At the risk of having my mandatory bookstore cardigan taken away, I have to confess that I don't always read a lot of novels. I'm more likely to settle down with a history of Jacobean religious policy (God's Secretaries should be your first choice on the subject) or a good bit of reportage (I loved John Vaillant's book The Tiger). But I do love a good crime novel, and easily my favorite series has been the John Rebus novels by Scotland's most famous author who doesn't write about wizards, Ian Rankin. Rankin pulled the plug on the Rebus books a few years ago--his protagonist had reached the mandatory retirement age for Scottish policemen, and so was retired. Happily, Rankin is back with a new hero in his latest book The Complaints. Malcolm Fox (and yes, he's wily) stalks Edinborough's finest, and he finds them at their worst. Fox, you see, is a cop who investigates other cops.
It feels disloyal to say so, but I think I prefer Fox over John Rebus. Rankin's new book is great.
You can read a lot more--including a teaser about a possible return for Rebus--in this recent interview from NPR's Morning Edition. There's also an excerpt from The Complaints.
Please check it out. If you like a good, foggy police story, you won't be disappointed by The Complaints.--David E
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