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Bryant & May: Peculiar Crimes Unit #12
Bryant & May and the Burning Man
No case is too curious for Arthur Bryant and John May, London’s most ingenious detectives. But with their beloved city engulfed in turmoil, they’ll have to work fast to hold a sinister killer’s feet to the fire.
In the week before Guy Fawkes Night, London’s peaceful streets break out in sudden unrest. Enraged by a scandal involving a corrupt financier accused of insider trading, demonstrators are rioting outside the Findersbury Private Bank, chanting, marching, and growing violent. But when someone hurls a Molotov cocktail at the bank’s front door, killing a homeless man on its steps, Bryant, May, and the rest of the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in. Is this an act of protest gone terribly wrong? Or a devious, premeditated murder?
Their investigation heats up when a second victim is reported dead in similar fiery circumstances. May discovers the latest victim has ties to the troubled bank, and Bryant refuses to believe this is mere coincidence. As the riots grow more intense and the body count climbs, Bryant and May hunt for a killer who’s adopting incendiary methods of execution, on a snaking trail of clues with roots in London’s history of rebellion, anarchy, and harsh justice. Now, they’ll have to throw themselves in the line of fire before the entire investigation goes up in smoke.
Suspenseful, smart, and wickedly funny, Bryant & May and the Burning Man is a brilliantly crafted mystery from the beloved Christopher Fowler.
Praise for Christopher Fowler’s ingenious novels featuring the Peculiar Crimes Unit
“A brilliant series.”—The Denver Post
“Fowler, like his crime-solvers, is deadpan, sly, and always unexpectedly inventive.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Mr. Fowler’s small but ardent American following deserves to get much larger. And The Invisible Code is a delightful introduction to his work. . . . The Invisible Code has immense charm, but its plotting will satisfy serious mystery fans. . . . Best of all are the two main characters, particularly Bryant, whose fine British stodginess is matched perfectly by the agility of his crime-solving mind.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times, on The Invisible Code
“Picture a television series that is a rough mash-up of Law & Order, The X-Files, and Monty Python’s Flying Circus . . . and you have the Peculiar Crimes Unit. . . . These stories are witty, challenging, engrossing, informative and incredibly well-written.”—Bookreporter
“Spiced with a little screwball-comedy dialogue and a touch of the occult.”—The Washington Post, on The Memory of Blood
“May and Bryant make a stellar team.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Fowler reinvents and reinvigorates the traditional police procedural.” —The Boston Globe
In the week before Guy Fawkes Night, London’s peaceful streets break out in sudden unrest. Enraged by a scandal involving a corrupt financier accused of insider trading, demonstrators are rioting outside the Findersbury Private Bank, chanting, marching, and growing violent. But when someone hurls a Molotov cocktail at the bank’s front door, killing a homeless man on its steps, Bryant, May, and the rest of the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in. Is this an act of protest gone terribly wrong? Or a devious, premeditated murder?
Their investigation heats up when a second victim is reported dead in similar fiery circumstances. May discovers the latest victim has ties to the troubled bank, and Bryant refuses to believe this is mere coincidence. As the riots grow more intense and the body count climbs, Bryant and May hunt for a killer who’s adopting incendiary methods of execution, on a snaking trail of clues with roots in London’s history of rebellion, anarchy, and harsh justice. Now, they’ll have to throw themselves in the line of fire before the entire investigation goes up in smoke.
Suspenseful, smart, and wickedly funny, Bryant & May and the Burning Man is a brilliantly crafted mystery from the beloved Christopher Fowler.
Praise for Christopher Fowler’s ingenious novels featuring the Peculiar Crimes Unit
“A brilliant series.”—The Denver Post
“Fowler, like his crime-solvers, is deadpan, sly, and always unexpectedly inventive.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Mr. Fowler’s small but ardent American following deserves to get much larger. And The Invisible Code is a delightful introduction to his work. . . . The Invisible Code has immense charm, but its plotting will satisfy serious mystery fans. . . . Best of all are the two main characters, particularly Bryant, whose fine British stodginess is matched perfectly by the agility of his crime-solving mind.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times, on The Invisible Code
“Picture a television series that is a rough mash-up of Law & Order, The X-Files, and Monty Python’s Flying Circus . . . and you have the Peculiar Crimes Unit. . . . These stories are witty, challenging, engrossing, informative and incredibly well-written.”—Bookreporter
“Spiced with a little screwball-comedy dialogue and a touch of the occult.”—The Washington Post, on The Memory of Blood
“May and Bryant make a stellar team.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Fowler reinvents and reinvigorates the traditional police procedural.” —The Boston Globe
416 pages, Hardcover
First published March 26, 2015
215 people are currently reading
1681 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Fowler
264 books1,284 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Christopher Fowler was an English writer known for his Bryant & May mystery series, featuring two Golden Age-style detectives navigating modern London. Over his career, he authored fifty novels and short story collections, along with screenplays, video games, graphic novels, and audio plays. His psychological thriller Little Boy Found was published under the pseudonym L.K. Fox.
Fowler's accolades include multiple British Fantasy Awards, the Last Laugh Award, the CWA Dagger in the Library, and the inaugural Green Carnation Award. He was inducted into the Detection Club in 2021. Beyond crime fiction, his works ranged from horror (Hell Train, Nyctophobia) to memoir (Paperboy, Film Freak). His column Invisible Ink explored forgotten authors, later compiled into The Book of Forgotten Authors.
Fowler lived between London and Barcelona with his husband, Peter Chapman.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Christopher Fowler was an English writer known for his Bryant & May mystery series, featuring two Golden Age-style detectives navigating modern London. Over his career, he authored fifty novels and short story collections, along with screenplays, video games, graphic novels, and audio plays. His psychological thriller Little Boy Found was published under the pseudonym L.K. Fox.
Fowler's accolades include multiple British Fantasy Awards, the Last Laugh Award, the CWA Dagger in the Library, and the inaugural Green Carnation Award. He was inducted into the Detection Club in 2021. Beyond crime fiction, his works ranged from horror (Hell Train, Nyctophobia) to memoir (Paperboy, Film Freak). His column Invisible Ink explored forgotten authors, later compiled into The Book of Forgotten Authors.
Fowler lived between London and Barcelona with his husband, Peter Chapman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews
June 27, 2016
This is a brilliant, intense, intelligent and atmospheric novel. It is the first one of the series that I have read and I was completely blown away. I don't know how it is that I have never read Christopher Fowler, because quite frankly the man is a genius. He has created, what is for me, one of the most interesting literary crime characters. I am alluding to the knowledgeable colossus that is Arthur Bryant. I loved that I was being informed of so much history that I am unlikely to know about through him. Bryant is the driving force behind the Peculiar Crime Unit which is severely under pressure. The new link to the Metropolitan Police, the unpleasant Darren Link, who would very much like to see the demise of the unit, irrespective of all the success that it has achieved.
A serial killer, a specialist in the various forms of killing involving burning through the ages, is on the loose in London. The background to the killings has London burning with huge numbers participating in rioting triggered by the corruption and insider dealing by the banker, Dexter Cornell. People have had enough and they are insistent on trying to ensure that he does not get away with it, a revolution hangs in the air. A homeless man, Freddie Weeks, is the first victim, killed by a molotov cocktail whilst he slept at the entrance of the bank that employs Cornell. For Bryant, death is his stimulant of choice, he is excited to have this case. The trail is murky and further ingenious murders involving fire suggests there may well be connections between the victims. Bryant is aided by a diverse collection of individuals from the team, including those with gifts of prescience and a remarkable ragtag of characters he is acquainted with. The killer is, however, aware of the unit and this does not bode well.
Bryant's biggest enemy is his state of health, where he is having periods where he loses his memories and becomes acutely aware of the fragility of his mental abilities. It means he may be forced to leave the unit for good. However, it is he who is at the centre of solving crimes. Bryant is not good with children, but his relationship with 9 year old Augustine Cornell, is a sight to behold and, at the same time, made me feel tearful. As a 9 year old, I would have loved to have met a Arthur Bryant. The strength of the novel is in its wonderful array of eccentric and smart characters. The story is entertaining, educating, fun and so effortlessly engaging. If you have never read the series, I urge you to do so. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. And just plain brilliant.
A serial killer, a specialist in the various forms of killing involving burning through the ages, is on the loose in London. The background to the killings has London burning with huge numbers participating in rioting triggered by the corruption and insider dealing by the banker, Dexter Cornell. People have had enough and they are insistent on trying to ensure that he does not get away with it, a revolution hangs in the air. A homeless man, Freddie Weeks, is the first victim, killed by a molotov cocktail whilst he slept at the entrance of the bank that employs Cornell. For Bryant, death is his stimulant of choice, he is excited to have this case. The trail is murky and further ingenious murders involving fire suggests there may well be connections between the victims. Bryant is aided by a diverse collection of individuals from the team, including those with gifts of prescience and a remarkable ragtag of characters he is acquainted with. The killer is, however, aware of the unit and this does not bode well.
