The Impossible Dead

The Impossible Dead (2011) Ian Rankin

The second Malcolm Fox book finds the Complaints in Kirckaldy investigating officers who worked an officer was just convicted and who during that officers trial couldn’t seem to remember any details regarding the incidents that led to the conviction.

Paul Carter was the reason they’d come to Fife. Carter held the rank of detective constable and had been a cop for fifteen years. He was thirty-eight years old and came from a family of cops— both his father and an uncle had served in Fife Constabulary. The uncle, Alan Carter, had actually made the original complaint against his nephew. It involved a drug addict, sexual favors, and turning a blind eye. Two other women then came forward to say that Paul Carter had arrested them for drunken behavior, but offered to drop any charges if they would be “accommodating.”

I’m still not quite certain how I feel about Malcolm Fox.

He thought back to his time on the force prior to the Complaints. He had been diligent and scrupulous, never a shirker. He had put in the hours, been commended for his error-free paperwork and ability to lead a team: no egos and no heroes. He hadn’t been unhappy. He had learned much and kept out of trouble. If a problem arose, he either dealt with it or ensured it was moved elsewhere.

Ideally suited to Complaints and Conduct, his reviews eventually started concluding. But was that altogether a good thing, or was it CID’s way of telling him he didn’t fit in there?

Too scrupulous.

Too willing to sidestep problems.

Though those aren’t the reason I remain unsure of Fox, they do describe his personality. Even if he is occasionally clever.

Fox kept his face a blank. “What made you think to ask the attendant if he’d seen anything suspicious?”

Jamieson gave a twitch of the mouth. “Maybe a hunch. Hunches have got me where I am today.”

“You’re a regular Quasimodo,” Fox agreed.

Perhaps it’s because I’m never quite certain whether he should be doing some of the things he does. He’s supposed to be above reproach, being in the Complaints, but I’m never quite sure if he is, in fact, above reproach.

But I do like having a cop who has to follow all the rules, and his consideration of some of the rules they do have to follow and where that is leading them.

And I do enjoy Ian Rankin’s writing.

(S)o (he) ended up in first gear, doing five miles an hour. The climb continued. According to the satnav, he was nowhere, had passed his destination.

I hadn’t realized there were places in Scotland where GPS was just as lost as in WV.

Shout out to Planet Money for causing me to know Adam Smith!

Naysmith seemed to be the one with the local knowledge.
“Linoleum,” he’d said. “Used to be what Kirkcaldy was famous for. And Adam Smith.”
“Who did he play for?” Kaye had asked.
“He was an economist.”

I was stupidly happy to have known that.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Reagan Arthur Books

• Browse the archives:
  
• Sailing to Sarantium » »
• « « Dark Heir, Audio Edition