

I also rather like the Resnick books by John Harvey. Resnick's a bit like Rebus, is into music (jazz in this case) and is similarly dysfunctional in many ways! Set in Nottingham iirc - it's been a while since I read them, but there are a good few books, which is handy when you feel like getting stuck in to a series.

Try The Missing Shade of Blue by Jenni Erdal. Very like Rankin and set in Edinburgh.

Thanks for starting this thread - I've added Peter May to my "to read" list!