Bryant & May and the Burning Man: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery
Review
Bryant & May and the Burning Man: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery
I can think of just a few better ways to end the year than with another up-close-and-personal visit from the Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU).
BRYANT & MAY AND THE BURNING MAN is the 12th entry in this unique mystery series from Christopher Fowler. Each installment is as British as a book can be, full of arcane and interesting history regarding the city of London with lessons on how the past can influence the future. The characters --- the PCU in general, and senior detectives Arthur Bryant and John May --- may tug you into the books, but it is the mystery, not to mention Fowler’s brilliant storytelling, that will carry you away. As well-regarded outside of the mystery genre --- particularly in dark fantasy circles --- as he is within it, Fowler combines humor, history, quirky characterization and a tantalizing mystery to make each book in the series an individual treasure. Oh, and the grim side of Fowler’s other work is not absent here; in his PCU mysteries, he doesn’t so much rein in the darker elements of his vision as redirect them.
Fowler once again balances character and plot on a fine point in BRYANT & MAY AND THE BURNING MAN. Regarding the plot part of the equation, the book takes its title from an incident that occurs early on in the story. There has been a failure of the Findersbury Private Bank, occasioned by out-and-out fraud committed by a financier employed by the institution. This leads to leftist demonstrations, which are fine, but then they turn into leftist riots, which are not. A fire set one night during the course of one of these riots results in the death of a homeless man who was sleeping on the bank steps.
"There is a climax to THE BURNING MAN, followed by an ending. The climax is surprising, but the ending is enigmatic and will leave readers scratching their heads, wondering what Fowler is up to."
It appears at first to be a tragic but not deliberate occurrence, an act of involuntary manslaughter rather than aggravated murder. It is quickly determined, though, that the victim was targeted intentionally. The question --- in addition to the always relevant “whodunit” --- is “why.” The victim is identified as a young man who was estranged from his parents and had some anti-social issues, but none that would appear to result in his being targeted for murder.
The PCU is given the case more or less by default, since the more conventional police units are occupied with attempting to keep a lid on the rioting and such. What follows is a very dramatic week for the PCU, made more so when another murder occurs in a similar manner, one that is clearly, horrifically and --- may I say it? --- brilliantly planned out. It is quickly determined that the second killing has ties to the failed bank as well, and it becomes clear to the PCU that there is a killer who is taking serial revenge upon the institution whose actions gave rise to the chaos that is taking place on the London streets. Anarchy or not, a murderer is on the loose, and the PCU is on the job.
The team members all have their individual strengths that they bring to the job, even as a bit of internal difficulty makes itself known. It is the senior detectives, the odd and ancient couple of Bryant and May, who ultimately guide the listing ship into the right port. May is steadfast and direct, growing old gracefully, while Bryant seems to believe that the shortest distance between two points isn’t so much the road less traveled as it is a circular staircase set on its side and disassembled. May, however, always manages to arrive at the solution in step with Bryant, if not a couple before. Watching him do it is one of the many joys of this series.
There is a climax to THE BURNING MAN, followed by an ending. The climax is surprising, but the ending is enigmatic and will leave readers scratching their heads, wondering what Fowler is up to. The answer will be coming (hopefully) in 2016 in STRANGE TIDE. Until then, this volume, like the others in this brilliant series, is highly recommended.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub on December 18, 2015