Bryant & May and The Burning Man – The Review

Author: Christopher Fowler
Publisher: Transworld Publishers

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.

If there was a fictional character who I’d truly wish was real, it would be Arthur Bryant – one half of Christopher Fowler’s Bryant and May. The underlying tone of impending doom for the character as he faced his own day of reckoning, had me worrying about the old man throughout The Burning Man. Would I hate (but still love) the author of one of my favourite series by the end of the book? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

This story (and series) might be a work of fiction, but its one from which you will gain plenty of knowledge of London’s nooks, crannies, history and lore. London is not just a place in Christopher Fowler’s books, it’s a character brought to life.

Christopher Fowler once again had me racing through this book, desperate to find out what was going to happen next. Set between Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night, with violent protests and a murderer hell bent on enflaming the chaos, the tension was palpable. Despite just being a reader, it felt like I was a part of the investigation.

Bryant brings a bit of quirkiness, wit and eccentricity to the story, whilst May acts as his straight man (with an eye for the ladies!). It’s great to get some humour while reading a crime novel, it lightens the mood a little.

The Burning Man is the 12th book in the Bryant & May series, but you don’t have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. It works as a standalone in its own right as well as part of the series. However, I highly recommend this as a series. I jumped in midway through the series, but loved it so much I had to read the earlier books too.

A great read!

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Please note: I received this book free from Transworld Publishers via NetGalley in return for a review. However, this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.