Reviewed by Jeanne
The PCU (Peculiar Crimes Unit) has always had to scramble to
exist. They infuriate those in power with their unorthodox method of doing
things and their even more unorthodox personnel—never mind that they get things
done. It’s the way they get things done that’s the problem. Arthur Bryant is a
historian, not a policeman, with an imagination that tends to run a bit toward
the occult and knowledge of London history that would put Britannica to shame.
Besides, he’s not nearing retirement age, he’s tottered past it and is lurching
toward eternity. His partner John May is
younger which isn’t saying much at all. The rest of the staff are a motley crew
as well, mostly people who didn’t quite fit in with the regular force. None of them seem to have much respect for
authority or proper procedures, which is why the PCU always seems to be on the
verge of being shut down.
Now, however, they’ve been handed a case which could make
the Unit’s existence a good deal less precarious, providing they can reach a
successful conclusion. Oscar Kasavian, an old enemy of the PCU who has tried to shut
them down repeatedly, has approached them with a personal problem. His beautiful young wife has been behaving
very strangely for reasons he can’t understand, claiming to be chased by demons
and harassed by witches. She’s even
causing some public scenes, which could not only end Kasavian’s career but
could damage international relations.
Bryant and May accept the case, with a
condition: they also want to investigate
the case of a young woman who was found dead in a church. There’s no apparent
cause of death, but also no reason why a healthy young woman would expire
sitting in a pew. There may or may not be a connection with Sabira Kasavian,
but one way or the other the PCU is going to solve these cases.
This is the second Bryant and May
mystery I’ve read and I enjoyed it even more than the first, despite the fact
that I’m not reading these in order as is my wont. They’re not exactly traditional mysteries. Actually, they’re not traditional anything,
being a mixture of mystery, thriller, puzzle, historical survey, and humorous
tale with a splash of the paranormal thrown in for good measure. The protagonists aren’t action heroes but
senior citizens with aches and pains, false teeth, and first hand memories of
WW II. There are a lot of good one-liners, but the stories aren’t farce. Neither are cases solved through supernatural
intervention but through detective work; the reader can generally accept or
deny any supernatural aspect.
My favorite parts of the books are when
Bryant stops to give a bit of history of a place in London, usually going all
the way back to Roman times. His seemingly
endless knowledge of various sites makes me want to visit that old church or
investigate that street. These digressions are more teaser than tedious,
usually leaving me to go look up the history of Bletchley Park or the Hellfire
Club or an artist to fill out details. The use of folklore and archetypes in
Bryant’s summations delights me and the way Fowler combines the fantastical
possibilities with reality is a marvel.
I’d recommend the books on those aspects alone, but the books are also
pretty darn good mysteries as well. And they make me laugh and want to read
passages out loud to unsuspecting bysitters.
These books aren’t going to charm everyone
but they certainly captivate me with their wit, knowledge, puzzles, and
characters I relate to more and more every day.
P.S. Yes, there is a cat and the name is
Crippen. Why are you not surprised?
No comments:
Post a Comment