Nobody likes The Complaints – they’re the cops who investigate other cops. Complaints and Conduct Department, to give them their full title, but known colloquially as ‘the Dark Side’, or simply ‘The Complaints’. Malcolm Fox works for The Complaints. He’s just had a result, and should be feeling good about himself. But he’s middle-aged, sour and unwell. He also has a father in a care home and a sister who persists in an abusive relationship. In the midst of an aggressive Edinburgh winter, the reluctant Fox is given a new task. There’s a cop called Jamie Breck, and he’s dirty. Problem is, no one can prove it. But as Fox takes on the job, he learns that there’s more to Breck than anyone thinks. This knowledge will prove dangerous, especially when murder intervenes.
Malcolm FoxSeries
This series follows a cynical and uncompromising detective working within the Complaints division of the Edinburgh police force. With each case, he delves into the darker aspects of human nature and corruption within the force itself. The narratives are steeped in tension, complex moral quandaries, and the gritty realism of the Scottish setting. It offers a unique perspective on justice, where the battle between good and evil also takes place within the police ranks.


Recommended Reading Order
- 1
- 2
The impossible dead
- 432 pages
- 16 hours of reading
The Complaints: that is the name given to the Internal Affairs department who seek out dirty and compromised cops, the ones who've made deals with the devil. And sometimes The Complaints must travel. A major inquiry into a neighboring police force sees Malcolm Fox and his colleagues cast adrift, unsure of territory, protocol, or who they can trust. An entire station-house looks to have been compromised, but as Fox digs deeper he finds the trail leads him back in time to the suicide of a prominent politician and activist. There are secrets buried in the past, and reputations on the line.