THE LITTLE CITY FIVE: Ian Rankin

Little City Five: Ian Rankin
 
1. You've compared your Detective Rebus to maverick American PIs — who is your favorite American PI in a book? On t.v.?
My favourite PI in books would be Matt Scudder. Lawrence Block was one of the first US crime writers I read and I loved the Scudder series from first word to last. On TV, I'd maybe say Jim Rockford. Laconic, decent, played to perfection.

2. If this is the last Rebus, really, can you picture what the years ahead might be like for him? Will the girlfriend stick, will he appreciate his dog, what kind of old man would we observe drinking in his pub? 
I don't have even a dim vision of Rebus's twilight years. I'd say there's still the chance he'll go out with a bang. I'm not writing a Rebus novel this year but I think I might in 2018...

3. What brand of whiskey should we have on hand for you and our guests?
Whisky/whiskey: if Scottish, a nice malt like Highland Park; if local, maybe Jack or Jim Beam.

4. Please name three favorite books: one from childhood, one from teenage years, and one from adulthood.
Childhood: it wasn't books so much for me as American comics - Batman, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four...
Teen: A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I was obsessed with that short, clever, violent book.
Adult: Bleak House by Charles Dickens. A great novel of society and secrets.

5. What comes to mind when you hear the word Hoboken?
Hoboken: for me, it's all about Sinatra...