The Impossible Dead – Ian Rankin, my take

It’s early in the year, sure, but not too early to nominate ‘The Impossible Dead’ by Ian Rankin as my favourite read of the year so far. Those of you who follow my blog will know that I visited Edinburgh in 2011 to join in the Rankin pilgrimage and trace the footsteps trod by Rebus. So, I suppose you could say I’m well disposed to Mr Rankin’s work, biased even, but the truth is, my expectations are even higher on that account. And that’s exactly how it is.

‘The Impossible Dead’ is the second Malcolm Fox book. Fox is an altogether different kind of detective to Rebus, but every bit as captivating. Rebus was larger than life, his explosive personality having little regard for authority, whereas Fox is more down to earth, a respecter of other opinions, yet every bit as tenacious as his predecessor when it comes to getting to the truth. In this outing, we find Fox and his team from ‘Complaints’ investigating fellow cops who appear to have covered up for a corrupt colleague. Their findings lead them back to 1985 and events, not unlike the troubles in Northern Ireland, when Scottish terrorists were intent on splitting from the United Kingdom. The plot is complex and multi-layered but Rankin’s unhurried narrative negotiates the various twists and turns with consummate ease and skill. No fancy smart-arse quips or attempts to show off how clever he is with the pen. Instead, he’s content to unfold his story in a straightforward manner, never allowing extravagant language get in the way of the action or take from the images he creates, or dent the characterisations he has so expertly brought to life.

This book had me gripped from start to finish … and what a finish. No reliance on Agatha Christie type red herrings … no rabbits pulled from the hat in the final chapter. What we get is much much better: a tension filled build up of revelations that result in a high octane climax, a finale that stays in the mind long after the book has been put down. Five stars.

KT