Bryant's biggest enemy is his state of health, where he is having periods where he loses his memories and becomes acutely aware of the fragility of his mental abilities. It means he may be forced to leave the unit for good. However, it is he who is at the centre of solving crimes. Bryant is not good with children, but his relationship with 9 year old Augustine Cornell, is a sight to behold and, at the same time, made me feel tearful. As a 9 year old, I would have loved to have met a Arthur Bryant. The strength of the novel is in its wonderful array of eccentric and smart characters. The story is entertaining, educating, fun and so effortlessly engaging. If you have never read the series, I urge you to do so. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. And just plain brilliant.
February 17, 2016
London is burning. Protestors flock the streets, protesting insider trading and other bank malfeasance. Under the cover of these protests a murderer is killing what seems at first to be random people, one a day in the week leading up to Guy Fawkes Day. The case is turned over to the peculiar crime u it and so it begins.
For many years I have read this series, laughed at their unusual crime solving skills, the strange characters that Bryant goes to for information, his strange ways of deduction and his vast knowledge. A group of people that care for each other, have each others backs and just characters I have come to care about greatly. There are laugh out loud moments, quite a few of them and I always learn so much history as well as random arcane knowledge. Just a wonderful, original and unusual series.
In this one Land actually sticks up for his Unit and Mr. Fowler you may just have broke my heart with one big shocker.
For many years I have read this series, laughed at their unusual crime solving skills, the strange characters that Bryant goes to for information, his strange ways of deduction and his vast knowledge. A group of people that care for each other, have each others backs and just characters I have come to care about greatly. There are laugh out loud moments, quite a few of them and I always learn so much history as well as random arcane knowledge. Just a wonderful, original and unusual series.
In this one Land actually sticks up for his Unit and Mr. Fowler you may just have broke my heart with one big shocker.
August 30, 2016
With Guy Fawkes day approaching and London banks under siege, scandal quickly turns to murder when a homeless man is the unfortunate recipient of a Molotov cocktail. Bryant, May and the PCU are called in to investigate. As the body count rises and tensions on the street mount the unit use their unique know-how to track down the killer.
As always, Fowler is articulate, witty, and draws out the suspense to the very end. Using his vast knowledge of old London you’ll find yourself learning quite a lot a long the way. For those who haven’t yet read a Peculiar Crimes novel have no fear, Fowler makes each novel accessible to newcomers while at the same time constantly fleshing out the characters and adding hints of foreshadowing of whats to come in subsequent books.
If you’re a fan at all of London, articulate mysteries, and non-linear plots this book is for you. But be warned, once you’ve read one Bryant and May novel you’ll want to go back and read them all.
*Thank you Random House and Netgalley for this review copy.
As always, Fowler is articulate, witty, and draws out the suspense to the very end. Using his vast knowledge of old London you’ll find yourself learning quite a lot a long the way. For those who haven’t yet read a Peculiar Crimes novel have no fear, Fowler makes each novel accessible to newcomers while at the same time constantly fleshing out the characters and adding hints of foreshadowing of whats to come in subsequent books.
If you’re a fan at all of London, articulate mysteries, and non-linear plots this book is for you. But be warned, once you’ve read one Bryant and May novel you’ll want to go back and read them all.
*Thank you Random House and Netgalley for this review copy.
December 19, 2015
As a scandal rocks the banks of London, and the streets erupt as divergent groups of protesters descend upon the City, a killer strikes, wielding fire in a vengeful plot that will end in flames on Guy Fawkes Night.
The 12th installment of the Bryant and May Peculiar Crimes Unit series, featuring the most enigmatic and entertaining duo in mystery, keeps the bar Fowler raised in book one high, balancing the duos signature old school, sometimes off the beaten path style of detection with a mystery that is "ripped from the headlines" contemporary....and no less off the beaten path.
Highly recommended, along with the entire series.
This was an eARC from NetGalley
The 12th installment of the Bryant and May Peculiar Crimes Unit series, featuring the most enigmatic and entertaining duo in mystery, keeps the bar Fowler raised in book one high, balancing the duos signature old school, sometimes off the beaten path style of detection with a mystery that is "ripped from the headlines" contemporary....and no less off the beaten path.
Highly recommended, along with the entire series.
This was an eARC from NetGalley
December 3, 2015
This episode is darker than others in the series, more emotionally charged and very current in its subject, for many reasons. The action is also more confined to The City proper due to financial unrest which has triggered social agitation. And then the burning man of the title.
While initially I found I missed some of the humorous and somewhat wacky extras that usually people these stories, I came to see the purpose behind Fowler's method and multiple purposes within the novel. There is a lot going on here. I'm left at the end wondering what the next episode will bring! I hope it's not long coming.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
While initially I found I missed some of the humorous and somewhat wacky extras that usually people these stories, I came to see the purpose behind Fowler's method and multiple purposes within the novel. There is a lot going on here. I'm left at the end wondering what the next episode will bring! I hope it's not long coming.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
November 6, 2015
First Sentence: “Before I start, can I ask you to look around at this beautiful building?”
It’s the week before Guy Fawkes, and London’s banks are under siege. Although started by the scandal of a corrupt financier, the violence is growing and now includes murder by fire. But the death doesn’t look accidental to the Bryant and May of the PUC, especially not when a second fire also kills.
NOTE: If you read an e-version, please ensure you start with “Excerpt from a Speech…” rather than just at Chapter 1.
Fowler is one author from whom I look forward to reading his prologues as they are always a treat. In this case, with the “Excerpt from a Speech,” we learn a great deal about the history of London and the PUC, and a wonderful internal memo from Raymond Land, who actually think he runs the PUC.
The ensemble cast of characters, led by Arthur Bryant and John May, is one of the most unusual and intriguing one will find. Although we meet them in short order from the beginning, Fowler doesn’t weigh the reader down with background information all at once. Rather, we come to know the characters throughout the story. The interplay amongst them, as well as their physical descriptions, makes them very alive and real to us, causing the reader to truly care about what happens to each of them, including the more secondary characters.
Dialogue makes such a difference, and Fowler knows how to write dialogue—“Even after all these years, your every action remains a mystery to me….And why you had to follow him into a theatre of all places—“ “He was a junkie doing some speed-acquisition of tourists’ wallets, John. I took one look at him and knew he would test positive for stupidity.” And later—“Look at the state of you…” “Do you always boil a saucepan of sprouts for at least two hours?” Bryant asked. “What?” said May, thrown. “No.” “Good, then you’re not my mother.”
At the same time, there are many passages that cause one to stop and consider—“In every decade and generation,…one thing united us: obstinacy. We’re a paradoxical mix of conformity and rebellion, privacy and bravado. We will not do as we are told. That’s how it always was.”
The historic details and information are fascinating and add wonderful depth to the story. One can’t help but respect an author who doesn’t write down to their readers. Rather, there are times when one finds oneself in search of a dictionary; and that’s a nice thing.
There are so many facets to this book: the history of Guy Fawkes, protests by “anonymous” against the 1 percent, a theory about Rembrandt’s painting “The Night Watch,” Jack the Ripper and the importance of honoring the victims, and so much more. Yet it all ties together with the base of a very human story.
“The Burning Man” includes excellent building of suspense, a dramatic climax, and well-executed twists right up to the resolution. In the end, though, it is a story of people, our present society, and relationships.
BRYANT & MAY AND THE BURNING MAN: A PECULIAR CRIMES UNIT MYSTERY (Pol Proc-Bryant and May- London-Contemp) – VG+
Fowler, Christopher – 12th in series
Bantam - December 2015
It’s the week before Guy Fawkes, and London’s banks are under siege. Although started by the scandal of a corrupt financier, the violence is growing and now includes murder by fire. But the death doesn’t look accidental to the Bryant and May of the PUC, especially not when a second fire also kills.
NOTE: If you read an e-version, please ensure you start with “Excerpt from a Speech…” rather than just at Chapter 1.
Fowler is one author from whom I look forward to reading his prologues as they are always a treat. In this case, with the “Excerpt from a Speech,” we learn a great deal about the history of London and the PUC, and a wonderful internal memo from Raymond Land, who actually think he runs the PUC.
The ensemble cast of characters, led by Arthur Bryant and John May, is one of the most unusual and intriguing one will find. Although we meet them in short order from the beginning, Fowler doesn’t weigh the reader down with background information all at once. Rather, we come to know the characters throughout the story. The interplay amongst them, as well as their physical descriptions, makes them very alive and real to us, causing the reader to truly care about what happens to each of them, including the more secondary characters.
Dialogue makes such a difference, and Fowler knows how to write dialogue—“Even after all these years, your every action remains a mystery to me….And why you had to follow him into a theatre of all places—“ “He was a junkie doing some speed-acquisition of tourists’ wallets, John. I took one look at him and knew he would test positive for stupidity.” And later—“Look at the state of you…” “Do you always boil a saucepan of sprouts for at least two hours?” Bryant asked. “What?” said May, thrown. “No.” “Good, then you’re not my mother.”
At the same time, there are many passages that cause one to stop and consider—“In every decade and generation,…one thing united us: obstinacy. We’re a paradoxical mix of conformity and rebellion, privacy and bravado. We will not do as we are told. That’s how it always was.”
The historic details and information are fascinating and add wonderful depth to the story. One can’t help but respect an author who doesn’t write down to their readers. Rather, there are times when one finds oneself in search of a dictionary; and that’s a nice thing.
There are so many facets to this book: the history of Guy Fawkes, protests by “anonymous” against the 1 percent, a theory about Rembrandt’s painting “The Night Watch,” Jack the Ripper and the importance of honoring the victims, and so much more. Yet it all ties together with the base of a very human story.
