The Heights by Ian Rankin (Orion Publishing Group)

The concept of a murder in a luxury tower is the ultimate trope of the modern police procedural. It promises a collision between the untouchable elite and the cold reality of the law. Rankin attempts to build this pressure, but the execution remains surprisingly safe. The narrative moves through the expected steps of an investigation, checking the boxes for motive and means without ever truly shaking the foundations of the building.

The narrative execution feels mechanical. Gish is an effective vessel for the reader, but she operates within a vacuum. The interaction between the police and the residents lacks the necessary grit to make the power imbalance felt. One stylistic choice is the persistent use of an objective, distant narrator. This works to reinforce the coldness of the architecture, but it prevents us from feeling the claustrophobia of the murder, leaving the emotional weight of the event largely unearned.

It is a reminder that even seasoned writers can get lost in a new city. People in the real world are messy, irrational, and far more difficult to handle than a suspect in a steel tower. When the final page turns, the story evaporates into the London fog.

For those who want a predictable mystery, avoid if you want real tension.

Read Next:

• High-Rise by J.G. Ballard, 
• The Appeal by Janice Hallett.