London has become a ‘two-tier’ city for ‘the wealthy and cosseted’, says Ian Rankin

A homeless person sits on the pavement outside Westminster Station in London AFP/GettyStewart Carr, News Editor1 minute ago COMMENTSNews Briefings

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Bestselling crime writer Ian Rankin has branded London a “hollowed-out” city increasingly divided between the ultra-rich and the workers who support their lifestyles.

The creator of detective John Rebus said empty luxury flats, supercars and seasonal residents had transformed parts of the capital into a place that felt disconnected from ordinary Londoners.

The 66-year-old author said the contrast was stark between wealthy homeowners occupying multimillion-pound properties and the cleaners, security guards and chauffeurs who keep the city running.

Rankin’s views helped shape the setting of his new thriller, The Heights, which is centred on an exclusive residential tower overlooking Hyde Park.

The novel opens with the murder of a concierge in the building’s lobby, forcing detective sergeant Gillian Gish to investigate a close-knit community of wealthy residents.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the story, Rankin said he became fascinated by London’s luxury property market after reading about oligarchs and foreign billionaires with homes in the capital.

He told the Daily Star: “I’d been reading up on all these oligarchs and these strange goings-on in London.

“People with gold-plated Lamborghinis driving up and down outside Harrods, sheikhs who would hang out in west London in the summer because it was too hot in their own country and stay in these palatial apartment buildings that they only used a few weeks of the year.”

Rankin said the idea crystallised during a late-night taxi journey past one of the developments.

“One night I happened to go past one in a taxi and could see it was completely in darkness, apart from the ground floor where the concierge was sitting behind the desk looking bored,” he said.

“That tells us so much about what London has become, a hollowed-out capital, there for the wealthy, the cosseted.

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“And then there’s this other London that basically services that; the night watchmen, the cleaners, the chauffeurs and everybody else.”

The Heights marks Rankin’s first standalone novel in 20 years. The project was initially conceived as a film before being reworked into a full-length book.

The release comes ahead of a significant milestone for the author, whose globally successful Rebus series celebrates its 40th anniversary next year. More than 35 million copies of the Edinburgh-set novels have been sold worldwide.

He said court documents disclosed during the case appeared to show pirated versions of more than 20 of his works had been obtained by the company.