Scottish mystery writer Ian Rankin knows how to make headlines! Just recently he stirred up a bee’s nest of controversy by suggesting that lesbians write the most graphic crime fiction. He’s also pals with yet another Scottish mystery writer, Denise Mina, and says he will be following in her shoes to write HELLBLAZER, because apparently that’s what the Scots do. Just last week, he was caught yapping on a panel on graphic novels at the Edinburgh International Book Festival with Mina and Alan Grant (who is also Scottish).

But Rankin’s detective work isn’t confined to his writing. Apparently he also uses his power of sleuthing to spy on yet ANOTHER local scribe, one J.K. Rowling.

The Sunday Times newspaper quoted Ian Rankin, a fellow author and neighbor of Rowling’s, as saying the creator of the “Harry Potter” books is turning to crime fiction.

“My wife spotted her writing her Edinburgh criminal detective novel,” the newspaper, which was available late Saturday, quoted Rankin as telling a reporter at an Edinburgh literary festival.

“It is great that she has not abandoned writing or Edinburgh cafes,” said Rankin, who is known for his own police novels set in the historic Scottish city.

Well whether you believe this “My pal’s wife saw it” story or not, we’d say Rowling would be a lock for a mystery writer, what with all the mysteries that kept us guessing for a decade in the Harry Potter books. However, she shouldn’t share any of her plot points with Rankin, because obviously the guy is a blabbermouth.

UPDATE: Okay now Rankin has tried to clarify that this was just a joke.

This is a joke that got out of hand. There were 600 people in the audience, and only one person didn’t laugh.

[Photo via the Forbidden Planet Blog]