“The Burning Man” includes excellent building of suspense, a dramatic climax, and well-executed twists right up to the resolution. In the end, though, it is a story of people, our present society, and relationships.
BRYANT & MAY AND THE BURNING MAN: A PECULIAR CRIMES UNIT MYSTERY (Pol Proc-Bryant and May- London-Contemp) – VG+
Fowler, Christopher – 12th in series
Bantam - December 2015
March 25, 2015
The detective duo of Arthur Bryant and John May are back in this their twelfth book. If you have never read any of the Bryant and May series before then you need to know - both Bryant and May are detectives in the PCU - that is the Peculiar Crimes Unit. A unit which is full of waifs and strays, people with eccentricities that no other unit within the police would put up with. And you are never quite sure how old Bryant and May actually are.
You can pick these books up in any part of the series, they read as standalone novels and this one is no different.
London seems to be caught up in unrest. There is rioting, buildings are being damaged and fires are being started. London is at risk of the mob taking control. The reason for this unrest - a banking scandal. Is it covering something else up when a man is killed during the riots?
Then other deaths occur, nothing seems to link them. It is just a tragic coincidence. But for Bryant and May they follow a simple ABC. "Assume nothing. Believe Nobody. Check Everything".
And so what develops is a mystery to many but Bryant especially it has all the peculiarities of something long past and something that should perhaps not be forgotten.
The riots are an interesting background to use for the plot line for this book, and I think they give a good example of society today, which is perhaps a sad indication of the way society has moved...
"I hate what I see around me...The urban middle class destroyed, the working poor exploited, the vulgar rich elevated to eminence, the underclass demonized, the wasteland of celebrity held in veneration".
The role of this unit is to find all the missing pieces however bizarre and whatever unorthodox methods are available and come to a conclusion...... "not for what we know but for what we don't know, and that is why we are detectives, because we always want to finish the picture."
And as the tale weaves the realistic and unbelievable moments together, as well as some rather graphic descriptions which are not for the squeamish, so seamlessly that you become involved in the case and start to care about all those who are in the unit. With probably the exception of Raymond Land, the Unit Chief who seems to be missing out on actual policing and the pleasure of teamwork and actually solving crimes.
If anything this book is so relevant of what is going on in the country now and although perhaps we have not got to the stage of such riots and fire the banking scandals struck a chord and it felt like I was reading newspapers about recent banking and expenses scandal or watching continual news feed of such events which seem to have fired a nation into wanting the truth. The Peculiar Crime Unit wants the truth and so did I as the book reached its conclusion.
Although the plot and background events are very much of a modern era, Bryant and May are not, they are detectives of a past age, ones who do things their way and get results, much to the chagrin Raymond Land, the City of London police and the Metropolitan police. This coupled with the wry observations which make you smile as well as the historical elements to the novel make this a definite read for 2015. If you want to experience Bryant and May then this is a good book to start with.
You can pick these books up in any part of the series, they read as standalone novels and this one is no different.
London seems to be caught up in unrest. There is rioting, buildings are being damaged and fires are being started. London is at risk of the mob taking control. The reason for this unrest - a banking scandal. Is it covering something else up when a man is killed during the riots?
Then other deaths occur, nothing seems to link them. It is just a tragic coincidence. But for Bryant and May they follow a simple ABC. "Assume nothing. Believe Nobody. Check Everything".
And so what develops is a mystery to many but Bryant especially it has all the peculiarities of something long past and something that should perhaps not be forgotten.
The riots are an interesting background to use for the plot line for this book, and I think they give a good example of society today, which is perhaps a sad indication of the way society has moved...
"I hate what I see around me...The urban middle class destroyed, the working poor exploited, the vulgar rich elevated to eminence, the underclass demonized, the wasteland of celebrity held in veneration".
The role of this unit is to find all the missing pieces however bizarre and whatever unorthodox methods are available and come to a conclusion...... "not for what we know but for what we don't know, and that is why we are detectives, because we always want to finish the picture."
And as the tale weaves the realistic and unbelievable moments together, as well as some rather graphic descriptions which are not for the squeamish, so seamlessly that you become involved in the case and start to care about all those who are in the unit. With probably the exception of Raymond Land, the Unit Chief who seems to be missing out on actual policing and the pleasure of teamwork and actually solving crimes.
If anything this book is so relevant of what is going on in the country now and although perhaps we have not got to the stage of such riots and fire the banking scandals struck a chord and it felt like I was reading newspapers about recent banking and expenses scandal or watching continual news feed of such events which seem to have fired a nation into wanting the truth. The Peculiar Crime Unit wants the truth and so did I as the book reached its conclusion.
Although the plot and background events are very much of a modern era, Bryant and May are not, they are detectives of a past age, ones who do things their way and get results, much to the chagrin Raymond Land, the City of London police and the Metropolitan police. This coupled with the wry observations which make you smile as well as the historical elements to the novel make this a definite read for 2015. If you want to experience Bryant and May then this is a good book to start with.
April 4, 2015
The Review: http://thefictionalhangout.blogspot.c....
"London is under siege. A banking scandal has filled the city with violent protests, and as the anger in the streets detonates, a young homeless man burns to death after being caught in the crossfire between rioters and the police.
But all is not as it seems; an opportunistic killer is using the chaos to exact revenge, but his intended victims are so mysteriously chosen that the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to find a way of stopping him.
Using their network of eccentric contacts, elderly detectives Arthur Bryant and John May hunt down a murderer who adopts incendiary methods of execution. But they soon find their investigation taking an apocalyptic turn as the case comes to involve the history of mob rule, corruption, rebellion, punishment and the legend of Guy Fawkes.
At the same time, several members of the PCU team reach dramatic turning points in their lives - but the most personal tragedy is yet to come, for as the race to bring down a cunning killer reaches its climax, Arthur Bryant faces his own devastating day of reckoning.
‘I always said we’d go out with a hell of a bang,’ warns Bryant."
Last year, I read the first novel in the Bryant and May series, Full Dark House, and really enjoyed it. It was a fun, interesting and captivating crime drama set in London focusing on two Detectives operating in the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Unfortunately, I was never able to get around to reading more Bryant and May books, but when I saw The Burning Man crop up on NetGalley I knew I had to give it a shot. Christopher Fowler’s first novel in the series was awesome and I was hoping that The Burning Man would be more of the same, and even though it may be twelve books into the series, you can start reading The Burning Man even if you haven’t read a Fowler book before, or are, like myself, someone who hasn’t been able to catch up in time but has read one or more of the series.
Like Full Dark House, The Burning Man is a standalone novel that really works. The Peculiar Crimes Unit, including Arthur Bryant and John May, two elderly, eccentric detectives, are finding themselves presented with a problem of London on the brink of an all-out-war between rioters and the police, with violence starting to get out of control when a man is killed. All this, because of a banking scandal.
Bryant and May are naturally, perplexed, especially when more bodies start piling up with no clear link between them. It’s an interesting mystery that links back to the legend of Guy Fawkes, weaving its way into the history of London in a novel that’s handled very well with the gradual building of tension that’s present throughout its pages. Fowler knows how to keep you reading with the pace being handled very well, and whilst this book isn’t super fast, lending enough time to focus on the characters as well as the mystery itself, The Burning Man keeps the reader engaged and once the tension starts to increase, it doesn’t drop, with the book really paying off in the final act as the mystery comes to a satisfying conclusion.
Regular readers of the series will no doubt be familiar with Bryant and May so far but the two Detectives are really handled well, and offer a slightly different Detective story, with despite the setting being very much a modern day contemporary story, it’s clear that the two Detectives belong in an earlier age. They’re elderly, and prefer to do things their way even if not everyone in the Police Force agrees with them. However, they get results, and are effective at what they do, even if they may be viewed as eccentric. Their characters themselves are often the source of great dialogue, with some witty humorous exchanges between the two that comes within the book’s pages. This humour keeps the book feeling fresh and energetic, and really makes it slightly different from other Ultra-serious Detective novels that can be found on shelves.
The Burning Man is a strong novel that makes a good entry point to a long-running series if you don’t want to go back and catch up on everything prior to this one. The mystery is intriguing and you’ll want to know what happens next, with the book’s two characters being one of the major selling points as fans of the series will no doubt love this book and what I say here probably won’t make much difference as to whether or not they’ll pick it up. As to the newcomers who are wanting to give a fresh, different crime series a shot, this book manages to be an excellent jumping on point. It also helps that it's one of the strongest crime novels of 2015 that I've read so far.
VERDICT: 8.75/10
"London is under siege. A banking scandal has filled the city with violent protests, and as the anger in the streets detonates, a young homeless man burns to death after being caught in the crossfire between rioters and the police.
But all is not as it seems; an opportunistic killer is using the chaos to exact revenge, but his intended victims are so mysteriously chosen that the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to find a way of stopping him.
Using their network of eccentric contacts, elderly detectives Arthur Bryant and John May hunt down a murderer who adopts incendiary methods of execution. But they soon find their investigation taking an apocalyptic turn as the case comes to involve the history of mob rule, corruption, rebellion, punishment and the legend of Guy Fawkes.
