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 Bryant & May and the Burning Man
"Fabulously unorthodox . . . [Fowler] takes delight in stuffing his
books with esoteric facts; together with a cast of splendidly eccentric
characters [and] corkscrew plots, wit, verve and some apposite social
commentary, they make for unbeatable fun."--The Guardian
"Winningly eccentric . . . The books are set in a skillful synthesis of
a phantasmagorical earlier era and the modern age."--Financial
Times
"The most delightfully, wickedly entertaining duo in crime fiction . . .
Fowler's tale is a rich mix of laugh-out-loud lines, acerbic wit,
obscure British history and a wonderfully puzzling story. Grade:
A*"**--The Plain Dealer*
"Fowler is even better than usual at getting readers to care about his
squad of misfits."--Publishers Weekly
"Not even Arthur Bryant's alarming behavior can dampen the twelfth
installment in the most joyously inventive mystery series of our
time."--Kirkus Reviews
"Fascinating and intriguing . . . This book is definitely a standalone
novel that keeps the reader absorbed in the story, and will make
everyone want to go back and read them all. . . . This is a very solid
story and a great addition to Fowler's long-running series. The mystery
is fascinating and readers will definitely want to know what happens
next. And for newcomers to the series, this will be an excellent place
to start."--Suspense Magazine
"Fans of the Bryant and May series will welcome this latest installment
with plenty of obscure historical details mixed with outré crimes and
the banter of the PCU members. Newcomers will find plenty to enjoy as
well without finding the amount of details included from earlier outings
overwhelming."--Library Journal
"Witty with a dry sense of humor . . . finely plotted . . . complex and
funny."--RT Book Reviews
"A fascinating investigation with lots of false leads and a plethora of
historical factoids."--Mystery Scene
