The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin

All of us have them; a certain mystery writer that you’ve been following for years.  You’ve read every one of his books and the detective hero feels like he’s part of your family.  Ian Rankin is one of those authors for me.

Every time I need to be entertained rather than enlightened or just need the comfort of a mystery I go to him.  His mysteries are interesting and complex enough to hold my interest, while not being too academic to feel like an assignment.  I’ve read all of Rankin’s newer books and have never been disappointed. 

Rankin’s series are both set in Edinburgh.  His first, a wonderful series about an old curmudgeon detective John Rebus, has entertained me for years.  The Impossible Dead, Rankin’s newest, is the second in his new Matthew Fox series.  Fox is an officer in “The Complaints”, the Scottish version of our Internal Affairs Bureau; the cops who investigate cops.  In this installment he is investigating some shady cops in a neighboring precinct and stumbles upon a 30 year old murder of a Scottish political revolutionary.  He is asked to investigate the murder by the widow’s new admirer and his line of inquiry leads him up the ranks to investigate prominent Scottish politicians.  

What I like about Rankin is that his stories are always good and, as the reader, you solve the mystery with him as he uncovers clues and interviews suspects.  I am always somewhat confused in the beginning of the mystery, just as I suspect Fox is, but as the story grows, everything comes to light.  I love the Scottish slang and the interesting places that Rankin takes us on the journey. 

Key to a good mystery series is the hero detective that we follow.  Both Rebus and Matthew Fox are great heroes, sort of grumpy single guys, late in their careers. Rebus has retired, but spent his career in the “murder squad”. Rebus has been married several times, but is good with dogs and deals with an estranged daughter who he would like to have a relationship with.  Fox is balancing his investigations with caring for his aging father who is beginning to suffer with dementia.  He struggles with alcoholism, something I suspect Rankin has had some experience with.  We follow his internal conflict that comes with working in The Complaints and wonder along with him how he’ll do once he’s done his tour of duty there. 

This particular installment of the series is a little hard to follow, as I’m not up on my Scottish politics, but interesting all the same.  I like the guys Fox works with and enjoyed learning about the Scottish conflicts in the 1980s.  Rankin’s characters jump off the page and he does a good job of illustrating the internal politics and departmental posturing that plague any police department in the world. 

There is something truly comforting about finding an author whose series you like.  I hope you’ll try Rankin.  Any of his books from either series are good.  Hopefully some of you will find him and add him to your list.  In the mean time, I’ll keep going back to him every time he graces us with another book.