At the same time, several members of the PCU team reach dramatic turning points in their lives - but the most personal tragedy is yet to come, for as the race to bring down a cunning killer reaches its climax, Arthur Bryant faces his own devastating day of reckoning.
‘I always said we’d go out with a hell of a bang,’ warns Bryant."
Last year, I read the first novel in the Bryant and May series, Full Dark House, and really enjoyed it. It was a fun, interesting and captivating crime drama set in London focusing on two Detectives operating in the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Unfortunately, I was never able to get around to reading more Bryant and May books, but when I saw The Burning Man crop up on NetGalley I knew I had to give it a shot. Christopher Fowler’s first novel in the series was awesome and I was hoping that The Burning Man would be more of the same, and even though it may be twelve books into the series, you can start reading The Burning Man even if you haven’t read a Fowler book before, or are, like myself, someone who hasn’t been able to catch up in time but has read one or more of the series.
Like Full Dark House, The Burning Man is a standalone novel that really works. The Peculiar Crimes Unit, including Arthur Bryant and John May, two elderly, eccentric detectives, are finding themselves presented with a problem of London on the brink of an all-out-war between rioters and the police, with violence starting to get out of control when a man is killed. All this, because of a banking scandal.
Bryant and May are naturally, perplexed, especially when more bodies start piling up with no clear link between them. It’s an interesting mystery that links back to the legend of Guy Fawkes, weaving its way into the history of London in a novel that’s handled very well with the gradual building of tension that’s present throughout its pages. Fowler knows how to keep you reading with the pace being handled very well, and whilst this book isn’t super fast, lending enough time to focus on the characters as well as the mystery itself, The Burning Man keeps the reader engaged and once the tension starts to increase, it doesn’t drop, with the book really paying off in the final act as the mystery comes to a satisfying conclusion.
Regular readers of the series will no doubt be familiar with Bryant and May so far but the two Detectives are really handled well, and offer a slightly different Detective story, with despite the setting being very much a modern day contemporary story, it’s clear that the two Detectives belong in an earlier age. They’re elderly, and prefer to do things their way even if not everyone in the Police Force agrees with them. However, they get results, and are effective at what they do, even if they may be viewed as eccentric. Their characters themselves are often the source of great dialogue, with some witty humorous exchanges between the two that comes within the book’s pages. This humour keeps the book feeling fresh and energetic, and really makes it slightly different from other Ultra-serious Detective novels that can be found on shelves.
The Burning Man is a strong novel that makes a good entry point to a long-running series if you don’t want to go back and catch up on everything prior to this one. The mystery is intriguing and you’ll want to know what happens next, with the book’s two characters being one of the major selling points as fans of the series will no doubt love this book and what I say here probably won’t make much difference as to whether or not they’ll pick it up. As to the newcomers who are wanting to give a fresh, different crime series a shot, this book manages to be an excellent jumping on point. It also helps that it's one of the strongest crime novels of 2015 that I've read so far.
VERDICT: 8.75/10
May 13, 2021
Brilliant and dark. One aspect concerning Arthur Bryant has left me anxious about the rest of the series though. However there are plenty of books left to go so I’m not without hope.
Read
April 23, 2017This series is always fun, though often gruesome and fairly heartrending. Over-age detectives, London lore, a touch of creepiness, plenty of horrific murder and a solid mystery. Nicely and sonetimes hilariously written too.
April 22, 2017
**Note: this review was written before a look at the author's blog revealed what a hateful person he is. Thus ended any affection for his books. No, the two star rating is not a typo; it should probably be one, but I did enjoy this, before I couldn't.
"But it’s the Peculiar Crimes Unit that prevents panic on the streets. We handle the cases that have the capacity to bring this city down."
I haven't read all the Peculiar Crimes Unit novels yet, but I'm definitely working on it. They've been on my List since I stumbled onto Full Dark House years ago; one fine day I'm just going to line them all up in a figurative row and read from cover to cover to cover etc. This one? This one had everything that made me a fan of the books from the very beginning, in spades. Full house. Full dark house, you could say. (See what I did there? Spades – dark … ok, moving on.)
I am beginning to realize that the authors that click with me the most have a few things in common. I mean, sure, they're all chock full of good writing and that sort of thing. That's good for four stars (and my everlasting gratitude for knowing grammar and making use of an editor). What edges some into the five-star stratosphere, what puts them on my List? There are a few things.
1) They're smart.
'Do you enjoy reading?’
‘I enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey.’
Bryant quailed at the thought. ‘That’s not really reading, is it? More like staring at an assortment of words.’
‘It is very popular.’
‘So is taking photographs of your dinner for Facebook, but that doesn’t mean it adds to the total sum of human knowledge.’
2) They add to the total sum of this human's knowledge.
‘Experts argue that Rembrandt filled his painting with symbols and hidden layers of meaning, the so-called Fifty-one Mysteries. Ostensibly it’s a portrait of a Dutch militia company, so who is the ghost figure, why are there five light sources, why is the soldier behind the central characters firing a musket into the middle of the crowd, stuff like that.'
3) They use Shakespeare – in a good way.
‘How will we know if—’
‘… You won’t. That’s why it’s called the Hamlet Tactic.'
4) They expand my already weird lexicon of words and phrases that I do or just really want to introduce into conversation.
"I wouldn’t trust you to take a banana trifle around to my mum’s"
5) They make me see things in new ways.
‘Everything is connected, the riots, the deaths, all of it,’ Bryant insisted. ‘Like Herodotus, we can’t understand the histories of kings without first knowing about the Three Dynasties of the Earth. The Taming of the Shrew came from A Thousand and One Nights. Columbus’s belief in Eden led him to the Orinoco. Christopher Wren led us via the Freemasons to George Washington. And without Dionne Warwick, Cilla Black would never have had a hit.’
6) They use marvelous metaphors and similes.
The sky was the colour of a bad sprain.
7) They make me laugh, and even laugh out loud.
‘Ah, yes. The cat peed in my pocket, but they should be all right,’ Bryant explained.
8) They often don't take themselves very seriously. In the PCU novels, for example, anything and everything can be a target of skewering, including the cast of characters.
"… She believed that the Lord was working through her to save his soul, although as the years passed she had come to the realisation that there was little chance of Bryant’s soul or indeed any other part of him being saved unless it was in a jar of formaldehyde at the Hunterian Museum, where his remains would serve as a grim warning to others."
9) They agree with my way of thinking.
'And the Internet hasn’t helped. God forbid you express your beliefs online, someone will shout “hater” at you, and that’s your Socratic discourse brought to a flogging end.'
10) They disagree with my way of thinking.
(Not going to spoil anything here; suffice to say there was a certain tone in talking about certain people which felt more positive than I could ever bring myself to be.)
11) They inspire a fierce loyalty and caring for the main characters, even the second tier.
…I didn't save an example of this bit, and I won't go looking for one, again for fear of spoilers. Just trust me on this one.
12) The really good ones do #1 and #2 all in the space of a page. Or a handful of lines.
'You’re a misanthropist.’
Bryant was outraged. ‘I am not, I just don’t like people! They’re messy and inconsistent and incompetent and never say what they mean, and when you’ve finally figured out what makes them tick they die on you.’
Bonus points: They have a geeky edge.
Pub: the Ship and the Enterprise
(If that's not actually geeky, I'm still taking it that way.)
Super extra credit bonus points: They're snarky about Peter *! Jackson.
'I want to see if they’re able to milk any more films out of The Lord of the Rings.'
(And what do they mean "after Smaug turned gold"? Smaug changed color? Where exactly in the book did Smaug change color??)
I received this from Netgalley for an honest review.
"But it’s the Peculiar Crimes Unit that prevents panic on the streets. We handle the cases that have the capacity to bring this city down."
I haven't read all the Peculiar Crimes Unit novels yet, but I'm definitely working on it. They've been on my List since I stumbled onto Full Dark House years ago; one fine day I'm just going to line them all up in a figurative row and read from cover to cover to cover etc. This one? This one had everything that made me a fan of the books from the very beginning, in spades. Full house. Full dark house, you could say. (See what I did there? Spades – dark … ok, moving on.)
I am beginning to realize that the authors that click with me the most have a few things in common. I mean, sure, they're all chock full of good writing and that sort of thing. That's good for four stars (and my everlasting gratitude for knowing grammar and making use of an editor). What edges some into the five-star stratosphere, what puts them on my List? There are a few things.
1) They're smart.
'Do you enjoy reading?’
‘I enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey.’
Bryant quailed at the thought. ‘That’s not really reading, is it? More like staring at an assortment of words.’
‘It is very popular.’
‘So is taking photographs of your dinner for Facebook, but that doesn’t mean it adds to the total sum of human knowledge.’
2) They add to the total sum of this human's knowledge.
‘Experts argue that Rembrandt filled his painting with symbols and hidden layers of meaning, the so-called Fifty-one Mysteries. Ostensibly it’s a portrait of a Dutch militia company, so who is the ghost figure, why are there five light sources, why is the soldier behind the central characters firing a musket into the middle of the crowd, stuff like that.'
3) They use Shakespeare – in a good way.
‘How will we know if—’
‘… You won’t. That’s why it’s called the Hamlet Tactic.'
4) They expand my already weird lexicon of words and phrases that I do or just really want to introduce into conversation.
"I wouldn’t trust you to take a banana trifle around to my mum’s"
5) They make me see things in new ways.
