Knots and Crosses

Ive always known I wanted to dip into Rebus, given Rankin's reputation amoungst his peers so felt it best to start form the beginning. Let's say this is obviously a first book that comes over as exactly that, a freshman first attempt that has the right direction but has a few too many tropes thrown in. It wont stop me though as so many comment on how the writing tightens up and gets so much better.