Friday 11 September 2009

FICTION REVIEW: Bryant and May: On the Loose, Victoria Vanishes - Christopher Fowler

BOOK BLURB:

Long regarded an anachronism and a thorn in the side of its superiors, the Peculiar Crimes Unit is to be disbanded. For octogenarian detectives Arthur Bryant and John May, it seems retirement is now the only option. But then a headless body is found in a freezer, and on the perimeter of a massive construction site near King's Cross, a gigantic figure has been spotted - dressed in deerskin and sporting antlers made of knives and suddenly, with limited resources and very little time, the PCU are back in business. In the panoply of great fictional detective duos, Bryant & May rank alongside (and somewhere in between) Holmes & Watson and Mulder & Scully.


REVIEW:

The latest release in the ever popular Bryant and May takes the detective duo into a strange new world after the shocking conclusion in the last novel. Brought back to investigate a strange and barbarous new case the tale centres around area’s of unseen London that keeps the readers fascinated with Fowlers twist of humour adding to the sheer enjoyment of the series. Its definitely one I’d recommend to people, however, what I will say is please read the rest of the novels before delving into this one. After all you’ll miss a lot of the fun, a lot of the twists and above all a series that will find its way under your skin making it a must own on day of purchase.



BOOK BLURB:

One night, Arthur Bryant witnesses a drunk middle-aged lady coming out of a pub in a London backstre
et. The next morning, she is found dead at the exact spot where their paths crossed. Even more disturbing, the pub has vanished. Bryant is convinced that he saw them as they were over a century before, but the elderly detective has already lost the funeral urn of an old friend. Could he be losing his mind as well? Then it becomes clear that a number of women have met their ends in London pubs. It seems a silent, secret killer is at work, striking in full view...and yet nobody has a clue how, or why - or where he'll attack next. The likeliest suspect seems to be a mental patient with a reason for killing. But knowing who the killer is and catching him are two very different propositions. As their new team at the Peculiar Crimes Unit goes in search of a madman, the octogenarian detectives ready themselves for the pub crawl of a lifetime, and come face to face with their own mortality


REVIEW:

As a long term fan of the series I really couldn’t wait for this novel, however, for the uninitiated I’d say that you won’t get the full charm or even comprehension if you start the series on this, book six. Its well written and with the duo investigating bizarre crimes set within established watering holes (or pubs to you and me), it really does lead the reader on a twisted plot that will keep you guessing to the last page and to great anguish at the conclusio
n. Add to this concoction some unusual yet interesting facts about London along with the authors own unique voice and its really something that once tried its never forgotten.

1 comment:

Michelle Muto said...

Interesting! I've never heard of this series, but then again, I'm stateside. I'll make a note to look up the series on Amazon.