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Strip Jack
First edition
Author	Ian Rankin
Country	Scotland
Language	English
Genre	Detective fiction
Publisher	Orion Books
Publication date	1992
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 by Ian Rankin. It is the fourth of the Inspector Rebus novels.

The title refers to the popular card game "Strip Jack Naked".

Plot summary

A police raid on an Edinburgh brothel captures (seemingly by accident) popular young local MP 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 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.

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
Short story collections	A Good Hanging and Other Stories The Beat Goes On
Characters	John Rebus
Television	Rebus "A Question of Blood" "Strip Jack" "Let It Bleed" "Resurrection Men" "The First Stone" "The Naming of the Dead" "Knots and Crosses"
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)
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