"ðə dᵻvˈɪʒən ɔːɹ tˈɜːnɪŋpˈɔɪnt ɪn ɹˈæŋkɪnz kɚɹˈɪɹ kˈeɪm ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɛvən wɪððə pˌʌblɪkˈeɪʃən ʌv blˈæk ænd blˈuː," wˌɪtʃ ʃˈoʊd mˈoːɹ "æmbˈɪʃən ænd ɹˈeɪndʒ" ðɐn ˈɜːlɪɚ bˈʊks ɪnðə sˈɪɹiz, ænd ˈɔːlsoʊ bɹˈoʊk ˌaʊɾəv ðə lˌɪmɪtˈeɪʃənz ʌv ʒˈɑːnɹə tə bɪkˌʌm ɐ bɛstsˈɛlɚ, ˌɪntɚwˈiːvɪŋ ɐn ʌnsˈɑːlvd hɪstˈɔːɹɪkəl sˈɪɹiəl kˈɪlɚ kˈeɪs wɪð ɐ vjˈuː ʌvðə skˈɑːɾɪʃ ˈɔɪl ˈɪndʌstɹi.
"The division or turning-point in Rankin's career came in 1997 with the publication of Black & Blue," which showed more "ambition and range" than earlier books in the series, and also broke out of the limitations of genre to become a bestseller, interweaving an unsolved historical serial killer case with a view of the Scottish oil industry.