Hide and Seek (Rankin novel)

Hide and Seek (Rankin novel) is a 1991 crime novel by Scottish author Ian Rankin that continues the investigations of Inspector Rebus, a recurring figure in contemporary Scottish literature and crime fiction. Set chiefly in Edinburgh, the novel interweaves local institutions such as Calton Hill, Leith, and Princes Street with broader references to the Royal Navy, National Health Service (United Kingdom), and the cultural milieu of late‑20th‑century United Kingdom. The book occupies a place within Rankin’s Rebus sequence alongside titles like Inspector Rebus novels and reflects influences from writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Georges Simenon, and Dashiell Hammett.

Plot

The narrative follows Inspector Rebus as he probes a series of violent incidents tied to a missing boy and a dead vagrant found near Holyrood Park close to the Scottish Parliament precinct. Rebus’s inquiries lead him through Leith Walk, into institutions like Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, and toward figures connected to the Royal Navy and the shadowy networks implicated in drug distribution around Portobello Beach. Along the way, Rebus encounters contemporaries from Lothian and Borders Police and navigates tensions with superiors influenced by policies associated with the Conservative Party (UK) and local councilors from the City of Edinburgh Council. The plot threads involve a trafficker linked to docks at Leith Docks, a journalist with ties to The Scotsman, and an underclass shaped by places such as Gorgie and Stockbridge. Clues shuttle between domestic spaces near Morningside and international touchstones like Rotterdam freight routes, culminating in confrontations on Calton Hill and revelations about corruption tied to retirees who served in conflicts like the Falklands War.

Characters

The principal protagonist is Inspector Rebus, a detective whose background includes service connections and a taste for classical references to writers like William Shakespeare and Robert Burns. Assisting him are colleagues from Lothian and Borders Police, including Sergeant Siobhan Clarke‑type figures and superiors modeled on typical offices in New Town, Edinburgh. Antagonists and suspects range from petty criminals in Gorgie to an instigator with naval experience recalling deployments to Gibraltar and associations with veterans of Operation Corporate linked to the Falklands Campaign. Supporting characters include a local reporter employed by papers like The Scotsman and broadcasters from outlets such as BBC Scotland, a social worker associated with agencies echoing the National Health Service (United Kingdom), and victims drawn from neighborhoods including Leith and Portobello. Rankin populates the story with figures evocative of literary precedents—investigators shaped by Inspector Morse‑style sobriety and antiheroes akin to characters in novels by Raymond Chandler.

Themes and style

Rankin explores themes of urban decline between sites like Leith Docks and Princes Street, the personal cost of policing as seen in Rebus’s solitary habits referencing Whisky and classical music such as pieces by Ludwig van Beethoven, and the lingering effects of 20th‑century conflicts from the Falklands War to Cold War naval posturing. The prose reflects influences from police procedural traditions and the gritty realism of noir fiction, with terse dialogue reminiscent of Dashiell Hammett and methodical scene construction similar to Georges Simenon. Rankin employs intertextual nods to Scottish cultural figures like Robert Burns and to literary forerunners such as Arthur Conan Doyle while integrating contemporary institutions like The Scotsman and BBC Scotland to anchor the narrative in recognizable civic life. Class divisions between areas like Morningside and Gorgie underscore social commentary found in works by James Kelman and Irvine Welsh.

Background and publication

Rankin wrote the novel amid a prolific period following titles such as Knots and Crosses and Hide and Seek was published by Barrie & Jenkins in 1991 with subsequent editions from Polygon Books and other imprints. The book emerged as Edinburgh was undergoing cultural shifts tied to debates over the location of the Scottish Parliament and renewed interest in Scottish identity exemplified by movements associated with the Scottish devolution referendum, 1997. Rankin’s depiction of urban spaces draws on concrete sites like Calton Hill and Princes Street Gardens and on his engagement with contemporary media including The Herald (Glasgow) and The Scotsman. The novel benefited from Rankin’s immersion in the city’s literary circuits, connecting him with figures tied to institutions such as the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Reception and legacy

Critical response recognized the novel’s contribution to the Inspector Rebus corpus, noting Rankin’s acute sense of place and procedural detail that aligns with traditions established by Arthur Conan Doyle and Raymond Chandler. Reviews in outlets like The Scotsman and broader UK press compared Rankin’s urban realism to contemporaries such as Irvine Welsh and praised the book’s atmospheric use of Edinburgh locations including Leith and Holyrood Park. The novel helped cement Rankin’s reputation leading to adaptations and wider interest that eventually associated Rebus with television adaptations on networks comparable to BBC One and STV. Academics studying Scottish literature and crime fiction cite the book as part of Rankin’s development into a major figure alongside authors like Val McDermid and Lloyd Shepherd. Over time, Hide and Seek influenced media portrayals of policing in Scottish narratives and contributed to the global surge of interest in regional crime series exemplified by franchises such as Nordic noir.

Category:1991 novels Category:Novels set in Edinburgh Category:Inspector Rebus novels