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The Complaints

From the iconic #1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

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The Complaints

By: Ian Rankin
Narrated by: James Macpherson
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About this listen

 Nobody likes The Complaints - they're the cops who investigate other cops. Complaints and Conduct Department, to give them their full title, but known colloquially as 'the Dark Side', or simply 'The Complaints'. Malcolm Fox works for The Complaints. He's just had a result, and should be feeling good about himself. But he's middle-aged, sour and unwell. He also has a father in a care home and a sister who persists in an abusive relationship.

In the midst of an aggressive Edinburgh winter, the reluctant Fox is given a new task. There's a cop called Jamie Breck, and he's dirty. Problem is, no one can prove it. But as Fox takes on the job, he learns that there's more to Breck than anyone thinks. This knowledge will prove dangerous, especially when murder intervenes.

Read by James Macpherson

(p) 2009 Orion Publishing Group©2009 John Rebus Ltd Corruption & Misconduct Crime Fiction Fiction Law Mystery Police Procedural Politics & Government Traditional Detectives Detective Crime
All stars
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Compulsive listening. Characters vivid, plots compelling and historical/geographical details put you right there in the action.

Rebus at his best

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Enjoyed listening, and getting into the storyline whilst driving the UK roads. can't wait to download the next and continue the adventure.

what a brilliant listen.

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Good narrator I interesting story will look for the next one as I enjoy the stories

Interesting

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Rankin may have had higher hopes for Malcolm Fox, the internal affairs-style cop who’s the protagonist of The Complaints. There is a second Fox title and he does turn up quite a bit in Rebus novels - but he is now more a baddie, really. There are some similarities between Fox and Rebus. They’re both loners with complicated private lives. Fox is a bit more ‘by the book’, but he does play a little fast and loose with the rules in The Complaints. It’s knottily plotted and broadly concerns the murder of a man who’s in a relationship with Fox’s sister. Fox then finds himself the victim of a set-up, under investigation by his own colleagues. The tables are turned. It’s an intriguing premise and a good listen. I struggled a little to warm to Fox, and the plot - as clever as it is - occasionally left me a bit cold, but it’s a clever, tidy resolution with some decent twists. I had read this novel many years ago, but this is the first time I had listened to it. The narration is great - and it has whetted my appetite to revisit the next Fox adventure…

Rebus lite

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I had already read one Ian Rankin book and had enjoyed it. The Complaints had a different main character - Malcolm Fox. The story was complicated which I like and held my interest.
I would certainly read or listen to another book by Ian Rankin.

The Complaints. Great story line with enough twists and turns to keep me interested.

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