‘Everything is connected, the riots, the deaths, all of it,’ Bryant insisted. ‘Like Herodotus, we can’t understand the histories of kings without first knowing about the Three Dynasties of the Earth. The Taming of the Shrew came from A Thousand and One Nights. Columbus’s belief in Eden led him to the Orinoco. Christopher Wren led us via the Freemasons to George Washington. And without Dionne Warwick, Cilla Black would never have had a hit.’
6) They use marvelous metaphors and similes.
The sky was the colour of a bad sprain.
7) They make me laugh, and even laugh out loud.
‘Ah, yes. The cat peed in my pocket, but they should be all right,’ Bryant explained.
8) They often don't take themselves very seriously. In the PCU novels, for example, anything and everything can be a target of skewering, including the cast of characters.
"… She believed that the Lord was working through her to save his soul, although as the years passed she had come to the realisation that there was little chance of Bryant’s soul or indeed any other part of him being saved unless it was in a jar of formaldehyde at the Hunterian Museum, where his remains would serve as a grim warning to others."
9) They agree with my way of thinking.
'And the Internet hasn’t helped. God forbid you express your beliefs online, someone will shout “hater” at you, and that’s your Socratic discourse brought to a flogging end.'
10) They disagree with my way of thinking.
(Not going to spoil anything here; suffice to say there was a certain tone in talking about certain people which felt more positive than I could ever bring myself to be.)
11) They inspire a fierce loyalty and caring for the main characters, even the second tier.
…I didn't save an example of this bit, and I won't go looking for one, again for fear of spoilers. Just trust me on this one.
12) The really good ones do #1 and #2 all in the space of a page. Or a handful of lines.
'You’re a misanthropist.’
Bryant was outraged. ‘I am not, I just don’t like people! They’re messy and inconsistent and incompetent and never say what they mean, and when you’ve finally figured out what makes them tick they die on you.’
Bonus points: They have a geeky edge.
Pub: the Ship and the Enterprise
(If that's not actually geeky, I'm still taking it that way.)
Super extra credit bonus points: They're snarky about Peter *! Jackson.
'I want to see if they’re able to milk any more films out of The Lord of the Rings.'
(And what do they mean "after Smaug turned gold"? Smaug changed color? Where exactly in the book did Smaug change color??)
I received this from Netgalley for an honest review.
April 18, 2015
Despite The Burning Man being the twelfth book, this series had somehow completely passed me by until I was recently asked to take part in the blog tour.
I was trying to think of a way to describe these two senior (both by rank and age) detectives. The best comparison I can think of is a combination of the TV programmes 'New Tricks' mixed with the irascibility of 'Inspector Morse'. It isn't quite clear how old they are, but they are well past a normal detective's retirement age. Arthur St John Aloysius Bryant is very well read with a whole heap of information filed away in his brain and an office full of well used old reference books. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, a character trait which often makes him unpopular with his superiors. His long suffering colleague John May, who is only slightly younger, appears to be the more patient of the two and is constantly having to keep an eye on his eccentric and unpredictable partner.
Although I hadn't read any of the previous books, I didn't feel that this mattered and actually this book gave me an appetite to start at the beginning of the series to find out their back story.
Both detectives are part of the 'PCU' - the Peculiar Crimes Unit, headed up by the seemingly lazy and incompetent Unit Chief, Raymond Land. A covert division, set up about 50 years previously, their task is to prevent public disorder and panic on the street and in the words of Raymond Land "we are in charge of London".
In this case, the City of London is the target of a series of riots and protests, sparked off by the scandal and corruption which has taken place at Findersbury Private Bank. The story is very much a political commentary of our times, with references to capitalism and banker greed.
There is a killer running loose, who may be using the riots as cover for his murderous activities. All the murders have a reference to fire or burning - a homeless man is burned alive in a bank doorway amongst other grisly occurrences. I don't want to give away anything to spoil the story but there is one particular scene almost towards the end where the tension was almost unbearable.
This has a very different and quirky style to the crime books that I normally read and I did enjoy it, including the historical references to people or places. Bryant has a particular disregard of authority, nothing new there in crime stories, but it's their colleagues in the PCU who enhance the story with their realism. Christopher Fowler has created a well rounded cast of characters. With the exception of 'those in charge', they all pull together and look out for each other. Arthur Bryant is having to face his own personal issues and some of the scenes involving him are quite moving.
I started working in the City of London nearly 20 years ago and many of the places mentioned in the book are so familiar, I didn't need to use much imagination to be able to visualise the landscape. I still remember the City May Day riots that were really very scary if you happened to be caught up in them.
There are some parts of the story that will make you smile with its dry and dark humour, and others that will make you wince and read through your fingers at the graphic descriptions but if you want something a little bit different to the normal run of the mill police procedurals then I would recommend this one.
I was trying to think of a way to describe these two senior (both by rank and age) detectives. The best comparison I can think of is a combination of the TV programmes 'New Tricks' mixed with the irascibility of 'Inspector Morse'. It isn't quite clear how old they are, but they are well past a normal detective's retirement age. Arthur St John Aloysius Bryant is very well read with a whole heap of information filed away in his brain and an office full of well used old reference books. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, a character trait which often makes him unpopular with his superiors. His long suffering colleague John May, who is only slightly younger, appears to be the more patient of the two and is constantly having to keep an eye on his eccentric and unpredictable partner.
Although I hadn't read any of the previous books, I didn't feel that this mattered and actually this book gave me an appetite to start at the beginning of the series to find out their back story.
Both detectives are part of the 'PCU' - the Peculiar Crimes Unit, headed up by the seemingly lazy and incompetent Unit Chief, Raymond Land. A covert division, set up about 50 years previously, their task is to prevent public disorder and panic on the street and in the words of Raymond Land "we are in charge of London".
In this case, the City of London is the target of a series of riots and protests, sparked off by the scandal and corruption which has taken place at Findersbury Private Bank. The story is very much a political commentary of our times, with references to capitalism and banker greed.
There is a killer running loose, who may be using the riots as cover for his murderous activities. All the murders have a reference to fire or burning - a homeless man is burned alive in a bank doorway amongst other grisly occurrences. I don't want to give away anything to spoil the story but there is one particular scene almost towards the end where the tension was almost unbearable.
This has a very different and quirky style to the crime books that I normally read and I did enjoy it, including the historical references to people or places. Bryant has a particular disregard of authority, nothing new there in crime stories, but it's their colleagues in the PCU who enhance the story with their realism. Christopher Fowler has created a well rounded cast of characters. With the exception of 'those in charge', they all pull together and look out for each other. Arthur Bryant is having to face his own personal issues and some of the scenes involving him are quite moving.
I started working in the City of London nearly 20 years ago and many of the places mentioned in the book are so familiar, I didn't need to use much imagination to be able to visualise the landscape. I still remember the City May Day riots that were really very scary if you happened to be caught up in them.
There are some parts of the story that will make you smile with its dry and dark humour, and others that will make you wince and read through your fingers at the graphic descriptions but if you want something a little bit different to the normal run of the mill police procedurals then I would recommend this one.
June 21, 2015
Another Bryant & May mystery novel - just what a summer reader needs. Unlike prior novels, The Burning Man is quite present in its cultural references, its mood, what's going in in the streets. It's not the meandering trek through London's history (although there is some of that - don't worry) that the earlier Bryant & May novels are. That time is spent in addressing Bryant's experience with aging, shall we say, and changes one doesn't necessarily seek or want to acknowledge. If not for the promise on the last page that Bryant & May will return, I might have sunk into a funk at the ending - and not come out of it until long past Labor Day - but I'm willing to take Fowler at his word. For now. If you've read even one of the others and enjoyed it, read this one. If not, start here. You don't need any background to appreciate its charm.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2021
Once again a wonderful read in terms of character, locations, twisty plot, murders to investigate, and all the underlying interpersonal relationships which this writer does so well. But...
Also, again, I read confused. I couldn't follow the plot all that well, which was set against an Occupy Wall Street-type situation, though set in London. This involves a backdrop of protest, rioting, city damage, cops-against-protestors, and so on. Also, a lot of fires, some 'legal' in celebration of Guy Fawkes' Day, some not. Corruption involving the banking world loses me somehow, just as my husband's job (accounting) did. I never really understood it at all. (So sue me, I was a science teacher for 36 years.)
Despite all this, I love reading about the PCU, a unit dedicated to investigating crimes which might threaten or embarrass the government or do public harm. The two lead detectives, Arthur Bryant, elderly, frumpy, unusual and showing signs of memory loss - and John May, also elderly, but suave, disciplined, and still very mentally sound are wonderful, as always. Their relationship is superb and worth a read even if I AM confused by this huge banking situation-plot. Their staff is wonderful, quirky, animated, energetic and even their superior, Raymond Land, who kind of sits offside befuddled and dismayed most the time, had a more major role here. Hurray for Raymondo, as Arthur Bryant calls him.
A man is found murdered by arson against this tumultuous background, then another, and dare I say another? Bryant and May, etc. are flummoxed, of course, following leads, interviewing witnesses who are ever-unreliable, and work through a very - very - complicated investigation which seems to be going nowhere fast. But the outcome is satisfying; the read a true pleasure, so much so that I put aside other books whenever I read a Bryant and May.
