The Complaints (Rankin novel)

The Complaints (Rankin novel)
Name	The Complaints
Caption	First edition
Author	Ian Rankin
Country	Scotland
Language	English
Series	Rebus
Genre	Crime fiction
Publisher	Orion Books
Pub date	2009
Media type	Print
Pages	352
Isbn	978-1849162099

The Complaints (Rankin novel) is a 2009 crime novel by Scottish author Ian Rankin. Set in Edinburgh, the book follows a new protagonist working for a police internal affairs unit and revisits recurring elements from Rankin's Inspector Rebus series, juxtaposing contemporary Scottish policing with institutional memory. The novel engages with issues of corruption, bureaucracy, and personal conscience within the framework of noir-influenced detective fiction and modern Scottish literature.

Plot

The narrative centers on a member of the fictional police constabularies, specifically an investigator in the internal affairs section known as "The Complaints." The investigator is tasked with probing alleged misconduct tied to investigations that touch on figures connected to Royal Bank of Scotland, Scottish Parliament, and high-profile crime scenes around Leith and central Edinburgh. The plot unfolds through intersecting inquiries that reference past operations and notorious cases invoking legacy characters associated with Inspector Rebus episodes, leading to confrontations with figures linked to organised crime, corrupt officers, and legal intermediaries from firms connected to Solicitors Regulation Authority-type institutions. The case escalates when evidence points toward a conspiracy involving senior officers, a criminal network that stretches to Glasgow and London underworld contacts, and a private investigator with ties to media outlets such as BBC Scotland. The climax resolves several threads while leaving moral ambiguities that echo controversies addressed in inquiries like the fictional equivalents of real-world probes reminiscent of Holland Inquiry-style investigations.

Characters

The principal protagonist is an unnamed investigator from the internal complaints unit, whose role mirrors archetypes found in police procedurals associated with figures like Inspector Rebus and investigators from works by Michael Connelly and P.D. James. Supporting characters include former and current officers tied to the Lothian and Borders Police environment, a veteran detective whose history evokes connections to notorious cases in Edinburgh precincts, and civilian figures such as journalists from outlets comparable to The Scotsman and The Herald (Glasgow), legal counsel with affiliations reminiscent of major Scottish law firms, and organised crime bosses with networks stretching to Northern Ireland and Liverpool. Recurring personalities from Rankin's oeuvre appear or are alluded to, creating continuity with protagonists inhabiting settings like Morningside, Edinburgh and locales linked to famous works by Scottish novelists such as James Kelman.

Themes and style

Rankin employs themes of institutional corruption, moral ambiguity, and the persistence of memory—motifs also prominent in noir traditions exemplified by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and contemporary crime writers like Henning Mankell. The novel interrogates accountability mechanisms similar to those in real-world bodies such as the Independent Police Complaints Commission and probes the tensions between loyalty and duty seen in police literature associated with Ed McBain. Stylistically, Rankin blends terse procedural prose with atmospheric descriptions of Edinburgh streets, drawing on urban topography comparable to portrayals in works by Ian McEwan and Alasdair Gray. The internal monologue and moral introspection align the book with modernist tendencies found in the fiction of Graham Greene while retaining the pacing of thriller writers such as John Grisham.

Background and publication

Rankin wrote the novel following decades of producing entries in the Inspector Rebus series, publishing through Orion Publishing Group in 2009. The book marks a partial shift in perspective from the aging Rebus figure to institutional oversight, reflecting public debates in the 2000s about police accountability that involved organisations like the Metropolitan Police Service and inquiries akin to events surrounding the Hillsborough disaster in terms of public scrutiny. The title references the formal process for investigating complaints in Scottish policing, and the novel's timeline intersects with contemporary political and cultural milestones in Scotland, including discussions preceding the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. First editions appeared in hardback, later reprinted in paperback and audiobook formats, distributed internationally in markets including United States, Canada, and across Europe.

Reception

Critical response ranged from praise for Rankin's craft and atmospheric depiction of Edinburgh to commentary on the novel's structural risks in shifting focus from a beloved recurring character. Reviewers in publications comparable to The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Telegraph noted the book's moral complexity and procedural detail, while literary critics referenced Rankin's place among crime writers like Henning Mankell and Ruth Rendell. Awards and shortlist mentions followed Rankin's broader body of work, reinforcing his status alongside recipients of honours such as the CWA Gold Dagger and lifetime recognitions similar to the Edgar Award legacy. Academic critics examined the book in contexts of Scottish urban literature and policing narratives alongside analyses of city noir in works by Wilkie Collins successors and contemporary sociologists studying law enforcement.

Adaptations and legacy

While the novel has not spawned a dedicated long-form television series, elements and characters have influenced adaptations and radio dramatisations comparable to those produced for other Rankin novels starring characters from the Rebus universe on networks like BBC Radio 4 and television projects linked to STV. The book further contributed to Rankin's cultural legacy, informing public perceptions of Edinburgh in crime fiction and inspiring discussions in festivals such as the Edinburgh International Book Festival and panels alongside authors like Val McDermid and Jeffrey Deaver. The Complaints continues to be cited in studies of policing in fiction and in retrospectives of Rankin's impact on 21st-century Scottish literature.

Category:2009 novels Category:Novels by Ian Rankin