In the book Strip Jack, readers find out that John has only voted on three occasions for three different political parties. The character holds mostly apolitical views or perhaps they would be better described as apathetic political views. Taking into consideration his age and coming retirement it is not very likely that he will receive another promotion. He continues to hold this position throughout the series and turns down a promotion at least once. Sometime before the book Hide and Seek begins, he receives a promotion to Detective Inspector, which takes place about four years later. In the book Knots and Crosses, Rebus holds the position of Detective Sgt. The novels are set in real time so the readers will see Samantha grow from a little girl to an adult. Rhona and their daughter Samantha are frequently mentioned in the series. John did marry at one point but got divorced from his ex-wife Rhona sometime in the 80s. We can determine from his rough lifestyle that his clothing is usually rumpled and worn carelessly. In the book Knots and Crosses, Inspector Rebus is described to have brown hair and green eyes. Personal and Professional Lifeįor the most part, the author has allowed the readers imagination to determine what the physical appearance of his characters might be. It took quite a period of time for him to recover from the trauma. After John had lobbied from the Army, he took a position with Lothian and Borders Police. Unfortunately, it was this training that led to his resigning from the SAS and experiencing a nervous breakdown.

In fact, he was even chosen to receive further training to serve in a secretive elite program. After this, he put in his application for the Special Air Service and was selected. He spent some time in Northern Ireland and experienced the conflict known as The Troubles, a primarily political conflict in which more than 3500 people were killed. John left school when he was 15 years old and decided to join the Army instead of becoming a coal miner or working at Rosyth Dockyard. Although born and raised in Scotland, his grandfather had emigrated from Poland. Character BackgroundĪccording to the author, John Rebus is the son of a stage hypnotist and was born in 1947. As of this date, ten of these books have been adapted for television. The setting for the majority of these novels is mostly in and around Edinburgh.

The Inspector Rebus series of detective novels written by Scottish writer Ian Rankin features the main character known as Detective Inspector John Rebus.

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