The Complaints

January 24, 2011
Fans of Rankin's Det. Insp. John Rebus will be disappointed by this so-so police procedural, his second stand-alone since Rebus "retired" (after Doors Open). Malcolm Fox—call him Rebus "Lite" (he doesn't drink, he broods less, and he has none of Rebus's wit)—works for the Scottish equivalent of Internal Affairs, "Complaints and Conduct" (aka "the Complaints"), which investigates corrupt cops. Fox looks into the case of Det. Sgt. Jamie Breck, who may be trading in child pornography over the Internet. Meanwhile, when Vince Faulkner, Fox's sister's lover and abuser, turns up dead, Fox becomes a murder suspect. A torturously complicated plot follows involving the suspicious suicide of a failing property developer, large-scale money laundering, and crookedness at every level of Scottish society, but nothing's really at stake. As always with Rankin, Scotland itself is a main character—"the whole of Scotland's in meltdown," says Fox—and that may be this tepid novel's main attraction. 10-city author tour.

It's often said that the main character in Ian Rankin's crime thrillers is the city of Edinburgh itself. Peter Forbes delivers the first in Rankin's new series with all the charm, cunning, and grit that the great city possesses. Inspector Malcolm Fox works for the "Complaints and Conduct" department, the Internal Affairs part of the Edinburgh police. When he comes under suspicion for the murder of his sister's abusive boyfriend, he must use all of his investigative skills and connections to clear his name and solve the case. Forbes flawlessly narrates the story with a complexity that matches the plot and the character of Rankin's newest inspector. K.O. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

August 1, 2011

Internationally best-selling author/Edgar Award winner Rankin's (www.ianrankin.net) latest police procedural is the first in a new series featuring Edinburgh cop Malcolm Fox, a member of "The Complaints," a team that investigates purportedly dirty cops. The job means shutting down corruption while trying to maintain relationships with coworkers on the beat. This current case involves a convoluted conspiracy to discredit Fox and protect a seriously bad cop. As performed by Scottish actor Peter Forbes, cosmopolitan Edinburgh comes alive as a city with a gritty underside. While some Rankin fans may miss Inspector Rebus, most will want to become better acquainted with the equally complex Fox. Of particular interest to fans of Denise Mina and Michael Robotham; a great choice for all mystery lovers. [The Reagan Arthur: Little, Brown hc also received a starred review, LJ 1/11; the Back Bay pb will publish in November 2011.--Ed.]--Janet Martin, Southern Pines P.L., NC

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