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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Police corruption; Fox faces danger as his investigation turns toward him; some violence
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild content
Substance Use
Some
Drinking; Fox's family situation involves alcohol
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychology of being trusted by no one; the specific moral difficulty of an internal affairs detective who begins to doubt the institution he is supposed to protect
What this book is about
Malcolm Fox works for the Complaints — Edinburgh's police internal affairs unit — investigating other officers' misconduct. When he is assigned to investigate a detective from another department, he discovers that the case connects to his own family. Then Fox himself comes under investigation. Ian Rankin's first novel featuring Malcolm Fox rather than Rebus is a procedural about the specifically uncomfortable position of being the cop who investigates cops — the isolation, the resentment, and the moral complexity of work that requires believing that your colleagues may be criminals.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
first Malcolm Fox novel by Ian Rankin; standalone from the Rebus series
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