He is not a bad person, in fact he is very likeable and easy to root for. Then Malcomb spends the rest of the story essentially breaking all the rules with little hesitation and using all of the rationale other crooked cops use. Effort was made in the beginning of the story to explain how important it is for members of this team to at all times be above reproach in their conduct and adherence to the book. The one weakness that became a distraction for me was that the main character, Malcomb Fox, works for the police department that investigates other police for misconduct. The plot was a good one, but a bit overly complicated with so many players that at times it was hard to keep track. This was a story that I liked because of the well written characters and excellent reading. Fox is the type of guy you wish were part of your family. I especially loved the scenes with his elderly father, abused sister and the accused Det. I could not wait to hear each segment of the story and enjoyed the narration by Peter Forbes, including the Scottish brogue.

That complaint is soon followed by an investigation into the death of Fox’s sister’s partner – by Breck. The story starts with a “complaint” that Fox is requested to take by a special group concerning Det. Fox, like Rebus, will do the right thing and diligently follow every lead – no matter who will get hurt. Just like Rankin’s best known series about John Rebus, Edinburgh’s Inspector Malcolm Fox of “The Complaints” is someone you will care about deeply before the book ends. I should have known that Ian Rankin would do it right as I was delighted to find out that the story was an excellent listen from the very beginning. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, and opted to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.I was wary about starting this book because I didn’t think I could enjoy a story about Internal Affair type police procedurals. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.Ī contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, he also presented his own TV series, Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts, on Channel 4 in 2002. He is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, and he received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987 the Rebus books are now translated into 22 languages and are bestsellers on several continents.

Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature.

The Complaints by Ian Rankin