THE COMPLAINTS by Ian Rankin (McArthur), 381 pages, $24.95 paper.
The trouble with writing about the same character for two decades is that there’s no way the new leading man won’t be compared to the old.
When Scottish novelist Ian Rankin retired his celebrated detective inspector John Rebus in 2007, there was much gnashing of teeth by fans and lots of conjecture about the “new Rebus.”
Well, there’s nothing to worry about.
In his new crime novel, The Complaints, Rankin introduces inspector Malcolm Fox of the Lothian and Borders special unit investigating dirty cops, affectionately known as the complaints. If comparisons must be made, Fox could be described as “Rebus minus the attitude.” That said, there’s something just as likeable, and comfortingly solid, about Foxy.
Unfortunately, he’s not as well-regarded by the other cops at HQ. He’s just got a result in a difficult corruption case and should be celebrating when he’s asked to look into child porn allegations against a popular detective.
Out of the office, he’s got lots to complain about himself – his aging father needs care, his sister refuses to leave an abusive relationship and he’s got a nagging head cold that isn’t helped by the Edinburgh winter.
The Complaints is another deep, dense book from a master storyteller. The plot is as winding and deceptive as the streets of the Old Town, and Fox takes nothing at face value. He’s a straight shooter who’s proud of the force and determined to toss out its bad apples. And when a brutal murder reaches into his personal life, he proves much more of a rebel than his pressed suit and braces suggest.
The book’s promo material describes The Complaints as a stand-alone. Too bad. This would make an excellent new series, with Malcolm Fox a worthy follow-up to Rebus.
Ian Rankin reads with Linwood Barclay, John Brady and Jennica Harper on Wednesday (October 28).
