Rating: 4/5
Review: Very enjoyable
I enjoyed Full Dark House. I’ve read a couple of the later Bryant and May books and am now going back to the start; this first book in the series sets the scene and the tone very well.
We begin with the present day destruction of the Peculiar Crimes Unit in an explosion and the discovery of some of Arthur Bryant’s remains in the debris. John May, his aged and long-term police partner looks back into their first case together during the blitz to find out why he died and we get a narrative intercut between the present and the case itself. In 1940 Arthur and John are embroiled in a controversial theatre production where cast members keep being killed, and we get the combination of Arthur’s eccentric erudition and John’s steady investigation and logic which finally reveal the truth – which is pretty implausible, but that’s rather the point of the PCU.
It’s a very enjoyable read. Fowler’s intricate knowledge of all sorts of arcane areas and mastery of Greek myth, wartime conditions and much else gives the book real solidity in addition to a good, well constructed mystery and some genuine humour. His characterisation and dialogue are excellent. I did find the cutting between present and past slightly awkward at times, but it’s generally very well done and didn’t spoil my enjoyment at all. I am looking forward to reading the whole of the series and I can recommend this warmly.
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