| Publisher | Penguin |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 24 March 2022 |
| ISBN-10 | 1529176670 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1529176674 |
| Format | paperback |
| Pages | 448 |
| Price | £ 9.99 |
London Bridge is Falling Down
by
A man from the American embassy is involved in a traffic accident in a London park and elsewhere, an old woman dies seemingly of natural causes. Meanwhile, the Peculiar Crimes Unit is facing imminent closure while detectives Bryant and May are trying to find a way to keep it open.
Review
Larry Cranston works at the American Embassy in London. One afternoon he accidently knocks down a young woman on a crossing in a London park. Meanwhile the Peculiar Crimes Unit is about to be closed and evicted from its office building. Detective Arthur Bryant is determined that this will not happen and has found a loophole in some regulation that states that closure is not possible if there are any on-going cases. He notices that an elderly lady has died in her home near Kings Cross, supposedly of natural causes, and he makes a case to those above him that her death needs to be investigated by the PCU. His superiors reluctantly give permission for Bryant to proceed but he is under instructions to tie the case up as quickly as possible.
This book in the Bryant and May series is unusually long and from the start focuses on the closure of the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Regardless of this, Arthur Bryant leads the team in an investigation with so many twists and turns that unless the book is read in one go it is almost impossible to follow. This is hardly surprising as the old woman who died was one of three people whose past work involved espionage. As a result, she and the others were expert in hiding secrets and in putting people off the path of discovery as far as their actions were concerned. This, together with the involvement of the CIA, means that Bryant and the team spend much of their time perplexed, and the feeling was mutual.
However, Arthur’s mind is so active that wherever he goes he reflects on history. From what used to surround some of the now isolated ranks of Victorian houses to the identity of a company who mass-produced models of London landmarks for tourists in the past. In addition, he paints a wonderful picture of the original London Bridge, covered in houses and shops, and thus providing the finance for the building company to buy other property in London and to build more bridges. In addition, there are many more fascinating facts about common city sights and sounds.
London Bridge is Falling Down identifies many more of Arthur’s specialist advisors and assistants: Rita from Peckham, who whisks the detectives about in her taxi whilst reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica; the man from the Contradiction Society; Jackson Ubreda, the broker of Egyptian artefacts; Arbuthnot, the homicide-evidence interpreter, previously of MI5; the Jewish-Chinese head of the London River Society; several authors; a disbarred architectural engineer and many others, all used by Arthur over the many years of his career in London.
Once again, the newest member of the PCU plays a part in solving the crime, and her unconventional character and thinking skills ensure she fits in well with the crime-solving methods used by the now-elderly Bryant.
Once again, a wonderful book in this series, full of interest, intrigue and pathos, focussing as it does on so many magnificent elderly people.
This book in the Bryant and May series is unusually long and from the start focuses on the closure of the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Regardless of this, Arthur Bryant leads the team in an investigation with so many twists and turns that unless the book is read in one go it is almost impossible to follow. This is hardly surprising as the old woman who died was one of three people whose past work involved espionage. As a result, she and the others were expert in hiding secrets and in putting people off the path of discovery as far as their actions were concerned. This, together with the involvement of the CIA, means that Bryant and the team spend much of their time perplexed, and the feeling was mutual.
However, Arthur’s mind is so active that wherever he goes he reflects on history. From what used to surround some of the now isolated ranks of Victorian houses to the identity of a company who mass-produced models of London landmarks for tourists in the past. In addition, he paints a wonderful picture of the original London Bridge, covered in houses and shops, and thus providing the finance for the building company to buy other property in London and to build more bridges. In addition, there are many more fascinating facts about common city sights and sounds.
London Bridge is Falling Down identifies many more of Arthur’s specialist advisors and assistants: Rita from Peckham, who whisks the detectives about in her taxi whilst reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica; the man from the Contradiction Society; Jackson Ubreda, the broker of Egyptian artefacts; Arbuthnot, the homicide-evidence interpreter, previously of MI5; the Jewish-Chinese head of the London River Society; several authors; a disbarred architectural engineer and many others, all used by Arthur over the many years of his career in London.
Once again, the newest member of the PCU plays a part in solving the crime, and her unconventional character and thinking skills ensure she fits in well with the crime-solving methods used by the now-elderly Bryant.
Once again, a wonderful book in this series, full of interest, intrigue and pathos, focussing as it does on so many magnificent elderly people.
Reviewed 30 September 2022 by Sylvia Maughan
