Iain Banks is truly one of my all-time favourite authors. His unique writing style and the depth of his stories always manage to captivate me.

This particular book of his did not disappoint in the slightest. From the very first page, I was drawn into its world, unable to put it down.

The plot was engaging, filled with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were well-developed, each with their own distinct personalities and motives.

I found myself completely invested in their lives and rooting for them throughout the story.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read. It is a masterpiece that showcases Iain Banks' incredible talent as a writer. Definitely worth a read!!

For me, this book is extremely poorly written.

It has a weak criminal charge, an uninteresting attempt to change the perspectives, and an easily discoverable criminal. The author tries to save the story through vulgarity and an emphasis on the bloody and brutal scenes, but the overall look of the narrative makes his attempts quite unpleasant, clumsy, and unnecessary. The main hero seems just...lazy.

There were some good considerations on political themes, which I think still look relevant today, although the book is almost 30 years old. Among other things, in some places, its translation seems overly modern and gives the reader some disturbing feelings. Because I'm not sure if in 1993, when the book was written, memes already had wide popularity and other similar details in slang and jargon that don't match the time in which the action takes place. Rather, the translation (which is from 2018) sounds like an attempt to give the book a more modern and attractive look.

And what I liked the most was the following case, which can easily illustrate my statement that they tried to modernize the book - the hero is forced to get into a patrol car with the brand "Jaguar" and thinks: "...and there, and here - all "Ford", ha-ha!". And we get the following note under the line: "The company "Ford" acquires the British car manufacturer "Jaguar" in 1999."...Wait, wait a moment, does the author see into the future? :D Because, in my opinion, even in '93, it was already being said that "Ford" was going to acquire "Jaguar", but this hadn't happened yet and the author would hardly have put such a quip in the mouth of his hero, he would have come up with something more actual and appropriate for '93...

I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get something better. The Scots are so likeable to me...

Cameron Colley is a Scottish journalist in his 30s. He has liberal views and a penchant for bingeing on alcohol and other (illicit) stimulants. He also has an ongoing secret relationship with his childhood sweetheart Yvonne. However, the situation is complicated as Yvonne is married to their mutual friend William.

Adding to Cameron's woes is the actions of a Dexter-like serial killer. This killer is on a spree of execution-style killings of prominent business leaders and corrupt politicians and is systematically framing Cameron for these crimes.

Iain Banks masterfully weaves these plot elements into a well-structured and fast-paced story that hooks the reader from the start and doesn't let go. There are similarities to some of his other works. For instance, Cameron shares characteristics with the main protagonists of "The Crow Road" and "The Steep Approach to Garbadale" - a smart, funny, twenty-something loner with a hidden childhood secret that he must confront before the story concludes.

But this is a minor point. Like the narrators in the other two books, Cameron is an engaging and entertaining character. And Iain Banks has the writing skills to bring it all together with, as the expression goes, considerable aplomb.

The sad occasion that led me to pick up this particular book was when I read about Iain Banks' terminal illness and realized that I had never got around to reading any of his works.

Giving it only three stars may not be entirely fair, as it is truly excellent within its genre. Perhaps it's more that I'm a bit fatigued with the thriller/crime-fic/social indignation genre.

It's a well-thought-out story, and the protagonist, a traditional "hack," is quite believable. I have always loved it when books are set in Scotland - I can't quite explain why - and I still haven't been there.

The narrator is a master of accents, which is quite entertaining, to be sure, but in the end, it's slightly irritating. I'm not certain that I really want narrators to act as if they are in a radio play rather than reading a book.

Overall, it's a good read, but it didn't quite capture my full attention due to my personal weariness of the genre and the narrator's style. However, I can still appreciate the quality of the story and the author's craftsmanship.

Reading an Iain Banks novel is truly a unique experience, much like revisiting an old friend, albeit one with a slightly disturbing charm. Up until my late twenties, my interest in his books began to wane. Although I did have a certain enjoyment from The Crow Road, when I reread The Wasp Factory, I felt that perhaps I was simply too old for his particular brand of storytelling.

However, in 2019, an interesting event occurred. Our newspaper company was holding a book sale, and three Iain Banks books were being sold for a mere 50 cents each. Naturally, I couldn't resist and bought them. The first one I read was Complicity.

Cameron Colley, a journalist, catches wind of a potential scoop related to the arms trade. Simultaneously, a series of brutal murders are taking place, targeting important individuals who have acted unethically. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that these murders are connected to Colley. In order to prove his innocence, he must delve deep into his troubled childhood for clues, a task he is initially hesitant to undertake.

Complicity is Iain Banks' foray into the thriller genre, and he does an excellent job. The tension is masterfully ramped up, while also incorporating dashes of humor, uncomfortably disgusting scenes, and a couple of deceptive passages. The book flows seamlessly, and despite Cameron not being the most morally upright character, one can't help but root for him.

Moreover, the book has a distinct political undertone. Watching films like Killers of the Flower Moon, we are well aware that big corporations hold significant sway over our economy, and there seems little we can do to change it. Complicity addresses this issue and also poses a profound moral question: do we have the right to kill those who have callously taken the lives of others?