May they never stop!
Five stars
Also, again, I read confused. I couldn't follow the plot all that well, which was set against an Occupy Wall Street-type situation, though set in London. This involves a backdrop of protest, rioting, city damage, cops-against-protestors, and so on. Also, a lot of fires, some 'legal' in celebration of Guy Fawkes' Day, some not. Corruption involving the banking world loses me somehow, just as my husband's job (accounting) did. I never really understood it at all. (So sue me, I was a science teacher for 36 years.)
Despite all this, I love reading about the PCU, a unit dedicated to investigating crimes which might threaten or embarrass the government or do public harm. The two lead detectives, Arthur Bryant, elderly, frumpy, unusual and showing signs of memory loss - and John May, also elderly, but suave, disciplined, and still very mentally sound are wonderful, as always. Their relationship is superb and worth a read even if I AM confused by this huge banking situation-plot. Their staff is wonderful, quirky, animated, energetic and even their superior, Raymond Land, who kind of sits offside befuddled and dismayed most the time, had a more major role here. Hurray for Raymondo, as Arthur Bryant calls him.
A man is found murdered by arson against this tumultuous background, then another, and dare I say another? Bryant and May, etc. are flummoxed, of course, following leads, interviewing witnesses who are ever-unreliable, and work through a very - very - complicated investigation which seems to be going nowhere fast. But the outcome is satisfying; the read a true pleasure, so much so that I put aside other books whenever I read a Bryant and May.
May they never stop!
Five stars
January 23, 2016
Having never read anything by this author before, I knew I was going to give this book a high rating when I started to check out other books in this series before I got to the end. An interesting and unique plot along with plenty of levity. I especially liked the character of Arthur Bryant, a quirky walking fount of knowledge about the history of London with an odd but effective approach to solving the case. Highly recommended to all.
December 17, 2017
The Burning Man is the twelfth book in the Bryant and May series. In this outing they are trying to stop an arsonist wreaking revenge on people working in the banking sector after another financial scandal and who seems to be orchestrating the sentiments of a restless and angry public. After years of working for the Peculiar Crimes Unit, Bryant and May are long in the tooth and well versed in tackling difficult cases, but this one has them taxed. The killer is clever and quick moving, dispatching one person a day, and Bryant is starting to suffer from dementia. The climax of the week is going to be Guy Fawkes night at which point the city could tip-over into full-scale anarchy. There is much to like about The Burning Man: the wonderful set of characters, especially Bryant, and their interactions; the deep sense of place and all the historical factual snippets that are woven into the narrative; its political sensibilities and its critique of the ‘one percent’; and the lucid and engaging storytelling with a rising sense of tension. The story just carries the reader along in an entertaining, dark, and at time humorous romp. There were just two bumps in the tale – the fact that I was pretty confident I knew the identity of the killer from near the start; and the ending was a bit of damp squib. Nonetheless, a very enjoyable read.
April 30, 2015
I have to say that I was a little unsure about requesting The Burning Man by Christopher Fowler to read this title seeing as it looked like being the latest in a long running series. I also hate to read any series out of sequence. However the cover was very appealing and the synopsis indicated that it would be an amusing, interesting read, and something very different from my usual crime reads. The author on his website assures readers that the series can be read in any order or as a stand alone. In view of this I requested a copy.
Mr Fowler did not fib at all, there was enough information on each character that I didn't feel disadvantaged by not reading previous books in the series.
The opening chapter introduces the cast of characters by means of a 'staff roster'. Also included is an excerpt from a speech by Mr Arthur Bryant given to the City of London Police Crime Directorate, and a highly amusing memo from the long suffering PCU Chief, Raymond Land.
From the outset I knew I was going to enjoy reading, The Burning Man, and at times it had me laughing out loud in public places. I'll give an example of the humour; "...no more pawning items from the Evidence Room until payday..." and "...the entrance halls' visual-recognition system has been removed after Mr Bryant proved it could be cheated by the addition of a hat...".
The Burning Man was an enjoyable, highly amusing read about a team of misfits working in the Peculiar Crime Unit (PCU). At the centre of which are two main character's Bryant & May, a totally mismatched elderly police duo. Bryant is somewhat untidy and dishevelled, both in appearance and manner. May is his polar opposite, immaculate in appearance and highly organised. The setting is present day London during the Guy Fawkes' celebrations, alongside this angry protests are raging over a banking scandal. During the ensuing riots a homeless man is set alight and burns to death while sleeping in a doorway.
The PCU is brought in to investigate what should be a simple case of accidental death and hope to tie things up quickly. A subsequent death throws new light on the case and the PCU find themselves investigating a double murder.
Both characters appear completely out of step with modern policing but they still manage to get results using old fashioned policing practices, incorporating unorthodox methods of investigation in order to solve crimes.
A highly entertaining and humorous crime thriller accompanied by Bryant's interesting historical facts and anecdotes about London. I definitely recommend it to newcomers and those already familiar with the world of Bryant & May.
Unfortunately in this latest story the octogenarian detective seems to be losing his memory causing him to be confused and forgetful. If this is an indication that this may be the last we are to hear of the duo I can console myself that I have the previous instalments to catch up with.
Mr Fowler did not fib at all, there was enough information on each character that I didn't feel disadvantaged by not reading previous books in the series.
The opening chapter introduces the cast of characters by means of a 'staff roster'. Also included is an excerpt from a speech by Mr Arthur Bryant given to the City of London Police Crime Directorate, and a highly amusing memo from the long suffering PCU Chief, Raymond Land.
From the outset I knew I was going to enjoy reading, The Burning Man, and at times it had me laughing out loud in public places. I'll give an example of the humour; "...no more pawning items from the Evidence Room until payday..." and "...the entrance halls' visual-recognition system has been removed after Mr Bryant proved it could be cheated by the addition of a hat...".
The Burning Man was an enjoyable, highly amusing read about a team of misfits working in the Peculiar Crime Unit (PCU). At the centre of which are two main character's Bryant & May, a totally mismatched elderly police duo. Bryant is somewhat untidy and dishevelled, both in appearance and manner. May is his polar opposite, immaculate in appearance and highly organised. The setting is present day London during the Guy Fawkes' celebrations, alongside this angry protests are raging over a banking scandal. During the ensuing riots a homeless man is set alight and burns to death while sleeping in a doorway.
The PCU is brought in to investigate what should be a simple case of accidental death and hope to tie things up quickly. A subsequent death throws new light on the case and the PCU find themselves investigating a double murder.
Both characters appear completely out of step with modern policing but they still manage to get results using old fashioned policing practices, incorporating unorthodox methods of investigation in order to solve crimes.
A highly entertaining and humorous crime thriller accompanied by Bryant's interesting historical facts and anecdotes about London. I definitely recommend it to newcomers and those already familiar with the world of Bryant & May.
Unfortunately in this latest story the octogenarian detective seems to be losing his memory causing him to be confused and forgetful. If this is an indication that this may be the last we are to hear of the duo I can console myself that I have the previous instalments to catch up with.
December 23, 2015
The Burning Man is quite an apt title because this book is on FIREEEE (I can’t promise that is the only bad joke in this review...but I’ll try keep them to a minimum).
One of the good things about coming to a series late is that there is already a history and a development to the characters and it also means I have a wealth of new books to go back and read. It sort of reminds me of how the Doctor and River Song were on two different time paths and they kept meeting at different points in their history, so as I trail back things will make sense and other pieces will fall into place, and the characters will be built even more. Though you can as I have read this as a standalone and then go back and start at the beginning (or indeed any point).
This is one of those times where I’d seen this book floating about with its almost old school poster vibes cover, thought maybe...but then read it and am so glad I did. There was a real depth to the writing, I want to describe it as full, but I don’t know if that makes sense. It wasn't a book that i finished quickly even though I was flying through it, and I liked that because i felt like I was going along with the story, and it wasn't suddenly over. This was mixed in with a good amount of natural comedy “” and supported with really strong characters. I’ll wait to I've read at least another B+M adventure but I think Bryant and May could easily become one of my favorite detective pairs. Bryant was beautifully broken, a strange mix of eclecticness mixed in with charisma, but yet both you and May (his balancer almost) know something up and you almost spiral down with him, and it was sad to read, but it was the character so it made sense.
I do love a book set in London and this London was current and felt real (I know not all the book are like this so it will be interesting to see how this changes) and using the elements of rioting gave this London a different edge, a sort of look at an extreme alternative, that when you think about it isn’t that alternate. I also love peculiar so this suited me just fine! There were elements of history and occult thrown in, but they weren’t a central focal point of overhang the book, they slotted in nicely and picked my interest on more than one occasion.
This was my first crime with the PCU, for me a great new crime voice to have encountered, and I’m sure it won’t be my last.
One of the good things about coming to a series late is that there is already a history and a development to the characters and it also means I have a wealth of new books to go back and read. It sort of reminds me of how the Doctor and River Song were on two different time paths and they kept meeting at different points in their history, so as I trail back things will make sense and other pieces will fall into place, and the characters will be built even more. Though you can as I have read this as a standalone and then go back and start at the beginning (or indeed any point).
