Book review: 'The Impossible Dead'

The Impossible Dead
Ian Rankin
Orion Books
374 pages
Rs595

Barring Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Miss Marple, few mystery authors have been able to create two equally popular detective characters. Rebus creator Ian Rankin might just be pulling it off with his new hero Inspector Fox.

What works for Fox is how blessedly uncomplicated he is compared to the perpetually brooding and edgy Rebus. Rankin pens The Impossible Dead, the second Fox novel, with the assured hand of a writer at the top of his craft. The first chapter, for instance, is a classic example of getting a novel underway and hooking the reader. 

The story kicks off with Fox arriving in Fife to investigate the complicity of fellow cops in covering up a case against their colleague, Detective Paul Carter, who has been found guilty of sexual misconduct. The plot turns complex when Carter’s uncle, an ex-cop who was instrumental in getting him convicted, is found murdered after his nephew is released on bail. As Fox pokes his nose into the homicide, which is none of his official business, another body surfaces. The blood trail seems to stretch back to 1985 — to another brutal killing and the brief era of violent Scottish nationalism.

The narrative is almost predictable in the way events unfold, but that doesn’t make it any less readable. That’s because Rankin smartly feeds readers with facts in finely calibrated, metered doses. He also abandons detective fiction’s ‘fairness’ principle — there are no embedded clues or red herrings  thrown in as baits for the reader to second guess ‘whodunit’. Perhaps inevitable, since today’s crime fiction buff has unprecedented exposure to all possible permutations of suspense, courtesy television and films!

That said, the book is at least 50 pages too long. How come foreign films are short, while books just get longer?

The slackening of interest is unavoidable once the broad contours of the ending become visible. Rankin, however, staves off a potentially unsatisfactory denouement — the bane of many mysteries — with an action climax. Yet, unconvincing aspects and unanswered questions remain for which lesser authors may not be forgiven.

Also, why must all fictional sleuths be loners and bachelors or divorcees? Fox doesn’t shatter this stereotype. Nor does the standard device of portraying a more human detective — conflict with an imperfect family, a sobby sister and ailing father here — add to Fox’s personality. But Rankin improvises refreshingly by giving Fox two Watsons, Kaye and Naysmith, both of whom are sufficiently interesting. Importantly, Rankin scores because he concentrates on telling a story — something many writers forget.

Salil Desai is an author and filmmaker based in Pune