# Strip Jack > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Strip_Jack > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Strip_Jack.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strip_Jack > Source revision: 1332161479 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1992 crime novel by Ian Rankin For the episode of the television series *Rebus*, see [Strip Jack (Rebus)](/source/Strip_Jack_(Rebus)). Strip Jack First edition Author Ian Rankin Language English Genre Detective fiction Publisher Orion Books Publication date 1992 Publication place Scotland Media type Print Pages 304 pages ISBN 1-85797-016-0 OCLC 60794519 Preceded by Tooth and Nail Followed by The Black Book ***Strip Jack*** is a 1992 [crime novel](/source/Crime_novel) by [Ian Rankin](/source/Ian_Rankin).[1] It is the fourth of the [Inspector Rebus](/source/Inspector_Rebus) novels. It also exists as an audiobook, narrated by James MacPherson. The title refers to the popular card game "[Strip Jack Naked](/source/Beggar-My-Neighbour)".[2] ## Plot A police raid on an [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh) brothel captures (seemingly by accident) popular young local [MP](/source/British_House_of_Commons) Gregor Jack. When Jack's fiery wife Elizabeth disappears, and two bodies are found, suspicion falls on a famous local actor Rab Kinnoul. [Detective Inspector John Rebus](/source/Detective_Inspector_John_Rebus) is sympathetic to the MP's problems, and interviews a member of the Jacks' social circle, Andrew MacMillan, who is locked up in a psychiatric hospital after murdering his wife many years before. It becomes increasingly evident that somebody has 'set up' Jack, with the intention of stripping him of his good name, political standing and maybe even his life. ## Connections to other Rankin books - Recurring characters Patience Atkin and police administrator Frank Lauderdale make their debut; Lauderdale is presented as someone who's been around for a while 'off-screen', and Patience is already in a faltering relationship with Rebus when the book starts. - Rebus' old romance with DI Gill Templer in *Knots and Crosses* is a partial reason for his problems connecting with Patience Atkin. ## Writing *Strip Jack* In the foreword to *Rebus: The St Leonard Years*, Rankin says that with this book, he decided to move Rebus out of a "fictional" Edinburgh and more into the real one. The book has a background subplot of the (fictional) Greater London Road police station about to be closed down and staff moved to (real) stations like St Leonards.[3] ## Reception The book was well-received: *[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)* gave it a starred review, comparing Rebus to [Colin Dexter](/source/Colin_Dexter)'s [Inspector Morse](/source/Inspector_Morse), and praising the level of detail and the author's depiction of a "living, breathing world".[4] *[Kirkus Reviews](/source/Kirkus_Reviews)* praised the novel's "offbeat characters" and the "eccentric but appealing narrative style."[5] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Binyon, TJ (1 October 1992). ["Crime Round up"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/725382418/?terms=%22Strip%20Jack%22&match=1). *[Evening Standard](/source/Evening_Standard)*. p. 46. Retrieved 22 February 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["SCOTS - Interview 09: Ian Rankin on Rebus"](https://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1383). *www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk*. Retrieved 11 April 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Martin, Andy (7 December 2016). ["How giving up a PhD was the making of Ian Rankin's crime writing novel career"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/how-giving-up-a-phd-was-the-making-of-ian-rankin-s-crime-writing-novel-career-a7458511.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Strip Jack: An Inspector Rebus Novel by Ian Rankin"](https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780312105532). *www.publishersweekly.com*. 11 April 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [*STRIP JACK | Kirkus Reviews*](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ian-rankin/strip-jack/). v t e Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series Novels Knots and Crosses Hide and Seek Tooth and Nail Strip Jack The Black Book Mortal Causes Let it Bleed Black & Blue The Hanging Garden Dead Souls Set in Darkness The Falls Resurrection Men A Question of Blood Fleshmarket Close The Naming of the Dead Exit Music Standing in Another Man's Grave Saints of the Shadow Bible Even Dogs in the Wild Rather Be the Devil In a House of Lies A Song for the Dark Times A Heart Full of Headstones Midnight and Blue Short story collections A Good Hanging and Other Stories The Beat Goes On Characters John Rebus Television Rebus (2000–07) "Strip Jack" "Resurrection Men" "The First Stone" "The Naming of the Dead" Rebus (2024–present) Stage Long Shadows v t e Works by Ian Rankin Novels The Flood (1986) Knots and Crosses (1987) Watchman (1988) Westwind (1990) Hide and Seek (1991) Tooth and Nail (1992) Strip Jack (1992) The Black Book (1993) Witch Hunt (1993) Mortal Causes (1994) Bleeding Hearts (1994) Let It Bleed (1995) Blood Hunt (1995) Black & Blue (1997) The Hanging Garden (1998) Dead Souls (1999) Set in Darkness (2000) The Falls (2001) Resurrection Men (2002) A Question of Blood (2003) Fleshmarket Close (2004) The Naming of the Dead (2006) Exit Music (2007) Doors Open (2008) A Cool Head (2009, Quick Reads) The Complaints (2009) The Impossible Dead (2011) Standing in Another Man's Grave (2012) Saints of the Shadow Bible (2013) Even Dogs in the Wild (2015) Rather Be the Devil (2016) In a House of Lies (2018) A Song for the Dark Times (2020) The Dark Remains (2021; with William McIlvanney) A Heart Full of Headstones (2022) Midnight and Blue (2024) Short story collections A Good Hanging and Other Stories (1992) Beggars Banquet (2002) The Beat Goes On (2014) Plays Dark Road (2013) Long Shadows (2018) Short stories Death is Not the End (1998) Related articles Inspector Rebus Authority control databases MusicBrainz work Open Library This article about a crime novel of the 1990s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:1990s-crime-novel-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3A1990s-crime-novel-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:1990s-crime-novel-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Strip Jack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strip_Jack) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strip_Jack?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.