This is one of those times where I’d seen this book floating about with its almost old school poster vibes cover, thought maybe...but then read it and am so glad I did. There was a real depth to the writing, I want to describe it as full, but I don’t know if that makes sense. It wasn't a book that i finished quickly even though I was flying through it, and I liked that because i felt like I was going along with the story, and it wasn't suddenly over. This was mixed in with a good amount of natural comedy “” and supported with really strong characters. I’ll wait to I've read at least another B+M adventure but I think Bryant and May could easily become one of my favorite detective pairs. Bryant was beautifully broken, a strange mix of eclecticness mixed in with charisma, but yet both you and May (his balancer almost) know something up and you almost spiral down with him, and it was sad to read, but it was the character so it made sense.
I do love a book set in London and this London was current and felt real (I know not all the book are like this so it will be interesting to see how this changes) and using the elements of rioting gave this London a different edge, a sort of look at an extreme alternative, that when you think about it isn’t that alternate. I also love peculiar so this suited me just fine! There were elements of history and occult thrown in, but they weren’t a central focal point of overhang the book, they slotted in nicely and picked my interest on more than one occasion.
This was my first crime with the PCU, for me a great new crime voice to have encountered, and I’m sure it won’t be my last.
October 7, 2016
Conventional wisdom holds that the 12th book is never a good way to start a series. Convention also holds that you can have a great crime novel or a love ode to London seldom both. This book confounds convention.
April 12, 2017
The author thinks his Bryant & May series is different enough from New Tricks (BBC) that it should be produced, but I can't fully agree. There is so much back and forth "old-person speak" and joking between members of the Peculiar Crimes Unit that while reading the books I find myself wishing I could instead be watching on television. Anyway, I guess I am just not the right audience for these books. They do end up investigating criminal activities, and they do eventually discover who was enacting mayhem against a list of people while "anarchists" were busy with demonstrations and fires.
It all starts with demonstrations against banks: "Tonight, they felt sure, the time was right for the forces of anarchy to overwhelm those of law and order. It was, everyone agreed, a right bloody mess."
The first to be burned to death is staged outside a bank entrance. There will be more victims.
A female member of the Unit is plagued with nightmares of being caught in the woods with a burning man where she is also burning...a premonition. I shall tell no more but will say these books are long.
It all starts with demonstrations against banks: "Tonight, they felt sure, the time was right for the forces of anarchy to overwhelm those of law and order. It was, everyone agreed, a right bloody mess."
The first to be burned to death is staged outside a bank entrance. There will be more victims.
A female member of the Unit is plagued with nightmares of being caught in the woods with a burning man where she is also burning...a premonition. I shall tell no more but will say these books are long.
April 14, 2015
Crime thriller set in London (an incendiary mixture …)
The Burning Man is, I am slightly embarrassed to report, the first Bryant and May detective novel that I have read (and there are eleven others…). Arthur Bryant and John May are detectives in London’s Peculiar Crimes Unit – a body set up during WW2 to investigate cases that could cause ‘national scandal or public unrest’. And they both have elements of policing in WW2 about them… they are old fashioned coppers in a modern world. A great deal of the pleasure in the book comes from trying to understand the complex relationship between the two of them, and the equally complex relationship between the two of them and the modern London police force. They, and the Peculiar Crimes Unit, are anachronisms. They clash with authority, they refuse orders, and yet they solve crimes. It is hard – and this in one of the joys of the book – to work what is meant to be serious and what is meant to be amusing. The names, Bryant and May (as in the UK match manufacturer), are obviously a joke – especially for detectives investigating murders where fire is a key part of the plot. And it is hard to take the Peculiar Crimes Unit seriously… Yes, somewhat oddly, much of the story rings true or at least plausible. It is a real page turner. A young homeless man is burnt to death during anti capitalist riots in the City of London, and other very violent ’incendiary’ murders follow. A corporate banker is tarred and feathered, and dies in the resulting fire in a shop in Brixton market. A, thankfully unconscious, ’charity’ entrepreneur is killed in his Belgravia flat when a replica of a red hot medieval torture mask is forced onto to his head – and his flesh chars. I could go on, but you probably get the idea…(and we don’t want too many spoilers…). The book moves at pace, and the denouement is both surprising (in that I hadn’t seen it coming) and also very clever.
The Burning Man is a perfect book for TripFiction to review. Location is so important. Christopher Fowler is a Londoner through and through, and his love for the city and its ways is wonderful to behold. Christopher lives in the newly re-developed Kings Cross area – where the somewhat decrepit offices of the Peculiar Crimes Unit are also located. He captures brilliantly the changed and changing feel of the locale. But he is equally at home in the twisted back alleys of the City, the market in Brixton, or in a posh mansion block in Belgravia. The Burning Man is very much a London book – and Christopher clearly knows his way around.
Very definitely a good and exciting read, and ideal for anyone visiting London (providing they don’t scare too easily!).
The review first appeared on our blog - the author talks to us about 'his' London http://www.tripfiction.com/crime-thri...
The Burning Man is, I am slightly embarrassed to report, the first Bryant and May detective novel that I have read (and there are eleven others…). Arthur Bryant and John May are detectives in London’s Peculiar Crimes Unit – a body set up during WW2 to investigate cases that could cause ‘national scandal or public unrest’. And they both have elements of policing in WW2 about them… they are old fashioned coppers in a modern world. A great deal of the pleasure in the book comes from trying to understand the complex relationship between the two of them, and the equally complex relationship between the two of them and the modern London police force. They, and the Peculiar Crimes Unit, are anachronisms. They clash with authority, they refuse orders, and yet they solve crimes. It is hard – and this in one of the joys of the book – to work what is meant to be serious and what is meant to be amusing. The names, Bryant and May (as in the UK match manufacturer), are obviously a joke – especially for detectives investigating murders where fire is a key part of the plot. And it is hard to take the Peculiar Crimes Unit seriously… Yes, somewhat oddly, much of the story rings true or at least plausible. It is a real page turner. A young homeless man is burnt to death during anti capitalist riots in the City of London, and other very violent ’incendiary’ murders follow. A corporate banker is tarred and feathered, and dies in the resulting fire in a shop in Brixton market. A, thankfully unconscious, ’charity’ entrepreneur is killed in his Belgravia flat when a replica of a red hot medieval torture mask is forced onto to his head – and his flesh chars. I could go on, but you probably get the idea…(and we don’t want too many spoilers…). The book moves at pace, and the denouement is both surprising (in that I hadn’t seen it coming) and also very clever.
The Burning Man is a perfect book for TripFiction to review. Location is so important. Christopher Fowler is a Londoner through and through, and his love for the city and its ways is wonderful to behold. Christopher lives in the newly re-developed Kings Cross area – where the somewhat decrepit offices of the Peculiar Crimes Unit are also located. He captures brilliantly the changed and changing feel of the locale. But he is equally at home in the twisted back alleys of the City, the market in Brixton, or in a posh mansion block in Belgravia. The Burning Man is very much a London book – and Christopher clearly knows his way around.
Very definitely a good and exciting read, and ideal for anyone visiting London (providing they don’t scare too easily!).
The review first appeared on our blog - the author talks to us about 'his' London http://www.tripfiction.com/crime-thri...
July 8, 2015
Publication Date: 26th March 2015
Publisher: Random House UK, Transworld Publishers
ISBN: 978-0857522047
Source: Publisher copy via NetGalley
Rating: 3*
Synopsis:
London is under siege. A banking scandal has filled the city with violent protests, and as the anger in the streets detonates, a young homeless man burns to death after being caught in the crossfire between rioters and the police.
But all is not as it seems; an opportunistic killer is using the chaos to exact revenge, but his intended victims are so mysteriously chosen that the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to find a way of stopping him.
Using their network of eccentric contacts, elderly detectives Arthur Bryant and John May hunt down a murderer who adopts incendiary methods of execution. But they soon find their investigation taking an apocalyptic turn as the case comes to involve the history of mob rule, corruption, rebellion, punishment and the legend of Guy Fawkes.
At the same time, several members of the PCU team reach dramatic turning points in their lives - but the most personal tragedy is yet to come, for as the race to bring down a cunning killer reaches its climax, Arthur Bryant faces his own devastating day of reckoning.
‘I always said we’d go out with a hell of a bang,’ warns Bryant.
Review:
Special thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley.
This is the first crime novel I've read to feature duo Bryant & May and my first read by this author. I think being unfamiliar with the characters and the style of writing impeded my opinion of this novel. It opens with a memo-style letter and an account of a meeting, both seemed rather a cold and abrupt start, which put me of straight away. There was no gentle introduction to the characters or case, so perhaps I'd have perceived this novel better if I'd previously read other Bryant & May books.
I liked the humour of the characters, which was described very well and have a lighter feeling to a disturbing case.
My 3* reading is purely my opinion and should not hamper your decision to read this, or any other, B&M novel or anything else written by the author.
Publisher: Random House UK, Transworld Publishers
ISBN: 978-0857522047
Source: Publisher copy via NetGalley
Rating: 3*
Synopsis:
London is under siege. A banking scandal has filled the city with violent protests, and as the anger in the streets detonates, a young homeless man burns to death after being caught in the crossfire between rioters and the police.
But all is not as it seems; an opportunistic killer is using the chaos to exact revenge, but his intended victims are so mysteriously chosen that the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to find a way of stopping him.
