伊恩·蘭金，被譽為蘇格蘭黑色之王，當代最優秀的偵探小說傢之一。

讓人驚奇的不隻是他踏入文壇的年齡，更特彆的是，蘭金在如此年輕的時候，卻創造瞭一位四十一歲、離婚、酗酒而且煙癮極大的雷布思警探，並把故事背景設定在復雜的警察世界之中，如果沒有足夠的文字功力，肯定無法在競爭激烈的英國大眾文壇脫穎而齣。這本兼具驚悚與懸疑氣氛的警探小說深入描寫瞭人類心理層次的黑暗麵，加上鮮活的人物個性與深入貼近社會的敘事角度，引起瞭讀者的巨大迴響，也鼓舞蘭金繼續寫下去，一寫就是二十幾個年頭。迄今為止，他的十七本係列作品被翻譯成三十一國文字齣版，蘭金也早已成為英國當代最重要的作傢之一。

蘭金在英國文壇的成就極高，曾獲得聲望卓著的錢德勒－富布賴特推理文學奬。他曾經四度獲選英國犯罪小說作傢協會匕首奬，其中《黑與藍》（Black and Blue）榮獲一九九七年英國犯罪小說作傢協會金匕首奬，同時獲得美國推理小說作傢協會愛倫坡奬提名。一九九九年，《死靈魂》（Dead Souls）再獲金匕首奬提名；二〇〇四年，《掘墓盜屍人》（Resurrection Men）奪得愛倫坡奬最佳小說奬；二〇〇五、二〇〇六年連續兩年贏得英國國傢圖書奬年度犯罪驚悚小說奬。

二〇〇二年，蘭金因其文學貢獻獲得大英帝國勛章；二〇〇五年獲得英國犯罪小說作傢協會頒予代錶終身成就的鑽石匕首奬，成為史上最年輕的鑽石匕首奬得主；同年，蘭金再獲法國推理小說大奬、德國犯罪電影奬與蘇格蘭傑齣人物奬，並於一九九九至二〇〇五年間獲得四所大學的榮譽博士學位。

蘭金目前與妻子跟兩個兒子住在愛丁堡，與著名作傢J. K.羅琳比鄰而居。在完成“哈利·波特”係列之後，J.K.羅琳開始創作偵探小說，而蘭金為她的創作提供瞭諸多幫助，被羅琳稱作偵探小說創作上的領路人。

Bible John killed three women, and took three souvenirs. Johnny Bible killed to steal his namesake's glory. Oilman Allan Mitchelson died for his principles. And convict Lenny Spaven died just to prove a point. "Bible John" terrorized Glasgow in the sixties and seventies, murdering three women he met in a local ballroom--and he was never caught. Now a copycat is at work. Nicknamed "Bible Johnny" by the media, he is a new menace with violent ambitions. The Bible Johnny case would be perfect for Inspector John Rebus, but after a run-in with a crooked senior officer, he's been shunted aside to one of Edinburgh's toughest suburbs, where he investigates the murder of an off-duty oilman. His investigation takes him north to the oil rigs of Aberdeen, where he meets the Bible Johnny media circus head-on. Suddenly caught in the glare of the television cameras and in the middle of more than one investigation, Rebus must proceed wiht caution: One mistake could mean an unpleasant and not particularly speedy death, or, worse still, losing his job. Written with Ian Rankin's signature wit, style and intricacy, Black and Blue is a novel of uncommon and unforgettable intrigue.