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed Complicity. Unfortunately, when I attempted to read the other two books, Espadair Street and The Steep Approach to Garbadale, I couldn't get past page 50, for the reasons I previously mentioned.

This does seem to mark the end of my journey with Iain Banks' novels. However, at least my last complete read, Complicity, was a fitting and decent swansong.

Disclaimer: This review is more of a diary entry than anything else. Whether anyone other than myself can do anything with it, I don't care :)

After reading Whit by Banks last spring, I was enthusiastic and had already decided to grab every book of his that I could get my hands on. This enthusiasm has not completely vanished, but now I can imagine, with reading his debut work, The Wasp Factory, to complete the project Banks for the time being (of course, there is no question of Iain M. Banks as a science fiction author). I found Complicity relatively basic and rather dull. When it comes to thrillers or crime fiction, I am spoiled and also ignorant. Maybe it's just not my genre? While "He Died with his Eyes Open" was a secret tip and an extraordinary one, next to Moby Dick the most moving book that I read last year, I couldn't do anything at all with "The Galton Case" by Ross McDonald, a classic of the genre - maybe this novel had simply aged too badly for me. I assume that I can better calibrate my opinion of crime fiction once I have read my first Raymond Chandler. As I write this here, I realize that Complicity probably falls much more into the category of thrillers than crime.

So back to Banks' novel: I would like to give it 2/5 stars (I corrected this downward here two weeks after reading). I have a hard time with it because I rarely find books bad. What speaks in favor of a better rating is that I read half of the book in one go. The flow of reading was good, but I was sometimes going too fast and have the feeling that I didn't do the book complete justice. Banks writes good prose, I just don't always connect with him. While the beginning of Whit bored me (landscape descriptions always bore me), the everyday drug escapades of the protagonist in Complicity actively annoyed me. What was the point of it all? The brief explanation that drugs were "the truth", honest and acute, didn't really convince me as it was too basic. The consumption of the protagonist is of course also supposed to underline the social depression and disillusionment after Thatcher - maybe I'm just not into the topic enough here and didn't read deeply enough, I do suspect that this aspect was relatively nuanced. Maybe the Gonzo-Pulp thing is just a matter of taste.

The crime story itself was okay, the plotting was okay, but the second-person perspective was stylistically quite justified. The protagonist was boring, the inserted backstory elements were solid but often very pragmatic. The characteristic and journalistic failure of the main character in the Gulf War was by far the strongest segment of the book, completely justified the plot and the protagonist's shame, was miles better in prose than the entire rest and in my opinion was far too short. The stroke of genius that was the end of "Whit" for me was missing in this novel.

Some sex, a bit of drugs, a few notes of rock & roll, a serial killer, and a scathing attack on rightwing politicians and greed merchants. What’s not to like?

Iain Banks was an amazing writer. His books, whether mainstream or science fiction, are filled with sharp writing, rich characters, and imaginative stories. Complicity begins seemingly as if it is about nothing much at all. Cameron, a jaded journalist who appears more interested in computer games than the stories he covers, takes up the main storyline. There is also a secondary storyline about a serial killer, written in the second person, which makes that section particularly disturbing. Soon, the story lines collide, and the past and present refract off each other.

The novel could simply be another thriller, but Complicity rages against neoliberalism and the collapsing late 20th-century world of Scotland. Are we all complicit in the sorry state of the world? And what could be just a leftist screed against the right is imbued by the vivid characters and their detailed lives. Banks is also acerbically funny. One character teases Cameron about his socialist tendencies, suggesting that after the revolution, Cameron would have all the “capitalist parasites” working on farms replacing oxen pulling the plows. Without batting an eye, Cameron replies, “I’m afraid you’re assuming a rather more lenient revolution than the one I had in mind. I had you down as bone-meal actually.”

Clever, sharp, politically astute. Highly recommended for anyone left of centre and with a taste for strong fiction.

I truly desired to have a liking for this. Indeed, I did.

It boasted interesting characters, a good plot, along with gratuitous sex and violence. However, I simply couldn't immerse myself in it.

The characters were developed, yet they were not likable. I didn't have any concern regarding what transpired to them.

The writing style simply didn't resonate with me. It was a challenging book to get through, and I couldn't discover much depth or anything that held real interest for me.

It's unfortunate because the premise initially sounded good.

Despite its promising start, the book failed to capture my attention and engage me on a deeper level.

I had high hopes, but ultimately, it just didn't meet my expectations.

Perhaps others might find it more appealing, but for me, it was a disappointment.

It was actually good and I felt very smart reading it.

At first, I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this piece of writing. But as I started reading, I was pleasantly surprised. The ideas presented were not only interesting but also well-expressed.

The author had a unique way of presenting the information, which made it engaging and easy to follow. I found myself getting lost in the words and completely immersed in the content.

As I continued reading, I realized that I was learning a lot. The concepts were explained clearly, and there were examples to illustrate each point. It was like a lightbulb went off in my head, and I felt a sense of enlightenment.

Overall, it was a great reading experience. I not only gained knowledge but also felt a boost in my confidence. I would highly recommend this piece to anyone looking for an intelligent and thought-provoking read.

