Tooth and Nail

By: Ian Rankin

Narrated by: Samuel Gillies

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

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

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.

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.

Enjoyable Listen

I've read books by Rankin before and enjoyed them. This one did not disappoint me either. Just the right mix of amusing and serious story lines. I also enjoyed the narrator. I'm no expert on accents, but i thought he provided a perfect voice for Rebus. I'll definitely download more of the series. For reference, other authors I've enjoyed recently on audio include John Sandford and Daniel Silva. (If you've read those authors too, you can tell if we have similar tastes.)

Rebus in London

Ian Rankin is brilliant! The quality of the writing in this series makes Rebus a set of must-read books.

Rebus out of his element in London is funny at times and seriously somber at others. We get to see Sammy as a 16 year old with the troubles that alone can bring. Rebus angers his London co-workers (what a surprise!) but figures out the killer with a most interesting chase.

I enjoyed Samuel Gillies' narration a lot. Good job!

Now I'm off to download the next audiobook.

Narrator should be next victim.

Would you try another book from Ian Rankin and/or Samuel Gillies?

Ian Rankin yes, Samuel Gilliess NO

If you’ve listened to books by Ian Rankin before, how does this one compare?

Hard to get by the narrators cheesy Standard Broadcast English accent. For the record I was born in Scotland. His Scots dialect is,not too bad but when he switches to an English dialect....Oh go away Mr. Gillies

Would you be willing to try another one of Samuel Gillies’s performances?

NO

Was Tooth and Nail worth the listening time?

not up to Rankin's other books in this series. BUT I would listen again WITHOUT Mr Gillies

another great story in the series

I love the change of pace....we move to a different setting totally and how totally different the perception of London is from Scotland and I'm sure it's just not perception. It's an interesting story that the author had with plenty of twists and turns. it's a reminder as we get older if it's too good to be true it's not true. I loved to get to know the characters daughter a little. The performance is good and I always try to remember how hard it is to differentiate all the characters let alone all the accents of all the characters.

Characters missing differentiation

Very good story. I liked how it was laid out and how it evolved. It’s too bad this narrator does not feel the need to give even the slightest change in entonación between the characters. Even between male, female, young or old