Inspector Rebus vs Spenser
Two detective fiction series side by side, straight from the catalog data: Inspector Rebus is the longer series (26 books vs 21 books); Inspector Rebus is the more recent one, starting in 1987. There's no wrong answer — pick the shape that fits your reading appetite, and Shelfmark will keep your place in either (no account needed).
| Statistic | Inspector Rebus | Spenser |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Ian Rankin | Robert B. Parker |
| Books | 26 | 21 |
| Published | 1987–2022 | 1973–2012 |
| Books per year | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Start with | Knots and Crosses (1987) | The Godwulf Manuscript (1973) |
| Reading order | Full Inspector Rebus order → | Full Spenser order → |
Numbers come from the Shelfmark catalog (Wikidata + Open Library). "Books per year" is catalogued books divided by the publication span — a rough cadence, not a quality score.