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Complicity (Hardcover)

by Iain Banks (Author)

4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Abacus (Feb 3 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0349105715
ISBN-13: 978-0349105710
Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.2 cm
Shipping Weight: 282 g

Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #102,638 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

In 1984, Banks's first novel, The Wasp Factory, attained cult status in England for its accomplished yet brutal portrait of a serial killer. His newest novel (after Against a Dark Background) carries on that tradition by centering on a series of cruel, if poetically just, killings. The point of view shifts back and forth between that of the unnamed murderer, whose outrages are presented in the second person, and that of an Edinburgh-based journalist, Cameron Colley, who's tracking the killer and whose story is told in the first person. The police think that Colley, who models himself slavishly on "St. Hunter" (Hunter S. Thompson)-downing double whiskeys, smoking dope, speaking a gonzo slang and carrying on an S&M affair with a married woman- is the murderer. Certainly, Colley feels a certain admiration for that avenging angel, who tailors his punishments to fit his victims' supposed crimes, e.g., brutally raping a judge who once exhibited leniency to a rapist. Banks's handling of this volatile scenario is extremely graphic, sadistic-and rather obvious, though effective. He's a good enough writer to seduce readers into sharing not only Colley's admiration for the killer but also, through his use of the second person, the killer's relish in the act of murder: complicity, indeed.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Although this remarkable novel will first strike readers as a burned-out journalist's distasteful account of his pathetically shallow and lonely life, it soon becomes clear that author Banks is just playing cat-and-mouse with his audience. Before long, we are mesmerized by Banks' violent and disturbing story about a latter-day avenger who's lost faith in the system's ability to punish wrongdoers. Cameron Colley, a Scottish journalist, is a disillusioned but likable cokehead who treats life--and the articles he writes for his Edinburgh newspaper--with cheerful disdain. While Cameron is blithely snorting coke, somewhere in Scotland a "self-styled avenger" is busy designing his own psychotically savage punishments for the judge who was overly lenient with a rapist, the pornographer who made one too many snuff films, and the amoral businessman whose negligence caused hundreds of deaths. All the obvious clues are leading the police to Colley, who swears he's been framed--but by whom? If he can just figure out who knows him well enough to set him up--and who among his acquaintances is clever enough and deranged enough to extract such terrible justice--maybe he can solve the mystery and get the police off his case. Dark, cynical, shocking, but immensely satisfying, this one's a must-have. Emily Melton

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Customer Reviews

32 Reviews

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Involvement, Connection, Liability, Jun 23 2007

By	Craobh Rua "Craobh Rua" (N. Ireland) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and published his first book - "The Wasp Factory" - in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'. "Complicity" was first published in 1993, and is his seventh non sci-fi book.

Cameron Colley is a journalist based in Edinburgh. working for "The Caledonian". He has an eye for trouble, and enjoys using his articles to take pot-shots at the 'establishment' and big business. His past-times include alcohol, drugs and a computer game called "Despot" - one which sounds very similar to Civ II. Cameron's social circle seems quite small - there's William and Yvonne, a couple he met at university. The pair are married, though Cameron has no qualms about enjoying Yvonne (in as kinky a manner as possible) on a very regular basis. There's also Andy, who Cameron has known pretty much all his life. Andy has 'achievment' written all over his past - he was an officer in the Falklands War and was subsequently awarded the DSO. On leaving the army, he went into advertising - where he came up with the BIG campaigns for several global companies. After that, he then opened a chain of very successful shops, became obscenely rich...and then, strangely, dropped out. Andy is now living in a dilapidated old hotel (his own, naturally) in the Highlands - doing little other than drink and drugs, apparently..

Workwise, Cameron is quite possibly on the verge on something big : he has a mole feeding - "Mr Archer" - feeding him about five high-profile deaths within the nuclear and security services. All five victims died within two years of each other and, although all were officially written off as suicides, there have been rumours of something murky about the deaths. Cameron isn't the first to have looked into the story -however, he's hoping Archer's information will lead him somewhere. (If what's he's been told is true, it's quite possible it could lead to to Iraq).

Unfortunately, while Cameron's working on his mole-inspired story, another set of very high-profile individuals are finding themselves being assaulted and / or murdered. The problem, as it turns out, is that all the victims have been lambasted in one of Cameron's articles.

"Complicity" is definitely a book I'd recommend - which is hardly a surprise, given that it's been written by Iain Banks. Banks has a certain way of telling a story I enjoy - the occasional jump back and forward, and the hint of looking at something from a slightly different angle. Most of the book is told by Cameron ("I drive the car up the little single track road leading towards the low hills"), part of the book is also told about the killer. Although it does mean we know who's getting killed and how they're dying, practically nothing is given away about the killers identity. It's even (deliberately) vague about the killer's gender - for example, "you get to the bedside and raise the log over your head". Excellent stuff.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Complicity, Sep 18 2001

By A Customer

i have recently finished reading Complicity for the second time and have, once again, very much enjoyed it. The book itself is filled with sexual deviation, drug abuse and deception - so is obviously going to be superb read! I was asked to write a report on it, and in my report i chose to focus on the extraordinary relationship between Andy, and the main charater Cameron Colle. Indeed, this relationship was frought, and in the end it is still to be decided weathe ror not it stood the test of time and prooved to be a good relationship or not. Without giving the ending or plot away too much, it is clear that the relationship was percieved to be something way short of indespensible by one party in the book, but it remains to be seen weather or not the other person felt the same.
all in all, an odd, but superb read. plenty of food for thought, that is for certain!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, Jun 22 2001

By	"james575" (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This is possibly my favourite Banks book. Some people may think the violence gratuitous and if that sort of thing offends you then avoid this book! But I don't think most people would find anything offensive here and personally I found the violence quite entertaining. The plotline to this book is criticised by some here for being too obvious. This may or may not be the case, but there is always more that plot to enjoy in a Banks novel. For instance, The Crow Road's plot is drawn out across the whole, long book and at times it appears there isn't one at all, but the book is still totally absorbing. Banks's writing is engaging, witty and young and it is a breath of fresh air to read.

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Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Awful
Surely there is a law against prose like:

'It's a Finnish hunting knife, which you think is pretty appropriate since you've used it to finish him off. Read more

Published on Feb 9 2001 by Gary Malone

5.0 out of 5 stars The complex world in Complicity.
The book complicity is one of Iain Banks finest and most enjoyable book in his life as a writer. It pivots around a some what mysterious beginning when a journalist called Cameron... Read more

Published on Mar 17 2000 by Spike

5.0 out of 5 stars too good for words!`
hey there, all i want to say is well done, Iain! I can't wait until it comes out at the cinema! XXX

Published on Jan 27 2000 by Natalie

5.0 out of 5 stars Complicity
Fantastic book, almost as good as The Crow Road. Where's the screenplay, Iain?