The Complaints

"The Complaints" refers to the shorthand nickname for the section of the police in which the main character, Inspector Malcolm Fox, works: Complaints and Conduct (the equivalent of Internal Affairs or Ethical Standards in other jurisdictions). Fox, fresh from a successful investigation into a corrupt copper, is asked to check out another officer, Detective Sergeant Jamie Breck, who is suspected of involvement in a child pornography network. At the same time, he has to deal with the aftermath of a murder of someone connected to his family. Of course, it soon transpires that these two seemingly unrelated events are anything but coincidence, and as Fox starts looking into matters further, he finds himself both professionally and personally at risk. I'm not going to reveal any more of the plot than that, as I'll be heading into spoiler territory. As always, Rankin's depiction of Edinburgh, and particularly the police and local crooks, is vivid and believable, and I liked the depiction of the relationship between Fox and Breck; both of these characters are well-drawn. The narrative moves along swiftly, and while not being totally "unputdownable", the story is absorbing. Unfortunately, the plot proves somewhat too convoluted and moves too fast towards the end, to the extent that like a previous reviewer, I found myself flicking back to previous chapters to double check who Character X was and to make sure I hadn't missed something. While I can't quite explain why, I didn't feel the same sense of attachment to Fox, Breck and co. as I did to John Rebus, Siobhan Clarke, etc. Rather than being totally immersed in the story, as I have often experienced in a number of the Rebus novels, I felt much more like an observer, at a distance from the characters. That said, it's still well worth the read. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

I was getting tired of Rankin and then I picked this up and instantly put him back on top of my list of favorite writers -- absolutely fantastic. Simply superb.

I have a simple complaint. Why on earth is this ebook not available in Australia? What is the point of buying a Kindle in Australia if books which have been prepared for the Kindle are not available here?