The Complaints |
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Ian Rankin
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Pages: 400 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 0752889516
Pub: Orion
Pub date: 2009-09-03
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5108
Editorial Review:
It must be a double-edged sword to be Ian Rankin. Of course it's comforting to be Britain's best-selling male crime writer -- and to have created one of the most iconic characters in detective fiction in the irascible (and indomitable) D. I. Jack Rebus. But Rankin -- a writer who has clearly never been content to simply repeat himself -- had made it clear that there would be a finite number of Rebus books (the character, after all, was ageing in real time as Rankin had always planned that he should do). And with Exit Music he wrote finis to the career of his tough Glaswegian cop. But Rankin had made a rod for his own back: a less high-profile writer might get away with a change of pace which didn't quite come off -- not so Ian Rankin. And fortunately, the standalone heist novel which was the first post-Rebus book, Doors Open, was a winner and proved categorically that there was life after Rebus.
With The Complaints, we have the first novel by Ian Rankin featuring a new protagonist, another Edinburgh copper, Malcolm Fox. But Fox is quite a different character to his predecessor, although both men are imposing physically. For a start, Fox doesn't drink and is initially less confrontational than the bolshie Rebus. But where the latter’s taste in music ran (like the author’s) to rock music -- Rankin fans know about the Rebus titles echoing those of the Rolling Stones -- Fox is more inclined to listen to serious music. The city, however, is the same, and although some may regret that the massively talented Rankin has not moved into new territory along with his new copper, there's no denying that the author is the ultimate modern chronicler of Edinburgh, with a gift for pungent evocation worthy of his great Scottish literary predecessors. And it's a relief to report that The Complaints augurs very well for any further books featuring Malcolm Fox.
Fox is part of the unpopular Complaints & Conduct department of the police force (better known as ‘The Complaints’) -- and the reason for that unpopularity is clear to see: this is the department designed to root out corruption in the force and investigate suspect officers. The current target for Fox is policeman Glenn Heaton of the CID, who has often sailed close to the edge; now there appears to be material for a case against him. But at the same time, another cop, Jamie Breck, is suspected of being part of a ring indulging in child abuse. Fox is in for some jawdropping surprises regarding his colleague, and the shifting relationship between the two men is at the core of this finely honed narrative (along with Fox's treatment of his ailing father -- something else which differentiates this book from its predecessors).
There will, of course, be Rebus fans who would have been happy for Rankin to go on creating new problem for his awkward copper, but most admirers of the author will be happy with this striking change of pace -- and will be hungry for further outings for Malcolm Fox and the Complaints unit. --Barry Forshaw
Reader Reviews:
Great Story (0/0 people found this helpful)
I had this on audiobook and absolutely loved it. So I bought it for my brother in law's birthday, he's a huge fan of all Ian Rankin. He loved this book. I would definitely recomend it, a great read.
The Complaints By Ian Rankin (0/0 people found this helpful)
What I have read so far is really good, but I have not quite finished yet. But I do like reading Ian Rankin novel's.
Starts off great, but let down by a complicated plot (1/1 people found this helpful)
The Complaints, or to use their full name, The Complaints and Conduct Department, are the cops who investigate the other cops. Surprisingly nobody working for the police likes The Complaints. Malcolm Fox however, works there and he's just had a good result from a case against someone. Whilst he should be feeling pretty good about that, he is bogged down with problems of his own. His frail father is in a care home, and his sister is in a violent relationship and won't listen to Malcolm.
Fox however has already been given a new task. Another dirty cop, this time called Jamie Breck. He's been asked to investigate him by the 'Chop Shop', the department who investigate online paedophiles. They think he's dirty, but no one can prove it, and they want Fox to look into this. The trouble comes however when he learns that there's more to Breck then first meets the eye... and then a murder gets thrown into the works which gets far too close to home for comfort.
The book did draw me in really quickly, with the good closure of one case Fox is starting to begin a new case involving a Jamie Breck and suspicious online activities. It sounds like a story I could get stuck into, with him trying to build up evidence against Breck and it certainly does begin like that. However a series of events begins to happen and before I knew it, the book took on a completely different direction.
In the later stages of this book the plot became over complicated and quite confusing, with fraud involving different people I kept forgetting who was who and just why we were driving to Dundee to ask questions of some other person.
The character of Fox was similar to Rebus in many ways, but I didn't mind that at all, and actually really liked the character of Fox. I enjoyed the setting of Edinburgh as usual, it was excellent especially with the economic downturn and tram work troubles thrown in for good measure. What let this book down for me was simply the complex plot in the later stages of the book, I quickly became bored and found the rest of it a struggle to read as I lost interest, after being hooked on the first half of the book this was disappointing.
Well-written but over-complex plot (1/1 people found this helpful)
After the disappointment of "Doors Open", it was a relief to find Rankin has very much returned to form with "The Complaints". The writing is much better, the dialogue sharp and realistic, but the plot is overly complicated at starts to fall apart towards the end of the novel, which is a bit of a shame.
Elswhere, Malcolm Fox of the police complaints unit slips into the shoes occupied by John Rebus, so although the character is a little different, it's still familiar enough ground for most Rankin fans. And at the heart of the story, Ian Rankin again rakes over some of his most visited themes: police coruption; business and fraud, the changing face of Edinburgh; the thin line between politics, business and crime. It's become a familiar enough package over the years, but at least The Complaints serves it up with a bit more gusto and energy than Rankin has done for a while.
Fox and Breck (the other main protaganist in the book) - look set to be teamed up for further adventures, but with plotting as dense and confusing as this one, let's hope the material is a little easier to navigate.
Great start to a new series Mr Rankin (0/2 people found this helpful)
As a huge Rebus fan I was a little hesitant to read this book and a little skeptical. Another book about another policeman in Edinburgh? hmmm So finally over Christmas I sat down and started to read. I found it to be excellent. I was worried it would just be like Rebus under another name but it was very different. I liked the way some characters were not simply black or white and all the way through I had doubts about the guilt or innocence of a couple of characters, and that to me is a since of good writing. Really enjoyed it and look forward to a sequel.
Book reviewed 7 Jan 2010
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