Read for Mystery and Crime Thrillers.

What a terrifying and suspenseful thriller it is! At the beginning, it commences a bit slowly. However, after the initial one-third of the book, it truly takes a dark turn and becomes filled with intense suspense and palpable tension. In the start of the book, I had a genuine dislike for the protagonist, Cameron Colley. I'm not entirely sure if it was due to all his drug abuse, his callous nature, or perhaps something else. But regardless, I simply didn't have any affinity for him.

Nevertheless, I am extremely glad that I persisted with it! As the story progresses, more and more layers of mystery are peeled back, and the plot thickens in the most captivating way. The author does an excellent job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, constantly guessing and wondering what will happen next. It's a thrilling ride that I'm so glad I didn't miss out on.

It is a crime novel, but when penned by Iain Banks, it could never be merely a crime novel. It had to be so much more, delving into big moral and ethical questions and conundrums, boasting an individual literary style, and at times, presenting a bleak almost nihilistic outlook.

The novel wastes no time in setting out its stall. The beginning is both stylish and coldly violent, featuring a masked intruder with a particular target. This is the first of several acts of cold brutality and murder that are described in some detail in an impassionate style. It can be visceral and decidedly gory at times. I can guarantee that you will look at the wet fish counter differently the next time you are shopping. Interestingly, it is written in the rarely used second person viewpoint, making it seem as if you are the one dishing out the violence. This works superbly well because Banks was a brilliant prose writer. We have no idea who the perpetrator is, and it gives an immediacy of putting the reader right there on the spot. The clincher is that as the story progresses, the reader goes from total disgust to varying degrees of sympathy, adding a slightly different twist to the debate of vigilantism versus the rule of law. As a writer, Mr Banks was adept at sowing conflict in a reader.

The main character is Cameron Colley, a Gonzo hack, in thrall to the likes of Hunter S Thompson and trying to live the lifestyle. But deep down, he wants the massive scoop and to be like Woodward and Bernstein. He thinks he has the lead he needs, a mole at the centre of a scandal, a deepthroat like Mark Felt. Cameron’s informant, who uses a voice box on the phone, is a Mr Archer, who has the information to prove that a series of seemingly random deaths of people working in the nuclear industry are connected. However, there are a series of killings on his doorstep, and the police are convinced he knows something about them.

The rest of the story is told in the first person of Cameron, who is very much in the anti-hero mould of a protagonist. He coasts through a self-indulgent but ultimately meaningless existence of computer games, alcohol, drugs, and sex with his friend’s wife. A continuation of the student drop lifestyle in your thirties suggests a weak character (though it seems a lifestyle for many thirty years later). He does file copy, some of it good, but he is becoming too antagonistic in his writing and towards his colleagues. There is a good journalist in him if he wasn’t such a mess. He’s a man with compromised morals when it comes to stories and his sex life. As the story unfolds, we get flashbacks from his past and begin to understand him more, not exactly like him but empathize with him and then in the end pity him.

Being an Iain Banks novel, there is a fair amount of drugs and sex within the pages. Cameron is effectively self-medicating his moods with drugs, taking a sly ‘micro lick’ of speed for the buzz to get out and perform, and then a spliff or two to come down. Unusually for a crime novel, there are several sex scenes, something which the author never shied away from. There is the most sexually graphic game of footsie in a restaurant, some mild(ish) S&M, a shocking role play fantasy, and some teen experimentation. All of which is relevant to a particular side of Cameron’s character.

The theme of the novel is the wider morality of the world. It poses the questions that many of us ask ourselves regularly when watching the news: who is worse, the rapist or the judge who gives him a far too lenient sentence; the soldier who fires the bullet, the politician who makes him do it, or the industrialist who profits from it.

Going back thirty years is quite interesting. It’s odd how some novels age better than others. Complicity is as relevant as the day it was written, but some of the cultural references seem quaint and fix it to a past that some modern readers will find strange. So we have the Walkman, car phones, gadget shops, and paintballing, all so hip in the 90s but superseded or just a little naff now.

A literary harbinger of EurAmerica's moral collapse, 'Complicity' makes a good companion to Brett Easton Ellis's 'Glamorama'. However, from an anthropological perspective, it may be worthwhile to read the two books in chronological reverse.

Easton Ellis skewers the petty decadence that frittered away humanity's last chance of averting systemic collapse and the death of billions. On the other hand, Banks angrily presents the cure that never was, a kind of 'This is what you could have done' at the end of capitalism's late industrial game show.

As those of us who worked in the miasma of media-for-mammon will know yet perhaps wish to refute, by the end of 2003, the entire political context of Banks' gonzo journalist and the ethical certainty that informs his quarry had ceded to entertainment values across every genre of news gathering and political activism.

So, while I should probably re-read 'Complicity' before pressing send on this, I wonder if the book might offer readers now what books about the second world war offered children of the '70s by way of insight. Bearing in mind that in this case, the ideological war Banks frames was a complete fiction and the enemies of truth and justice were not so much deterred or banged to rights as enthusiastically welcomed in.