Using their network of eccentric contacts, elderly detectives Arthur Bryant and John May hunt down a murderer who adopts incendiary methods of execution. But they soon find their investigation taking an apocalyptic turn as the case comes to involve the history of mob rule, corruption, rebellion, punishment and the legend of Guy Fawkes.
At the same time, several members of the PCU team reach dramatic turning points in their lives - but the most personal tragedy is yet to come, for as the race to bring down a cunning killer reaches its climax, Arthur Bryant faces his own devastating day of reckoning.
‘I always said we’d go out with a hell of a bang,’ warns Bryant.
Review:
Special thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley.
This is the first crime novel I've read to feature duo Bryant & May and my first read by this author. I think being unfamiliar with the characters and the style of writing impeded my opinion of this novel. It opens with a memo-style letter and an account of a meeting, both seemed rather a cold and abrupt start, which put me of straight away. There was no gentle introduction to the characters or case, so perhaps I'd have perceived this novel better if I'd previously read other Bryant & May books.
I liked the humour of the characters, which was described very well and have a lighter feeling to a disturbing case.
My 3* reading is purely my opinion and should not hamper your decision to read this, or any other, B&M novel or anything else written by the author.
March 31, 2015
Another outing for the Peculiar Crimes Unit then, featuring eclectic detective duo Bryant and May – I’ve always really enjoyed this weirdly wonderful series, I have dipped in an out of them over the years and it is always a pleasure.
This instalment throws a lot of problems into the path of our pair, most especially for Bryant, as usual the mystery they face is both strange and difficult to fathom. I’ve always been a big fan of the construction of these stories – intelligent plotting and a wonderful backdrop (London is the 3rd character here for sure) Christopher Fowler challenges and engages the reader every time, keeping you immersed into the narrative all the way.
I like that you can read any of these as standalone novels, yet the mythology of the series is still ingrained into every one. This one would be a great one to start with, it is definitely one of my favourites so far (although I need to go back and fill in the odd gap) it was beautifully done and an absolute page turner.
Plenty of twists and turns, an elegantly woven puzzle with a social edge, with “The Burning Man” Mr Fowler has shown that there is plenty of life left in this series despite, or perhaps because of, its longevity. Highly enjoyable, eminently readable and a perfect blend of crime and character driven storytelling. Highly Recommended.
A guest post from the author is available on my blog.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbook...
This instalment throws a lot of problems into the path of our pair, most especially for Bryant, as usual the mystery they face is both strange and difficult to fathom. I’ve always been a big fan of the construction of these stories – intelligent plotting and a wonderful backdrop (London is the 3rd character here for sure) Christopher Fowler challenges and engages the reader every time, keeping you immersed into the narrative all the way.
I like that you can read any of these as standalone novels, yet the mythology of the series is still ingrained into every one. This one would be a great one to start with, it is definitely one of my favourites so far (although I need to go back and fill in the odd gap) it was beautifully done and an absolute page turner.
Plenty of twists and turns, an elegantly woven puzzle with a social edge, with “The Burning Man” Mr Fowler has shown that there is plenty of life left in this series despite, or perhaps because of, its longevity. Highly enjoyable, eminently readable and a perfect blend of crime and character driven storytelling. Highly Recommended.
A guest post from the author is available on my blog.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbook...
December 30, 2015
Amazing roller coaster ride as always with Bryant and May and the PCU! In every book I find there is a point, usually about 3/4 of the way through, where I feel like Bryant's theories are just too arcane and out-there to be taken seriously as a motive, but it's always right where the roller coaster car of a plot is just about to peak and we are about to plunge into the vertical drop and I'm too far gone to care if it makes perfect sense...
As always, Christopher Fowler delivers an exciting, baffling, fascinating, heart-breaking ode to his beloved London, and I find these mysteries utterly addictive. This time a crooked banker's shenanigans has stoked the righteous anger of demonstrators and protests are wreaking havoc all over the Square Mile of London. A homeless man sleeping in front of a firebombed bank is the first victim of the violence - but then the PCU finds evidence that it wasn't an accident...
The body count rises and the protests and crowds grow more rambunctious and threaten to spill out all over the city as Bryant and May race against time (and their own vulnerabilities) to uncover the killer. A very satisfying, absorbing and fast-paced thriller, I wouldn't recommend starting here if you're new to the series; for old fans, no spoilers but this one (especially the ending) will really touch your heart. Fowler promises Bryant and May will return and I trust him implicitly, and I can't wait to see where he takes these wonderful characters next!
As always, Christopher Fowler delivers an exciting, baffling, fascinating, heart-breaking ode to his beloved London, and I find these mysteries utterly addictive. This time a crooked banker's shenanigans has stoked the righteous anger of demonstrators and protests are wreaking havoc all over the Square Mile of London. A homeless man sleeping in front of a firebombed bank is the first victim of the violence - but then the PCU finds evidence that it wasn't an accident...
The body count rises and the protests and crowds grow more rambunctious and threaten to spill out all over the city as Bryant and May race against time (and their own vulnerabilities) to uncover the killer. A very satisfying, absorbing and fast-paced thriller, I wouldn't recommend starting here if you're new to the series; for old fans, no spoilers but this one (especially the ending) will really touch your heart. Fowler promises Bryant and May will return and I trust him implicitly, and I can't wait to see where he takes these wonderful characters next!
May 20, 2015
Another great story about the Peculiar Crimes Unit with Bryant & May investigating a series of gruesome fire-related murders against the backdrop of anti-capitalist protests in the City of London. As the protests escalate to rioting, the police seem at a loss as to discovering a single suspect. At the centre of all the trouble is a sneering, young banker who epitomises all that is wrong with Britain's "greed is good" financial industry which Bryant sees as responsible for destroying the true heart & soul of London. But Bryant also has to struggle with a personal problem and May does his utmost to help out his aging colleague. Yet again, the Unit finds itself up against not only criminals, but also the "professionals" within the police force - both the paper shufflers and the gung-ho brigade who want to crack down hard & heavy on the protestors. As the mystery speeds along, the plot brings with it the true facts about Jack The Ripper and the real reasons behind the celebration of Guy Fawkes Night. As usual, a Bryant & May tale is stuffed with historical facts and legends of London and other parts of Britain. Just as the mystery seems set to be solved at Lewes in Sussex as the biggest bonfire in the country goes ahead, there's a twist in the tail.
July 17, 2015
The Burning Man is the 12th book in the wonderful Bryant and May series.
Arthur Bryant and John May are both senior detectives in the Peculiar Crimes Unit, which performs a unique invisible service, to prevent public disorder......and to investigate peculiar and unusual crimes.
This time, morale is low in the unit, their budget's been cut and they've had some bad publicity from a disgruntled tabloid hack. It's also pretty quiet until a banking scandal breaks and riots break out in the City, and people are being killed in mysterious and horrific ways.
As usual, Bryant and May bring their own unique style of investigating to the crimes. Bryant is quirky and 'insensitive to the etiquette of small talk, a mobile time capsule' and May is a bit of a ladies man.
The plot moves along at a steady pace, the two detectives sparking off each other, sometimes quite funny, sometimes sad, and I really liked both of them and their different way of working.
Plenty of twists and turns all make this a very readable novel which I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend.
Arthur Bryant and John May are both senior detectives in the Peculiar Crimes Unit, which performs a unique invisible service, to prevent public disorder......and to investigate peculiar and unusual crimes.
This time, morale is low in the unit, their budget's been cut and they've had some bad publicity from a disgruntled tabloid hack. It's also pretty quiet until a banking scandal breaks and riots break out in the City, and people are being killed in mysterious and horrific ways.
As usual, Bryant and May bring their own unique style of investigating to the crimes. Bryant is quirky and 'insensitive to the etiquette of small talk, a mobile time capsule' and May is a bit of a ladies man.
The plot moves along at a steady pace, the two detectives sparking off each other, sometimes quite funny, sometimes sad, and I really liked both of them and their different way of working.
Plenty of twists and turns all make this a very readable novel which I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend.
June 24, 2016
I don't know how Christopher Fowler does it but his Bryant and May Peculiar Crimes Unit series gets better with age. These books are in a category of their own......the stories are ridiculously complex, the characters are eccentric to say the least, and they are what people used to call "madcap". You never know what insane situation the Unit will be taking on but the beauty of these books is not necessarily the story itself (which is usually unbelievable) but the humor and whimsy of Fowler's writing and the inventiveness of how his characters interact with the world at large. As I said in a previous review of one of his books, it is impossible to provide a synopsis of the story since it is so convoluted but the books in this series are just amazing.
This one ends on a very poignant note and the last chapter is beautifully written. I will say no more.......try one of his books and you may become hooked, as I have.
This one ends on a very poignant note and the last chapter is beautifully written. I will say no more.......try one of his books and you may become hooked, as I have.
March 20, 2017
I simply love this series featuring Arthur Bryant and John May and I hope that it goes on forever. Anyone who loves both mysteries and the British sense of humor will be delighted with the Bryant and May books. But please read them in order to fully appreciate the relationships that develop.
August 29, 2016
I cried at the end of this book! Then I turned the page and felt better ;) I'm hoping for more novels and not just a book of short stories tho. So this may or may not be the series end.
September 12, 2016
Another great outing with the Peculiar Crimes Unit. The plot was quite ingenious. I'm just not sure where the team can go after this though....
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