Since I've never read any of the Rebus novels, I went into this book without any preconceived notions. I never read the first book of this series either, and I still found this one could easily stand on it's own. I found it engaging and very realistic. I will definitely read more in this series.

An excellent tale wound in political intrigue if the Scottish nationalist movement. I enjoyed the characters' Idiosyncrasies.

Since I am a John Rebus fan, I had some difficulty warming up to Malcolm Fox and his somewhat uninspiring side kicks. Fox, working for the Complaints or Internal Affairs, is trying to solve a complicated case.
The plot starts very slowly, is occasionally difficult to follow and eventually leads to a tense and dramatic ending. Overall a reasonably good novel but for me not one of Rankin's best.

A "Inspector Morse in Scotland" type of easygoing and slow paced narrative, not a gripping or suspenseful mystery. The premise of a detective from the Complaints dept (Brit equivalent of Internal Affairs in US) sets up additional barriers to the investigations. The interactions between the three characters of the team is well developed, not so much with the rest of the world. Worth adding to the bottom of the reading list than the top.

Enjoyed an innocuous comment in here that alludes to Rebus. A Nice a hah moment for DI Rebus fans to catch.

Ian Rankin's Malcolm Fox is good; it will take another couple of books to further develop his character.

Like others I look for Rebus in the corners, but this is a good series and I look forward to reading the next installment!

I didn't like this one nearly as much as "The Complaints." The ending was forced, it was the proverbial rabbit pulled out of a hat at the last minute to make the book work and to supposedly make the reader gasp

I enjoyed this - Fox is being a bit of a rebel by being "a true detective" - not what people expect from someone in "Complaints".

Malcom Fox book 2