The Impossible Dead
Malcolm Fox Series, No 2
Ian Rankin
Read by Peter Forbes

Hachette Audio
November 21, 2011 / ASIN: B006AZZWPM
Scottish Police procedural / Audiobook - Unabridged - 12 hours and 20 minutes
Amazon

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks

With Inspector Rebus now retired (Exit Music) author Ian Rankin moves on to a new series. Malcolm Fox and his team from Internal Affairs were first introduced in "The Complaints." The Complaints department investigates dirty cops. They're called "The Dark Side" by fellow police officers.

On the personal side Fox has a sister, and a father in a nursing home. His sister helps with his father and resents Fox paying for his father's care. The dad is quite normal with Fox, but the sister insists he's not okay· Their lives and relationships are not perfect but they stay in contact.

In this second installment Detective Paul Carter is under investigation and his own uncle (also with the department) is his opponent. Is the uncle a rare honest policeman ready and willing to turn in a dirty cop? Or is he willing to throw his nephew under the bus? And if so, why? Fox wants to solve this case and is tempted to slip a toe across the line (so to speak) to get answers. At one point his boss has to remind him to go by the book and be willing to testify to the 'truth' in court. Fox and two team members follow various leads, which seem to stir a hornet·s nest. The uncle is murdered with Paul to blame. Then names of old terror groups rise up. At one point Fox is tempted to believe in conspiracy theories. Fair warning the case goes this way and that so pay close attention as you listen. This case takes place in Rankin's Kingdom of Fife. Fans of foreign mysteries will be delighted to know Rankin has another masterful series on his hands.

The audio version is narrated by Scottish actor Peter Forbes, who also narrates two of Rankin's other titles: The Complaints and A Cool Head. Forbes brings out the best and the worst of a copper in his narrations. Don't worry about the need for caption with Forbes Scottish accent. He's narration is quite clear. I look forward to more of his work as well.

Highly Recommended.